The robustness of the IWRAM (integrated water resources assessment and management) approach was established by the Thai team in an earlier ACIAR project. The purpose of this project was to complete the hand-over of the underlying IWRAM tools and support the Thai team in building their capacity to implement and extend the approach, with the:
Thai team re-implementing the underlying models to suit the level of expertise available within their departments and agencies
Thai team actively engaged in extension of IWRAM to the rest of Thailand and neighbouring regions through national research projects
Thai team ready to conduct their own training workshop in IWRAM principles, using their IWRAM-Decision Support System (DSS) as the training tool
development of the IWRAM website as a communications tool for team members and the public

Key outputs are suitable reference and training materials, and the Thai version of the IWRAM-DSS. The major Thai product has been a book describing Phase 1 of the project compiled and produced by the Royal Project Foundation. This book is in Thai with much of the content derived from material provided by the Australian team. The development of the IWRAM website has been a key output and its evolution reflects the developing ownership of the Thai team of the material and framework. This has been matched by the developing confidence of the Thai team to run training workshops for their colleagues and counterparts in other countries in the region. A key activity for the Thai researchers has been the re-implementation of the IWRAM-DSS as an integration tool for training in the principles of integrated assessment. This DSS has been piloted for the project case study in the Mae Kuang basin.
The building of a trans-disciplinary approach to modelling interactions in catchments has drawn together researchers and practitioners from many disciplines and agencies, and has aligned well with a national initiative to implement integrated catchment management. The project has provided for the building of strong linkages between government departments responsible for natural resource management, especially water, and socio-economic research being undertaken in universities.
Within the natural resource management sphere agency professionals have a greater understanding, crucial in convincing policy makers to legislate for, and farmers to implement, sustainable land use and natural resources management. The researchers play a key role in informing extension officers on the suitability of crops and management practices.
A major aim of the Royal Project Foundation through the activities of this project has been to identify crops and cropping practices that raise the standard of living for local farmers, especially hill tribes, while conserving the environment, and anticipating future demands on water supply. The extensive catchment activity associated with the project (field trips, surveys) have provided strong positive signals to the local communities that they are valued by the Royal Project Foundation, and the government.
At the regional scale, the development of expertise at whole-of-catchment assessment, using a range of social, economic and biophysical indicators, gives the Thai team the ability to play a key role in the region in the development of bilateral and trans-boundary water and land management issues. They intend to use this expertise to work with their regional neighbours to develop sustainable use of their watersheds. At the local scale, the development of the IWRAM-DSS means that researchers will be providing extension officers and farmers with farming 'solutions' that are better for the environment without compromising economic return.