Thailand was hit by severe droughts in 2015 and 2016, in particular in the upper-middle part of the country, causing irrigation pro- blems in many areas. Droughts had a major impact on the agricul- tural sector, accounting for more than 75% of the country’s water demand. Thailand is a key player in the global food supply chain and a major exporter of rice.
Although climate change appears to be the main cause of drought, urbanization, industrialization and the expansion of agricultural farmland have a major impact on water demand, especially during the dry season. Other important factors are the insu cient water sources due to the high loss of water, irregular rainfall, unequal dis- traction of water and a lack of proper management.
Drought results in greater extraction of ground water, o en bey- ond replenishable levels. The extraction can have a negative impact on nearby ground, especially infrastructural, which can lead to road collapses and land subsidence. The extraction also leads to water reservoirs running low and a decline in water resources. This forces rural consumers to rely on nearby groundwater sources, pressuri- zing the already minor availability of water resources even more. The main problem in rural areas is the lack of a centralized access to water resources. Instead, private and individual extraction takes place, resulting in poorly manageable water distribution.
The Thai water infrastructure is generally outdated and was consi- derably damaged during the 2011 oods. It is estimated that the water loss amounts to more than a quarter of the total extracted water volume. In light of the rapidly increasing demand for water, this is a signi cant problem. Major leaks should be repaired and the overall e ciency of water networks must be strengthened to redu- ce loss of water. This is especially true for rural areas, which have higher distribution levels than urban areas. The recent introduced ‘Water Loss Improvement Project’ aims to strengthen and renovate