5th International Conference on Rain Water Cistern Systems
"Rainwater Catchment for Future Generations"
Keelung, Taiwan, R.O.C. - August 1991

Section 3: Catchment and Storage System Designs

Page 161

Store and Utilization of Rainwater with Tameike Cistern System at Rural Areas in Northeast Thailand

Naoki Utsunomiya and Isao Minami
Kyoto University, Japan

Abstract

In northeast Thailand, 10 tameikes, designed to store rainwater which is catched at paddyfield, were constructed at two villages where they often suffer from, drought damage under rainfed condition. Field data on the ability of tameike pond t conserve rainwater and the possibility of the rainwater utilization for agricultural production were collected.

It was shown that rainwater was efficiently catched and stored with tameike system in rainfed farming areas. Every pond was filled with rainwater flowed from paddyfields during wet season and the rainwater could be conserved even under dry season condition. The stored rainwater seems to have the ability not only to alleviate drought damage but also of desalinization.

Rice cultivation has not 'been affected y dry spell caused by erratic rainfall because the stored rainwater could decrease the damage. In addition, horticultural crops rowing and fish raising were promoted owing to the available water all seasons. Although the benefits areas of the' rainwater for these crops or fish cultivation were confined, 'the amount of their productions was enough to meet self-sufficiency. In some cases their products seem to have a potential to increase income.

These suggests that tameike system is an effective measure which develops rural life in small scale with utilization of rainwater in rainfed areas. This system is more adaptable to improve the subsistence agriculture. The avoidance of the drought and increased the agro-aquaculture due to the stored rain water may increase the standard of living in the village.

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