The key points are we must have water to drink, to use and to support agriculture, since life is there. If there is water, people can live. If there is no electricity, people can live. But if there is electricity but no water, people can't live," says His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Students from Huai Yot School prepare the materials for their water conservation presentation.
In response to this important message, more than 400 Mathayom (high school) students from 20 schools nationwide participated in the first Junior Water Challenge (JWC) this year.
In Thai, the contest is named Pi Num Nong Raknam Tam Naew Pra Rajdamri, which means "Elder Students Lead the Younger Ones to Conserve Water Resources by Applying His Majesty the King's Initiatives".
The project is a collaborative effort by the Coca-Cola Foundation, the National Council on Social Welfare of Thailand, the Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute, the Royal Irrigation Department, the Ministry of Education, and the Office of the Royal Development Projects Board.
It aims to educate students on, and raise their awareness of, sustainable water management and conservation. Each participating school has to generate its own water conservation project. The campaign does not only ask students to conduct their projects within their own schools, but also encourages them to build water conservation networks in their community and nearby schools.
The final round was held at Khao Hin Sorn Development Study Centre, in Chachoengsao province, from Oct 8 to 10, and 80 students from the four winning schools in each region took part.
At the camp, each group presented an enthralling project and showed their passion and concern over water and environmental issues.
Students from Manchasuksa School present their water conservation initiative to fellow conservationists.
Saving a water basin
Jaehom Wittaya School in Lampang province, the northern region winner, presented the "Huai Hok Resource Conservation" project, which aims to conserve Huai Hok forest and Sam Sob Hok reservoir, the main water source of the Sam Sob Hok community.
"Formerly, Huai Hok forest was so arid that the villagers faced drought. So, we joined hands with the community to build check dams and plant more trees. We expect the forest to be enriched with water and wildlife through our efforts and those of our community members," said a student from Jaehom Wittaya School.
In the rainy season, water filled with silt flows into the reservoir. Check dams will block sediments and extraneous debris, as well as slow down the current.
So far, more than 1,300 check dams have been built. The school, together with the communities concerned, expects to build 200 more check dams within this year.
The students are also replanting Huai Hok forest, which is the water basin for Huai Hok (Hok canal), as many of its trees usually catch fire and burn down during the dry season.
Lake protectors
In Khon Kaen province, students in Manchasuksa School are noticing that Kud Khao reservoir, which is not only the main water source but also a recreation area for their community, is being polluted by the residents, as sewage flows directly into the reservoir.
Even though the effects are not yet serious due to the large expanse of the reservoir, the students want to stop the water from deteriorating.
Acting on their concerns, this winning team from the northeastern region created "The Conservation of Kud Khao Reservoir" project to tackle the problem.
To prevent further contamination, the students have initiated several campaigns to conserve their beloved lake - such as Nak Surb Sai Nam or "Water Resource Investigation Team", which will send out students to examine the water conditions at various points of the lake.
The students have also launched water treatment projects and arranged seminars for younger students to raise awareness of water conservation.
"After we graduate, we believe that the incoming generations will continue our intentions [and] preserve the good condition of our Kud Khao reservoir forever," said a student from Manchasuksa School.
Helping farmers
The winner from the central and eastern regions of Sa Kaeo province, Romklao Wattananakorn Sa Kaeo Ratchamangkalapisek School, showcased its "Young Water Leader Following His Majesty the King's Path" project.
Students noticed that the water released by the Irrigation Department did not reach the farmers properly, as some farms still lacked water. They discovered that the waterway had been blocked and damaged by weeds. Consequently, the students, in cooperation with the community and the Royal Irrigation Department, helped to clear and repair the waterway.
The project was also spurred by concerns over contaminated water sources inside the communities that resulted from the usage of chemical substances in local agricultural activities and livestock husbandry.
To attack the problem, the students promote the use of organic fertilisers and build environmental awareness among fellow students and people in the communities.
"We cannot live without water, since water is part of our life," said Pimsupa Madato, 17, a Mathayom 6 (Grade 12) student from Romklao Wattananakorn Sa Kaeo Ratchamangkalapisek School.
The students also tried to expand their network by persuading nearby schools to join their campaign. They expected 13 schools to sign up. To date, five schools have done so.
Stabilise soil with vetiver grass
Students from Huai Yot School in Trang province, the southern region winner, presented its "Vetiver Planting on the Banks of Huai Yot School's Reservoirs According to the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy" project, which aims to protect the two precious reservoirs near their school, which are also the major water sources for their community.
During the rainy season, heavy rains usually collapse the reservoirs' banks, causing the reservoirs to become shallow. The water bodies are also contaminated with garbage and rotten leaves.
The scheme aims to solve the problems by planting vetiver grass on the reservoirs' banks. With its deep thick roots, the grass will stabilise the soil and protect it from collapsing.
"We will use the grass for roofing. Also, we intend to produce paper from vetiver grass in the future," said a Huai Yot School student. They also expect that their school will be a vetiver grass distribution centre.
"The first prize is not our goal. Our goal is to implement the teachings of our King, who is our inspiration, on the methods of conserving water and soil. We pay respect to him by preserving water and using each drop of water prudently," the Huai Yot School students said, revealing the ultimate intention of their project.
Widening perceptions
"People of different backgrounds and ages come here to learn and live together and recognise the value of water" was Pimsupa's impression of the camp.
At this final phase at Khao Hin Sorn Development Study Centre, the students had the chance to meet fellow young water conservationists and present their projects before them, as well as learn more environmental and agricultural lessons.
The lessons include creating a water-based, organic fertiliser from garbage, vegetables and fruits, getting to know the various kinds of vetiver grass and their applications, learning how to do mixed gardening, and actually taking part in fishery activities, as well as listening to an English lesson presented by Andrew Biggs.
The students do not only gain more knowledge of His Majesty the King's initiatives, which they can apply to further develop their communities along with their water conservation projects, but they also learn to work as a team.
"I've learned to live and work with others, as well as listen to others' opinions and learn to solve the problems at hand. Sometimes we have different opinions, but we have to understand others' thoughts," said Komson Laypol, 17, a Mathayom 5 (Grade 11) student from Manchasuksa School.
He added that he would attempt to grow vetiver grass by planting it in a container suspended on the surface of the water as a way of treating the water in his project.
Formerly, Khao Hin Sorn was an extremely barren area. The villagers then donated a 264-rai plot of land to His Majesty to build a palace on, but the King chose to construct an agriculture development study centre on it instead. Ever since, this parched land has been fertile and filled with lush greenery. A large number of people visit the centre every year to study agricultural philosophy according to His Majesty the King.
Results
The first prize went to Romklao Wattananakorn Sa Kaeo Ratchamangkalapisek School, which was awarded a trophy from the Ministry of Education and a 50,000-baht scholarship. The second prize, a 30,000-baht scholarship and a certificate from the National Council on Social Welfare of Thailand, went to Jaehom Wittaya School.
Each of the two remaining teams received 10,000 baht and a certificate from the National Council on Social Welfare of Thailand.
The judges considered the content of the projects and the levels of participation of the students at the camps. In the end, their decision was based on three major criteria, namely, the planning, the method of application, and the result and sustainability of the project.
"The students were able to successfully convince the people in their community to take part in water conservation," Sombat Saleepattana of the Royal Irrigation Department, one of the judges, commented on the winning team.
"In Thailand, there is too little collaboration among students, the communities and the Royal Irrigation Department," he added.
Initiated in March on the occasion of World Water Day 2008, the JWC is part of the Raknam programme, a major community service project of the Coca-Cola conglomerate.
More information about the Raknam project is available at http://www.raknam.com .
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