Rahatwal, Satesh Dhondu creator Perret, Sylvain Roger Chairperson Babel, Mukand Singh Examination Committee Clemente, Roberto S. Examination Committee Sutat Weesakul Examination committee Thailand (HM King) Scholarship donor text series technical report th Pathum Thani, Thailand Asian Institute of Technology 2010 continuing eng 88 leaves : ill. Rice production is the second largest worldwide crop production after maize. It is the mostimportant staple food for a large part of the world{u2019}s population, especially in Asia. While rice production creates food security, employment and growth, it also generates adverse environmental impacts and resource consumption. In order to investigate these impacts, a study has been carried out in Ban Khai irrigation area, in Rayong Province, East Coast ofThailand. Study has been done for Ban Khai irrigation area, located at Rayong Province, East Coast of Thailand. Area under rice production at Ban Khai is 70 % of total area (wet season), 40 % of total area (dry season). Life Cycle Assessment approach has been used, although limited to farming system (partial LCA, from cradle to farm gate, excluding off-farm processing, packaging, or transport). Apart from the rice production at farm level, environmental impact from pollutants, emission, water consumption, energy consumption also result from manufacturing of inputs, raw materials, and machineries used during farm operations. LCA methodology can assess such contributions, but it still does not include methods forassessing water use. Such impacts has been investigated through the application of virtual water / water footprint methodology. Blue water and green water were assessed through Crop Water Requirement concepts (CWR, IWR). Grey water, as pollutant load, is based upon nitrogen leaching from fertilizers. Both LCA and virtual water components refers to same functional unit, i.e. the production of 1 kg unmilled rice delivered at farm gate. Overall LCA analysis focused on the following impacts categories: water use, energy use, acidification, eutrophication, and global warming potential. Combined LCA and water footprint approach pointed out the following environmental impacts as per functional unit: blue water (consumptive use) 2 m3 (dry season) and 0.62 m3 (wet season); green water 1m3(dry season) and 1.2 m3 (wet season); acidification is 0.0353 kg SO2-eq; eutrophication is 0.0549 kg PO4-eq and global warming potential is 2.21 kg CO2-eq. Global warming potential is affected by fertilizer application rate. As per Good Agricultural Practices of rice in Thailand global warming potential is 2.14 kg CO2-eq. Overall, CH4 emissions at field level are the main contribution to GWP of rice as expected. Besides the case study illustration, the research demonstrates the potential of LCA in the assessment of environmental impacts of production systems. However, it also demonstrates the great dependence upon existing methods for translating practices and field operation sequences into emissions and pollution. Although it is tempting to apply existing database and references, it is first essential to gather primary information and data on these practices, and second, resorting to well-established, local measurements references onto these relationships remain crucial (e.g. the complex interplay between field water management, fertilizer application, and CH4 emission). Green water and blue water concept are very useful and shall be integrated in LCI as theyrefer to well-established methodologies and concepts (CWR and IWR). Grey water concept is less useful in LCA context since it includes much more powerful approaches topollutant emission assessments in freshwater compartment. Finally, the research estimated end-point indicators including water stress related ones. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Water Engineering and Management Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2009 Environmental impact analysis Thailand Rice Irrigation Thailand Water in agriculture Thailand Water use Thailand Asian Institute of Technology. http://203.159.5.9/ait-thesis/detail.php?q=B04328 http://203.159.5.9/ait-thesis/detail.php?q=B04328 010512 20260817162914.0