INTEGRATED WATER ACCOUNTING AND WEAP MODELING FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT IN RAINFED AREAS: CASE STUDY IN NAKHON RATCHASIMA, THAILAND
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55766/sujst11580Keywords:
Water accounting, Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model, Rainfed agriculture, Drought resilience, Crop diversificationAbstract
Agricultural production in Thailand remains highly vulnerable to climatic variability, particularly drought, which recurrently disrupts rainfed systems in non-irrigated basins. This study integratein water accounting and the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model to assess water availability, agricultural demand, and drought vulnerability in four sub-basins of Nakhon Ratchasima Province in northeastern Thailand: Lam Takhong, Lam Phra Phloeng, Lam Chiang Krai, and Upper Mun. Monthly water accounts were constructed at subdistrict and basin scales, while WEAP simulations evaluated 24 scenarios that varied dry-season rice intensity and tested a crop-substitution strategy with sweet corn. Based on the results, dry-season rice cultivation was the principal driver of water deficits in Lam Chiang Krai and Upper Mun, with shortages concentrated during February-April. Substituting rice with sweet corn reduced deficits by 37-38%, highlighting the potential of crop diversification to strengthen drought resilience. Structured interviews with 879 farmers and a survey of parameters for 79 small reservoirs confirmed late dry-season water stress, limited groundwater potential, and strong community demand for small-scale storage and drought-tolerant crops. Methodologically, the integration of water accounting with dynamic modeling provided complementary insights into seasonal imbalances, spatial drought hotspots, and adaptation options. These findings underscore the need for adaptive, demand-focused water management strategies to enhance the resilience of rainfed agriculture in Southeast Asia.
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