9 The watershed extends from 20 to 45 kilometers northwest of Chiang Mai, in Chiang Mai province, Mae Rim district (Amphoe). Major parts of the watershed are included in the Doi Suthep Pui National Park. It covers the three sub-districts (Tambon) Mae Sa, Pong Yang and Mae Ram. The main stream, the Mae Sa, has a length of 24 kilometers, with about 20 creeks as tributaries. The watershed is an upland area with mountainous terrain and altitudes ranging from 300 to 1400 meters above see level. Precipitation differs in the watershed among locations and years; the average rainfall is at 1,160 mm, with about 85 percent concentrated in the rainy season. METHODOLOGY The results of the study are based on a review of literature, semi-structured interviews, and group discussions that have been conducted from March to May 2004 in the Mae Sa watershed and in the city of Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. Altogether, 39 semi-structured interviews and group discussions were carried out, mostly with representatives of government agencies and local people. The results presented in section 4 and the further procedure of selecting respondents for the study on participation (section 5) are based on a stakeholder analysis carried out for the Mae Sa watershed. A stakeholder analysis is “the identification of a project’s key stakeholders, an assessment of their interests, and the ways in which those interests affect project riskiness and viability” (ODA 1995). The methodology of research followed a qualitative approach, based on semi-structured interviews. It also included on-field observations, open and informal talks and tools from the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) portfolio, such as rankings, to analyze the perspective of the villagers in regard to the importance and benefits of the government organizations. But since the state of participation and the .