14.5.5 Watershed management strategy

By 2025, Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) has implemented a watershed management strategy at Ongkharak Campus, where a connected set of lakes and waterways is managed to protect, conserve and make use of campus water. Off campus, research on the Phra Prong watershed, carried out since 2023, links land use with the condition of riparian ecosystems and river water quality, providing a basis for watershed-scale management that takes account of location-specific aquatic ecosystems. The evidence is publicly available on the SWU Green Campus website.

Campus Watershed Management at Ongkharak Campus

Ongkharak Campus has a network of large lakes and interconnecting waterways. These water bodies act as retention reservoirs that store stormwater runoff, reduce flood risk and provide an on-campus water source for irrigating green areas, which reduces reliance on external freshwater supplies. Water-efficient appliances, low-cost measures such as placing water bottles in toilet tanks, and the treatment and reuse of wastewater for irrigation complement this strategy. The image below shows the network of lakes and waterways at Ongkharak Campus, as described on the SWU Green Campus water management page.

Source: https://green.swu.ac.th/water

Research on the Phra Prong Watershed

Since 2023, Bodhivijjalaya College has studied the "Impacts of Land Use Management on Riparian Ecosystems along the Phra Prong Watershed, Eastern Thailand". By measuring river water quality twice a year at sites in riparian forest, eucalyptus plantation, sugarcane fields and agroforestry, and by surveying local communities' water use and perceptions of riparian forests, the project links land use with the condition of riparian ecosystems and provides a basis for protecting, improving, conserving and restoring the watershed in partnership with the community.