Many royal initiative projects created by King Bhumibol Adulyadej involved water management, especially in remote areas where farmers lived in poverty due to shortages of water for agriculture.
King Rama IX had a clear vision that water was one of the most important natural resources for enhancing the country's economic growth and preventing natural disasters.
In 1995, when Bangkok was faced with a flooding crisis, King Rama IX introduced his concept of kaem ling water retention ponds.
The kaem ling water management theory uses the concept of storing resources for later usage. Kaem ling, which means "monkey cheeks" in Thai, was influenced by what King Rama IX said was a monkey's tendency to save bananas in its two cheeks in order to eat them later.
King Rama IX introduced kaem ling for managing water during both the rainy and dry seasons.
He explained that natural water-retention areas in Bangkok had been replaced by houses and buildings, leading to more floods.
To create water storage areas during the rainy season, King Rama IX sketched a map of Bangkok and asked local agencies to examine water retention in specified areas of the capital.
The water-retention zones were also able to absorb floods. During rainy seasons, water would be diverted to ponds and lakes and released later during the dry season.
The concept set the example for flood-prevention measures in other big cities, in addition to Bangkok.
Kaem ling were also introduced in local areas to help both farmers and villagers.
A clear example is the case of Kwan Phayao (Phayao Lake), the largest freshwater lake in the northern region.
The Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute (HAII) and other related agencies worked together in 2009 to improve the water quality and ecology of Phayao Lake, located in Phayao province.
At that time, the fourth largest freshwater lake in the country had become a degraded water resource, clogged by weeds and sediment.
It had also become shallow, with low water quality and depleted fish stocks. Less fish meant less income for the fishermen, while villagers who could previously catch fish in the lake had to buy the fish from outside markets.
The team proceeded to set up dykes to catch sediment in Phayao Lake, clear unwanted weeds and release fish native to the area into the water.
As a result, local villagers could catch fish again and earn more income. All rehabilitation procedures were done under King Rama IX's advice.
"Kaem ling were not only a measure to prevent floods or droughts, but also a source of income for the local people. If they benefit from a place, they will protect it. This is the sustainable way of conservation, developed by King Bhumibol," said Royol Chitradon, adviser to HAII. Mr Royol worked on royal water project initiatives for decades.
After weeds and sediment were removed, the water storage capacity of the lake increased by 370,000 cubic metres. As a result, water from the lake was able to be diverted to 16,500 nearby families and 43,785 rai of farmland.
The team also used a similar restoration plan at a nearby lake known as Nong Leng Sai. It had similar environmental problems to Phayao Lake.
After the improvements were made, the capacity of that lake increased by more than 177,000 cubic metres of water -- enough to feed 6,800 families. During rainy seasons, it is used to keep water for farmers during the dry season.
In a drought-plagued area, Mr Royol said that the late King Bhumibol introduced a pilot royal project to Huai Hong Khrai in Chiang Mai province. Huai Hong Khrai became the first site to show how to rehabilitate degraded forests.
In Huai Hong Khrai, dykes were built to irrigate water to return moisture to the soil.
Mr Royol said the team brought the concept of forest rehabilitation from the Huai Hong Khrai project to implement at Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Park in Cha-am district of Phetchaburi province.
They constructed dykes to keep the soil moist and dug a big pond for water retention. They were able to develop more green areas and turn the drought zone into an agricultural one.
Mr Royol said the water management theory of King Bhumibol is usually initially conducted as a pilot study before expanding to other sites. Many successful royal initiative water management projects have been implemented around the country.
They now know King Bhumibol's water management theory is a practical and effective measure to reduce poverty.
"His royal initiative projects usually happened in one small area first. The project would be tested and slowly expanded to new places. This is because people have seen the results of these projects. They want to get those results too, so they just follow King Rama IX's [water management] guidelines," said Mr Royol.
Mr Royol expressed his confidence that all royal projects including the water management theory will be adopted and put into practice by the authorities and Thai people.