Sustainability Indicators for Assessing and Monitoring the Resource Management of Pak Phanang River Basin, Thailand

Pak Phanang river basin, one of the most important river basins in Thailand, is located in the middle of the southern peninsular. It has diverse resources and land use, and complex and dynamic ecosystem in terms of water use, flooding, and physical change. The construction of the water gate in 1999 has caused drastic changes in the ecosystem of the basin and has led to subsequent effects on the livelihood of the people in the basin. The objectives of this study, hence, was to identify the appropriate sustainability indicators for assessing and monitoring the basin land use through the reviews of historical perspectives, together with the natural and socio-economic impacts on natural resource degradation and challenges. The relationship between causes, problems, and symptoms of different ecological zones were analyzed and used as the basis of identifying sustainability indicators for further in-depth study.