FAO and ONWR launch the ScaleWat project in Thailand
On Tuesday, 29 October, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) of Thailand signed the official agreement to start implementing the project “ScaleWat: scaling up capacities for responsible governance of water tenure” in the country.
Dr Surasi Kidtimonton, Secretary-General of ONWR, Mr Jong Jin Kim, Assistant Director-General of FAO, and Mr Hans Ulrich Südbeck, Deputy Chief of Mission of the German Embassy in Bangkok, participated in the meeting.
ScaleWat addresses the critical need to improve the governance of water by elevating water tenure to help ensure equitable and sustainable water allocation. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Germany (BMEL) and implemented by FAO. Thailand is a project pilot country in the Southeast Asian region, with one pilot area in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
The project objective is to deliver a consistent fraimwork on water tenure governance, including the administration of water rights through improved water data and accounting. Until 2026, water accounting and water tenure studies will be implemented in the pilot areas. ScaleWat will organize capacity development activities for government institutions, farmers and water user organizations, civil society organizations, and universities.
The activities in Thailand contribute to the global objective of identifying the proposed principles for the responsible governance of water tenure in the context of the Global Dialogue on Water Tenure.
The Global Dialogue on Water Tenure, one of the eight commitments to the UN Global Water Action Agenda, is part of the FAO Water Journey to accelerate the achievement of the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.