The Development of a Decision Support Information System for Water Management in Irrigation Office 6, Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

The water management plan for the Chi and Mun river basins focuses on water resource management within Irrigation Region 6, covering eight provinces: Chaiyaphum, Loei, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Khon Kaen, Maha Sarakham, Kalasin, Roi Et, Yasothon, and Ubon Ratchathani. This plan encompasses two river basins: the Chi and the Mun, aiming to optimize water utilization efficiently while promoting sustainable water usage. The development of the Chi and Mun river basin water management plan using linked PowerPoint files presented limitations, leading to fragmented overviews and misinterpretations in some areas, thereby reducing the management's effectiveness. To address these issues, a geographic satellite-based management plan was proposed. This approach ensures accurate geographic positioning and real-time water volume data, enhancing the precision and efficiency of water resource management for the Chi and Mun river basins. The integration of satellite mapping innovation into a website also improves decision-making responsiveness. A geographic information system (GIS) for managing the Chi and Mun river basins was developed using Python's Folium library, with a database created from .csv files comprising three datasets: 1) Information on three major dams, 2) Information on six intermediate water dams, and 3) Data from hydrological monitoring stations. The GIS system provides responsive data access via popups and is hosted on the Irrigation Department's server, enabling quick and easy access to data. This system reduces processing time, aligns operations with project timelines, and facilitates informed decision-making. After data verification by water management administrators, commands can be issued to open or close sluice gates to regulate water levels. The average score  (calculated by summing the scores from 20 respondents and dividing by the number of respondents, which is referred to as the arithmetic mean) was 4.5, indicating a high level of satisfaction.