Creating Sustainable Future of a Degraded Urban Canal: Mae Kha, in Chiang Mai, Thailand

• Main Author: Nuanla-Or, Sunantana
• Other Authors: Kaewmoracharoen, Manop.
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: LSU 2016
• Subjects: Landscape Architecture
• Online Access: http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04062016-132540/

Chiang Mai is the largest and the most significant city in the Northern region of Thailand. It was established in 1296 as the capital of Lanna Kingdom. Since then, the city is famous for its exquisite authentic Northern culture, essential trading routes, an abundance of natural places, and agriculture derived along the Ping River as well as a functional canal system in the city. In the past few decade, uncontrolled and unplanned urban development, deforestation, and the lack of public awareness have caused landscape degradation in the city. Consequently, Chiang Mai has faced several serious environmental problems such as congestion, pollution, inadequate green spaces, and the haunting memory of the inundating catastrophe in 2010. Mae Kha Canal is one of the most important features in Chiang Mai's water system that nourishes local agriculture, irrigation, and transportation. Fresh pure water originates from the mountain adjacent to the West of Chiang Mai city flowing through the city to the Ping River in the South. Unfortunately, since the unregulated growth of urbanization, the canal has suffered with massive amounts of pollution. As the result, the city has turned its back on the canal, making it a dumping site. Moreover, the problem has existed for a long time, resulting in extensive sewerage and garbage piling up in the canal. About two thousand households nearby have added the severity. Some of them have taken over the canal banks, shrunken the canal and piled it up with sediment and garbage. Recently, after the significant flood in Chiang Mai, 2010, people had started to promote the essential role of Mae Kha Canal by establishing a campaign to bring back the precious abundance of the Ping River. However, the process takes time, budget, and well-distributed responsibilities from communities, and organizations to achieve the revitalization of Mae Kah Canal. What will be the future of the canal? How do we bring Mae Kha Canal back to life? This thesis studied ecological and sustainable approaches to revitalize the water system using intensive site analysis and site planning for effective design strategies.