GENDER ROLE IN RANONG BIOSPHERE RESERVE MANAGEMENT, THAILAND: CASE STUDY ON COASTAL
RESOURCES CONSERVATION GROUPS
DISAORN AITTHIARIYASUNTHON
MAB Young Scientists Award 2016 – 2017 i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The researcher would like to thank the MAB Young Scientist Awards 2016 Project, UNESCO for funding the research on the Gender Role in Ranong Biosphere Reserve Management, Thailand: Case Study on Coastal Resources Conservation Groups in Ranong
Biosphere Reserve.
In addition, I am very grateful for Dr. Nittaya Mianmit from Faculty of Forestry,
Kasetsart University, for advice, guidance, enthusiasm, and immense knowledge, which are very significant for this research. With great pleasure I acknowledge my sincere thanks to
Dr.Wijarn Meepol, Mr. Khayai Thongnoonui, and Mrs.Poonsri Wantongchai from DMCR, for kindly supporting my research.
I would like to thank all the informants in the study area, including Mr. Paiboon
Swatnan, Mr. Watchara Khumpai, Mr. Un-u Yokyong, and Mrs. Preeya Yokyong, who helped coordinating group appointments and many thanks to members of Ban Bang Rin Mangrove Conservation Group/ Ban Tha Chang Mangrove Conservation Group, Tha Chang Nev Group, and Hat Sai Dam Mangrove Conservation Group in providing information and knowledge and exchange experiences for this research. Also, thanks to the local government sectors,
Sub-District Administrative Organization Officials in Ranong for basic information of the village. Moreover, thank you to Mr. Puenkol Suwan and staffs of the Tenth Mangrove Forest
Resource Station at DMCR Ranong for facilitating.
I wish to express my sincere thanks to all friends for helpful, supporting and commenting as well as a translator who help to accomplish this research. Finally, I am highly indebted to our moral support and wonderful person, my beloved parents, for their affection and encouragement that provided me successful completion of this research.
Disaorn Aitthiariyasunthon
ii
ABSTRACT
A study on Gender role in Ranong Biosphere Reserve Management, Thailand aims to study gender roles in resources management of the BR and gender relationships and to identify problems and gaps related to gender balance in the BR management by studying data from coastal resource management group members in Bang Rin Village No. 2 in Bang Rin Sub-district, Tha
Chang Village No. 3 and Hat Sai Dam Village No. 5 in Ngao Sub-district and collecting data from all members (111 people: 65 males and 46 females) using quantitative and qualitative approaches included questionnaire, in-depth interview, focus group discussion, and observation.
The results showed that most members are at the age of 41-50 years old and 51-60 years old with the level of education at elementary and middle school, Islam, married, and engaging in coastal fishing. For role and access to resources of males/females in daily living and in conservation group activities, there are total of 18 sharing work activities, so males and females have the right and freedom to access resources in living and access to conservation group activities is fairly equal as well. In addition, females also have the same leadership opportunities as males but not as many in which there are only some activities where participation has a statistically significant relationship with the gender difference and different in context by villages, such as the activities of zoning resources conservation and breaking down levees of abandoned shrimp farms that males play the major role. As for releasing aquatic animal activities, promoting professional in processing of natural resources activities, and ecotourism activities, females play the main role. Males are often given the role of labor, heavy work, and work that need to go outside or away home more than females while females often get a work role with delicacy, less labor, and stay at home or in the village. The difference in roles between males and females is formed by social norms and physiology affecting the opportunities for personal development, the access to natural resources, the access in participating group activities, and socio-economic benefits.
KEYWORD: Gender, Gender role, Coastal Resources Management, Biosphere reserve
110 pages
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CONTENTS
Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS i ABSTRACT ii LIST OF TABLES iv LIST OF FIGURES v 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 4-39 2.1 Gender and Gender role 4 2.2 Resource Management in Ranong Biosphere Reserve 9 2.3 Strategies, policies, plans, laws, and international 12 agreements related to the management of Ranong Biosphere Reserve, Thailand 2.4 General information of the study area 22 2.5 Communities in Ranong Biosphere Reserve area 27 2.6 Related Researches 35 3. METHODOLOGY 40-49 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 50-87 4.1 Characteristic of respondent 50 4.2 Gender roles in Coastal Resources Management of the Biosphere 65 Reserve Area 4.3 Gender relations, identified problems, and gaps related to gender 82 balance in the biosphere reserve management 5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 88 REFERENCES 92 APPENDICES Appendix A: Notification on Appointment of subcommittee for the 98 MAN and Ranong Biosphere Reserve, Thailand Appendix B: Questionnaire form 101 Appendix C: List of group’s member who participated in Focus 104 group Discussion and Verification workshop Appendix D: ACRONYMS 108 Appendix E: Photos of data collecting 109 BIOGRAPHY 110
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LIST OF TABLES
Table Page 1 The five-year management plan for RBR, starting from 2016-2020. 13-15 2 Population in villages residing in Ranong Biosphere Reserve Area. 28 3 Number of members involved in natural resource conservation in RBR 41 and the number of target groups in the study. 4 Summary of Marine and Coastal Resource Management Activities of 57 Conservation Groups in RBR Area. 5 Socio-economic information of the sample groups by village. 59-61 6 Activities Profile in daily life, group activities, and the distribution in 65-66 males/females roles of Marine and Coastal Conservation Group in RBR Area. 7 Access to and Control over Resources and Basic Services of the 69 Members of the Conservation Groups. 8 Roles and the decision-making power of the male members of the 72 group. 9 The ratio of male/female with the positions in the group. 73 10 Reasons in joining conservative groups of males/females classified by 74 village. 11 Relationship of Gender in Ranong Biosphere Reserve Area. 82-83
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page 1 Structure of a model biosphere reserve 10 2 Ranong Biosphere Reserve Area 11
3 General condition of Bang Rin Village 29 4 General condition of Tha Chang Village 30 5 General condition of Haad Sai Dam Village 31 6 Ranong Biosphere Reserve Community Map 42 7 Map of Tha Chang Village, Muang District, Ranong Province, Thailand 44 8 Map of Hat Sai-Dam Village, Muang District, Ranong Province, 45 Thailand 9 Map of Bang-Rin Village, Muang District, Ranong Province, Thailand 46 10 Destroying abandoned shrimp levees Activity at Ban Bang Rin Village, 52 Ranong Province 11 Cultivating mangrove seedlings Activity and Releasing aquaculture 53 Activity at Ban Tha Chang Village, Ranong Province 12 Managing ecotourism Activity and managing community waste Activity 57 at Ban Haad Sai Dam Village, Ranong Province 13 Women Activities in daily life 68 14 Men Activities in daily life 68 15 Percentage of conservation activities participation of Ban Bang Rin's 76 group members 16 Percentage of conservation activities participation of Ban Tha Chang's 77 group members 17 Percentage of conservation activities participation of Ban Hat Sai Dam's 77 group members 18 Percentage of members of male/female members be able to access to the 85 indicators in each dimension
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The Ranong Biosphere Reserve (RBR) was proclaimed by UNESCO in 1997 (UNESCO, 2015a) as the first mangrove area in the world to be declared a biosphere reserve (Meepol, 2012). The terrain of RBR is located on a hillside parallel to the Andaman coast in the district of Mueang Ranong, Thailand covered the area of 4 sub-districts at about 30,308.96 hectares (ha) consisting of mangrove forest at the approximately of 10,147.84 ha, land forest at about 1,903.2 ha, villages or communities about 5,940.32 ha. (Faculty of Forestry, 2008), and the rest is sea water. There are a total of 11 communities lived in RBR; the communities are located in the mangrove area and not in the mangrove area. Most communities that have settled closed to the mangrove are exploited and reliant on coastal and mangrove resources, and most of which are local fisheries. As for communities that have settled far from the mangroves, most of them are rubber plantations, palm plantation, trading, and general employment. About 50% of the population is native to the area, and the rest are those who migrated from different districts and provinces (Division of Mangrove Promotion and Development (DMPD), 2013). Moreover, many foreign workers have come to live and work because it is close to the Myanmar border (Ranong Office, 2016).
After being declared as biosphere reserve in 1997, the Core and Buffer zones have been continued to research and disseminate knowledge of coastal biodiversity, and since 2000 the OISCA Foundation (Japan) has been involved in planting Thai - Japan friendship mangrove forest in the degraded former mangrove forest and shrimp farms (DMPD, 2015) in the transition area with villagers and students in the area.This has resulted in conservative networking groups and the involvement of local people, government agencies, and private agencies. Furthermore, with the local agencies of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) have engaged in providing knowledge about coastal resources and encouraged continuous participation in sustainable mangrove resource management causing the population to be more involved in resource management in the biosphere reserve area (DMPD, 2015).
However, managing to achieve the objectives of the Man and Biosphere Program (MAB) requires integration of interactions among stakeholders, in particular the
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community's role as the key stakeholder. The communities must have strong understanding of environmental management and be aware of their roles to drive the implementation of various management plans. Therefore, a research study on Gender role in RBR Management is another way to show how Gender role is involved in coastal resource management in Biosphere Reserve (BR), how the communities model relationships, behaviours, and activities related to biosphere management, which gender plays a dominant role, or does we have to open the opportunity for any gender to participate more. All these are related to the rights, the participation, the equal beneficial distribution, and the acceptance of communities living in the biosphere reserve to raise awareness of the value of participation and equal representation between females and males. Furthermore, this results in sustainable community and environment development by applying their skills, knowledge, and traditions.
1.2 Objectives 1) To study gender role in coastal resources management in the RBR. 2) To study gender relationship and identify the problems and the gaps related to the equality of gender in RBR management.
1.3 Data collection period: October 2016 - May 2017
1.4 Expected results 1) The awareness of communities and relevant sectors on gender role and gender balance in the communities. 2) Strengthening the capability and participation of different gender and gender balance.
1.5 Definition 1) Gender Gender refers to the social and socio-psychological characteristics that are used as a basis for human “feminine”, "masculine," or "androgenous” not defined by the physiological or biological system and not what happens naturally but is determined by the socialization process and the economic and political culture that determines the roles, responsibilities, limitations, and opportunities of both male and female to perform their roles as males and
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females. Therefore, the society has an expectation of being a female and a male in specific respects and has become the social norms of being a female and a male.
2) Gender role Gender role refers to the act, expression, or behavior of persons, ideas, beliefs, patterns of being one self and toward others in society in which the society sees fit for each person to help support each other in society. This is due to two factors: (1) the biological composition of the body such as the function of sex hormones and genes related to the physiology and some abilities of males and females; (2)environmental elements:family environment, parenting, and social and cultural learning which can be adjusted by time and by era.
3) Coastal Resources Management Coastal resources management refers to the operations on coastal resources of conservation groups in Ranong Biosphere Reserve in terms of supplying, storing, repairing, utilizing wisely, and preserving the coastal resources efficiently in order to provide coastal resources to benefit human beings forever with no shortage and to achieve the ultimate goals of development including economic, social, and environmental sustainability.
4) Coastal Conservation groups Coastal conservation groups refer to numbers of people who continual come together and contact to co-operate based on status and roles with the purpose of the grouping as to manage natural resources in the biosphere reserve.
5) Biosphere Reserve (BR) Biosphere reserve refers to the terrestrial of land, marine, and / or coastal ecosystems which are internationally recognized under the Man and Biosphere Reserves Program (MAB) with objectives to integrate various issues related to the environment, society, and development based on three major roles: resource conservation, economic and social development, and facilitate for research and development at local, regional, and global level, by supporting the coexistence of human and nature for sustainable development.
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2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Gender and Gender role
2.1.1 Meaning of Gender The concept of "Gender" was invented in the feminism; in the 1970s, this concept developed from a social constructionist theory. The adoption of the concept of "gender" into anthropology in the early 1970s resulted in major improvements in the social constructionist theory, and the conceptual basis was used to study male/female issues of anthropologists and led to the development in feminism anthropology in the later period (Thaweesit, 2007) in which gender refers to the level of attributes that distinguish between "males" and "females", especially in the case of distinction between male and female, and masculine and feminine as the society creates for them. Gender depends on the context in the different traits of "sex" until "social roles," "gender identity," and the differences between "sex" and "Gender” is a separate concept that separates "sex" in the meaning of the biological mechanism from "gender" in the cultural meaning or a meaning defined by learned significance of sex (Mekrungruangkul, 2011).
"Sex"as the meaning of the English-Thai Sociological Vocabularies of the Royal Institute of Thailand (2006) provides the following definitions: (1) in general meaning refers to the difference between a man and a woman in the anatomy. (2) sociological meaning refers to social classification which does not necessarily follow the anatomy. (3) in sociological and socio-psychological meaning "sex" refers to the biological nature that separates human beings from being male and female. "Gender" refers to the social and psychological characteristics of the human race used to categorize "feminine" and "masculine"or "androgenous” (which is a mixture between the distinctive features of masculinity and femininity).
Tapingkae, (2013) defined gender as referring to identification of gender differences and the expression of gender including the gender identity which is not restricted by individual gender, but it is defined by society to express one's sexuality.
FAO (2011) stated that “gender does not refer to males and females, but to masculine and feminine that is, to qualities or characteristics that society ascribes to each
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sex. People are born female or male, but learn to be women and men. Perceptions of gender are deeply rooted, vary widely both within and between cultures and changes over time. But in all cultures, gender determines power and resources for females and males.”
The United Nations Women (2016) defined gender as social characteristics and opportunities related to being males and females, the relationship between men and women, and the relationship between boys and girls including the relationship between men and men and women and women. The social characteristics, opportunities, and relationships are socially established and understood during the process of socialization, but they are specifically defined for time and can be changed. Gender decides what to expect, permit, and revere in females or males in given context. Most societies, the dissimilarities and unfairness between males and females are resulted from the appointed responsibilities, participated activities, the access to and control over resources, and decision-making opportunities. Moreover, gender is part of a broader social and cultural context with the other significant principles for socio-cultural analysis, such as ethnicity, level of poverty, social rank, and age.
In summary, gender refers to the social and socio-psychological characteristics that are used as the basis to differentiate human beings to “feminine”, "masculine," or "non- androgenous."It is not defined by physiological or biological systems and not by nature but is determined by the socialization process and the economic and political culture that determines the roles, various responsibilities, limitations, and opportunities of both women and men in performing a female role or male role. As a result, the society has an expectation of being a female and a male in specific respects and becomes the social norms of being a female and a male.
2.1.2 Gender role Gender roles are social norms and behaviors that fit the context of a particular cultural society of one or another gender. These practices or discourses will be varied by culture and according to the changing periods resulting in a different opinion in gender roles. This is in accordance with the diversity of individual behavior and personality, which is at least determined by the cultural factors and the social factors in which the person lives from socialization experiences or different gender roles due to the differences in the origin of gender and biological or physiological mechanisms (WHO, 2012).
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As gender varies such roles and responsibilities; in many contexts, women are expected to be the prime caregiver for the children. However, in some cultures men take more and more responsibilities in the private forum, and women likewise do on the public. In agricultural work, women may be responsible for the rice production, whereas men are responsible for catching fish. A gender analysis must highlight the differences in roles and responsibilities to understand how men and women, girls and boys interact, what they do, what can do, and what are expected to do (SIDA, 2015). Gender roles vary considerably in each person, so these following factors of setting and over time changes can shape and change gender roles (ILO, 1998): - Age - Class - Race - Ethnicity - Religion and other ideologies - Geographical environment - Economic environment - Political environment
From multiple roles in the society of males and females, Moser (1998) classified types of gender role at the community level as follow. Reproductive role: The responsibilities for childbearing, child rearing, and domestic work done by women are required to guarantee the maintenance and reproduction of the labor force which includes biological reproduction, the care, and maintenance of work force (male partner, oneself, and working children) and the future-to-be-work force (infants and school-attending students), and this work is usually free of charge or non-paid work. Productive role: The work done by both men and women for pay either in cash or other kinds of payment including market production with market-exchange value and subsistence or home production with actual use-value, and also potential exchange-value may also be traded. For women in agricultural production, this includes work as independent farmers, farmers‟ wives, and wage workers. The work can be underpaid, paid, and non-paid. Community managing role: It is activities which are primarily responsible by women at the community level expanding from their reproductive role to fulfill the
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conditions and the care of limited resources of collective consumption, such as water, energy sources, health care, and education, and this work is non-paid or free of charge. Community politics role: It is activities which are mainly done by men at the community level managing at the formal political level in which these activities are often within the framework of national politics with directly and indirectly paid.
Segregation of labor by gender specified in the given economic and social determines the roles that males and females undertake because males and females play a different role, so they often face different cultural, institutional, physical, and economic constraints, and many of which are based on systematic bias and discrimination (ILO,1998). Most males play a variety of roles, but it was found that the roles of most males are mainly a simple productive role while females must play a role at the same time and balance the needs of each person within a limited time.
2.1.3 Gender Analysis Gender analysis is relationship verification between males and females in the society and inequality in those relationships, roles, responsibilities, the access and control of resources, and constraints Neelormi and Ahmed (2013) refer Hill (2011), has defined the questions‟ framework to study the role of males and females as follow. Who does what? Where? When? Why? How? (Labor) Who uses what? Where? When? Why? How? (Access) Who controls what? Where? When? Why? How? (Decision-making and control = Power) Who knows what? Where? When? Why? How? (Information = Power) Who benefits from what? Where? When? Why? How? (Benefit-sharing) Who is included in what? Where? When? Why? How? (Participation)
“Gender analysis break down the divide between the private sphere (involving personal relationships) and the public sphere (which deals with relationships in wider society). It look at how power relations within the household interrelate with those at the internation, state, market, and community level.” (March et al.,1999).
“When considering the way in which resources are allocated between women and men (the „gendered‟ allocation of resources), it is important to look at the difference between
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access to resource and control over them. Access: This is defined as the opportunity to make use of a resource. Control: This is the power to decide how a resource is used, and who has aceess to it.” (March et al.,1999)
SIDA, (2015) has concluded analytical principles of gender analysis in the aspects of the access to and control over resources which can be means and goods including: • Economic (household income) • Productive (land, equipment, tools, work, credit) • Politic (ability in being a leadership, information, organization) • Time Access to resources means females and males can utilize and benefit from specific resources (material, financial, human, social, political etc.). Control over resources can be referred to males and females can access to a resource and can also make decisions about the utilization of that resource. For example, a control over land means that females or males can access land (use), own land (can be the legal title-holders) and decide whether to sell or lease the land. Benefits are defined as the economic, social, political and psychological benefits of resource utilization as well as the satisfaction of both practical needs (food, housing) and strategic interests (education, training, political power). These are related to broader social relationships and how interconnectedness in the household is at community and community level.
March et al., (1999) referred to the Harvard Analytical Framework as a conceptual framework for economically allocating resources to women as well as men. This framework‟s objective is to help planners design more efficient projects and improve the productivity in overall by mapping the work and resources of males and females and emphasizing the major differences with the Harvard Analytical Framework as a grid for gathering data at the micro- level (such as community level and household level). It is a beneficial method in organizing data and can be adapted to various situations. Moreover, the Harvard Analytical Framework has four main parts as follow. 1)The Activity Profile: This tool identifies all relevant productive and reproductive work and answers the question on who does what?
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2) The Access and Control Profile - resources and benefits: This tool enables users to identify what resources are used to perform tasks specified in the Activity Profile. This means that whether males or females have the access to resources, as for whom control the utilization, and who controls the benefits of using household resources (or community resources) is not defined. Access simply means that males/ females are able to use resources, but this says nothing about whether males/ females have control over it. 3) Influential factors: This tool allows the researcher to define factors that are influential in the distribution of labor, access, and control in the gender differences as specified in the Activities Profile and Access and Control Profile. Moreover, identifing the influences of the past and present can indicate or predict future trends, and influential factors are all those that shape gender relations, and determine different opportunities and constraints for males and females. These factors include: - Community norms and social hierarchies - Demographical conditions - Institutional structures include bureaucratic characteristics, and the creation and dissemination of knowledge, skills and technology. - General economic conditions - Internal and external political events - Legal parameters - Training and education - Communities‟ attitude on the development/ support / staff 4) Checklist for Project-Cycle Analysis: It is designed to assist in investigating a proposal project or an area of intervention from a gender perspective using gender-disaggregates data and apprehending various effects of social changes on males and females with lists of questions.
2.2 Resource Management in Ranong Biosphere Reserve
2.2.1 Principles of Biosphere Reserve The biosphere reserve is declared by the Man and Biosphere International Coordinating Council and endorsed by UNESCO with three main objectives: (1) conservation function: to conserve varieties of plants and animals species and ecosystems: (2) development function: to promote sustainable economic and social development emphasizing on closed-
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cooperation with the surrounding communities; and (3) logistic support function: for studies, researches, and training relating to the conservation of natural resources and environment, such as training and education programs on the environment and researches at all levels including local, regional, national, and global level, and in order to achieve this objective there has been divided into 3 zones (UNESCO, 2015b) which are: 1) Core area Core area is large enough to serve the purposes of preserving genetic biodiversity with no activity in this area except for studies, researches, and monitoring of natural changes. The core area consists of strictly protected ecosystems which are essential for preserving the ecological landscape, species, and genetic variation. 2) Buffer zone Buffer zone is the area between core and transition areas. It is an area that allows for activities such as researches and eco-tourisms that do not disturb the conservation area. The buffer zone is surrounded by the core area and is used for activities conformed to sound ecological practices that can enhance scientific researches, follow-up, training, and education. 3) Transition area Transition area is used for general activities such as agriculture, community settlement, and so on. It is a part of the reserve area which allows for activities to promote economic and social development - social, cultural, and ecological sustainability.
Figure 1: Structure of a model biosphere reserve (UNESCO, 2016)
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Management after announced as the BR is a country-owned-area management taken care to maintain the core area as a complete and biologically diverse area.The management must promote a proper care and use of buffer zone to cause no effect on the ecology by adhering the equality and respect local wisdom and customs.Moreover, it must encourage people to know consciousness in the conservation of natural resources and take part in the management of the area to become a biosphere reserve that fulfills its purpose.
2.2.2 Management of Ranong Biosphere Reserve in Thailand There are 4 BR in Thailand that are designated by UNESCO as 1) Mae Sa-Kog Ma BR, Chiang Mai Province 2) Huai Tak Teak BR in Lampang Province 3) Sakaerat BR in Nakhon Ratchasima Province; and 4) Ranong BR in Ranong Province, and each of which has distinctive ecological and social communities (ONEP, 2015).
For Ranong Biosphere Reserve which is the study area of this research, it is an area of an outstanding complete mangrove ecosystem. At the same time, it is a place where the community is living and reliant on mangrove resources for a long time. In Ranong Biosphere Reserve, there are zones of terrain and abundance forest, as well as aquaculture activities and community participation (Mepool, 2012) divided into 3 zones (Figure 2) accordingly to the requirements of the Man and Biosphere Reserve as follow.
Figure 2: Ranong Biosphere Reserve Area
Distribution (Mepool, 2012)
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1) The core area: The area of 19,148 ha with sea / water/ canals at about 12,626 ha and 6,521.92 ha of land forest and mangrove forests with high biodiversity and not be disturbed by human activities. There is a large group of mangrove trees about 30 meters high, which is about 480 ha, as the only group in Thailand (Faculty of Forestry,2008). The area is surrounded by canals and sea, so it is suitable as a reserve and aquatic nursery and to prevent the breakdown of the coastal; the core zone is divided into 5 parts: core 1/ core 2/ core 3/ core 4/ core 5 (slope). 2) Buffer zone: The area of 4,279 ha is the area outside the core area and mostly mangrove forest, but in some parts, there are a source of shrimp farming and agriculture activities that can be used to manage and revitalize the sustainable use of resources, as a source of tourism and education for the people. 3) Transition area: The area of 6,501 ha is the area where activities such as habitat are conducted including agriculture, mining, and industry. This requires appropriate measures and management to control the activities in the outermost area minimizing impact on the buffer zone and the core area.
2.3 Strategies, policies, plans, laws, and international agreements related to the management of Ranong Biosphere Reserve, Thailand
2.3.1 Strategies/ Policies/ Plans 2.3.1.1 Ranong Development Strategy Ranong Province has set up three provincial development strategies (Ranong Office, 2016), and there are two issues related to Gender's role in managing to biosphere reserves. Strategy 1 is a health tourism city: Ranong province has abundant natural resources, and the environment is clean and beautiful, so there are strategies to develop tourist attractions to facilitate the standard with creativity, unique, and not destroy nature including promoting the consumption of food that is fresh, clean, safe, and hygienic. Strategy 2 is a livable city: Ranong is a province with abundant natural resources, a good economy, and strong community. Therefore, the development strategy is to make Ranong a pleasant city as follows: 1) conservation of natural resources and the environment by managing and rehabilitating natural resources, forests, mangrove forests and water resources included with creativity in a cost-effective way: 2) promoting
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career and employment including access to funding sources to create new occupations and entrepreneurs by empowering and managing One Tambon One Product to the international market, promoting export, and restoration of fisheries resources.
2.3.1.2 Ranong Biosphere Reserve Management Plan, 2016 - 2020 In 2015, OMC, DMCR as the agency responsible for Ranong Biosphere Reserve together with Kasetsart University provided the plan for the management of Ranong Biosphere Reserve, 2016 - 2020, by collecting relevant data and hold stakeholders brainstorming sessions habituating in the buffer zone, transition zone, and the area outside the biosphere reserve. Then brought the plan to the four related local governments to participate in planning and acknowledge the plan. The vision of Ranong Biosphere Reserve Management Plan is that "forests can live people can live on a sustainable path," with the aspiration "for planning the groundwork for the management of Ranong Biosphere Reserve in order to preserve, develop, rehabilitate, and utilize resources in a participatory manner in line with the way of life, community, and the sustainability of natural resources. " The five-year management plan for RBR, starting from 2016 to 2020, comprises of seven strategic programs and 43 projects. Details of each strategic program are shown in the table below.
Table 1: The five-year management plan for RBR, starting from 2016 - 2020 (OMC, 2015) Strategic program Project Priority level 1. Preserving, 1.1 Mangrove restoration in the critically degraded areas. High protecting and 1.2 Enrichment planting by villagers to improve mangrove Low maintaining ecosystem fertility. mangrove resources 1.3 Collaborating the forest patrol operation program between Medium in the RBR community and government. 1.4 The application of “DRONE” for forest patrol supports. Medium 1.5 Participatory determination of local rules and regulations for High mangrove conservation. 1.6 Zoning of mangrove forest for villages‟ management. High 1.7 Waste management for the villages that located nearby the High mangrove forest.
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Strategic program Project Priority level 1.8 The “energy-saving” and “alternative energy” for local Medium government and communities buildings. 2. Mangrove 2.1 Development of “green products” from the RBR. Medium utilization and 2.2 Establishment of community cooperative/ community Medium product development enterprise. 2.3 Establishment of mangrove forest demonstration area for High sustainable management. 2.4 Development and improvement of infrastructures and learning High centers to support Eco-Culture-Health-tourism. 2.5 Implementation of Eco-Health-Culture-tourism in the RBR. High 2.6 Development of aqua-culture in the RBR. Medium 3. The improvement 3.1 Establishment of “RBR steering committee”. High of RBR 3.2 Institutional research for the improvement of RBR High administration and administration. management 3.3 Monitoring and evaluation of the RBR management plan. High 4. The extension of 4.1 The RBR conservation network development. Medium people participation 4.2 "Knocking the village‟s door” project to strengthen the High and the development relationship between government officers and villagers. of network for the 4.3 Extension of the extra-curricular activities on mangrove High RBR management conservation. 4.4 Young generation networking for learning conservation. High 5. The RBR public 5.1 Produce RBR newsletter. High relations 5.2 Model village for RBR conservation contest. High 5.3 Green products development contest. High 5.4 RBR‟s trademark contest. High 5.5 The RBR‟s slogan contest. High 5.6 Community radio for the RBR public relations. High 5.7 Conservation of RBR youth camp. High 5.8 Volunteer press to support RBR conservation. High 5.9 The RBR-week event. High 6. Research strategies 6.1 Development of a research master plan. High to support the RBR 6.2 Innovative development of goods, services, and administration Low management in the RBR. 6.3 Establishment of research collaboration network between local Low organizations and academic institutions. 6.4 Development of RBR‟s biodiversity, research and culture Medium
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Strategic program Project Priority level databases. 6.5 Dissemination of RBR‟s database. Medium 6.6 Research project on “Payment for Environmental Services”. Low 6.7 Development of basic laboratory to supporting marine and Medium coastal resources research. 6.8 Research results dissemination in academic conferences. Low 7. Capacity building 7.1 A training course on “Capacity Building for Government Medium for stakeholders to Officers and Villagers on RBR Management”. support the RBR 7.2 A training course on “Biosphere Reserve Management”. Medium management 7.3 A training course on “Ecosystem Services” Low 7.4 A training course on “Biodiversity and Culture Monitoring Medium Research by Community Participation”. 7.5 A training course on “Community Adaptation from the Impact Medium of Climate Change”.
2.3.1.3 Promoting and maintaining national environmental quality policies and plans, 1997-1995 Policies and plans to promote and maintain national environmental quality are intended to provide for the management of natural resources and maintaining national environmental quality alongside the development of economy and society to provide the country with sustainable development and strengthen the quality of life of the people by setting the urgent need to restore the natural resources to the substitution into balance and determining the solutions to solve water pollution, air pollution, noise pollution, solid waste and sewage, hazardous substances, as well as guidelines for promoting environmental quality in the future. This includes six main policies, with the following policies in relation to the participation of gender in the management of natural resources in Ranong Biosphere Reserve. 1) Natural Resource Policy consists of the following issues: (1) increasing the efficiency in using natural resources, coordinating the use, and reducing the conflicts including accelerating and restoring degraded natural resources as a basis for sustainable development: (2) enhancing the administration and management of natural resources by decentralizing the power of administration and management, and by creating synergies between the public, private, NGO, and people sectors: (3) improving regulation to support
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administration and management of natural resources to be effective: (4) supporting the study, research, and development of basic infrastructure for natural resource information systems; and (5) promoting consciousness to all stakeholders to coordinate the concept of development and conservation in the same direction. 2) Natural Resources and Fine Arts Centre Policy - It is a policy of protecting, preserving, and restoring natural resources and fine arts to have the appropriate potential and be the natural and cultural heritage of the country. 3) Community Environmental Policy - It is a policy that provides for the environmental management, community, and green area to enhance the quality of life of people in the community by providing a healthy, hygienic, safe, and ecologically sustainable way of life consistently with the natural, economic, social, cultural, and technological ecology. 4) Education Policy and Public Relations for the Environment - It is a policy that empowers the community at all levels to be strong and effective environmental management cooperation.
However, the policy and plan for the promotion and preservation of national environmental quality, 1997-2016 which already ended in 2016, and the National Environmental Quality Promotion and Preservation Policy and Plan, 2017- 2036 (ONEP, 2017) is currently under preparation.
2.3.1.4 The 12th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2017-2021) The 12th National Economic and Social Development Plan of Thailand was prepared during the country's reforms amid rapid global change by the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) (2017). The plan emphasizes the participation of all development partners at the community, regional, and national levels to develop the country towards "stability, prosperity, and sustainability" in economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The six major principles of the 12th National Economic and Social Development Plan are as follows and relate to gender roles in managing four biosphere reserves: 1) To adopt "philosophy of sufficiency economy" is in order to integrate all aspects of development in a sensible way. This is a prerequisite for sustainable development with a focus on human development to create opportunities for everyone in
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society. While the economy of the country is growing steadily, quality, and stability, the distribution of wealth should be thorough and fair, and it is an eco-friendly growth that maintains biodiversity, community life, values, tradition, and culture. 2) To adopt "People-centered development" is to develop people to have the knowledge, skills, creativity, a good attitude, social responsibility, ethical, and moral in developing people of all ages and preparing them for the elderly with quality. It is to help people to make use of and be environmentally supportive, conservation, restoration, and utilization of natural resources and environment appropriately. 3) To adopt "Vision under the 20-year national strategy" as the framework of the vision of Thailand in the 12th National Development Plan is for Thailand to develop the country with the vision of "Thailand with a stable, prosperous, sustainable, and developed country with a philosophy of sufficiency economy." Such a vision responds to the coexistence of peace, social stability, and the dignity of humanity, the welfare of the people, and the sustainability of natural resources and environment. 4) To adopt "economic growth principles that reduce disparity and drive the growth by increasing productivity on the basis of wisdom and innovation" is to target income and equity, reducing disparity, and expand the middle class in order to build a quality society with good governance and environmental friendliness.
For the strategies identified in the 12th National Development Plan, there are 10 strategies, with consistent principles and related to gender roles in management of Ranong Biosphere Reserve as follows: Strategy 2: To create fairness and reduce social inequality. There is a community empowerment approach, community economic development, and strengthening the financial foundations of Sufficiency Economy Philosophy to enable communities to be self-reliant with the right to manage capital, land, and resources within the community. Strategy 4: Environmentally friendly growth for sustainable development. The issues that need to be urgently preceded is the security of the natural resource base and raise the quality of the environment to support friendly growth with environment and people's quality of life. It is the way to preserve and restore natural resources to balance the conservation and sustainable and fair use by increasing the
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forest area to conserve the economic forests and mangrove forests, to reduce the loss of biodiversity, to resolve the problem of land invasion of the country and provide land for poor people by giving them the right to share, to create good environmental quality to reduce pollution, and to decrease the health effects of people and ecology by developing a management system and a mechanism for resolving natural resource conflicts and the environment. This is to push forward the strategic environmental assessment (SEA) process, raising consciousness, awareness, and the improvement of the public participation process in the area and in all related sectors. It also supports researches and studies on international environmental obligations.
2.3.1.5 MAB Strategy 2015 - 2025 Man and Biosphere Strategy is a long-term plan that will cover the next 10 years with a focus on Man and Biosphere Projects which will support member countries and stakeholders. In the field of biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, and the support in sustainable use of natural resources is to create a healthy and well- socialized society to encourage the economy and balance between human settlements with nature, to promote science in biodiversity and sustainability, education, sustainable development, and capability development, and to support for mitigation and adaptation toward the climate changes and other aspects of environmental changes as a whole. It is in order to make the World Statutory Framework of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) network an effective model for sustainable development for all member countries in maintaining the quality of operations as standard. There are 4 objectives as follows (UNESCO, 2017). Strategic Objective 1 is to conserve biodiversity, restore, and enhance ecosystem services, and promote the sustainable use of natural resources. Strategic Objective 2 is to engage in creating societies with sustainability, healthiness, and equity and contributing prosperous economics and human settlements in harmony with the biosphere. Strategic Objective 3 is to facilitate biodiversity and sustainability of scientific-education for sustainable development (ESD) and empowerment. Strategic Objective 4: is to support mitigation and adaptation to climate changes and other perspectives of global environmental changes.
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2.3.1.6 Lima Action Plan (2016 -2025) with the Sustainable Development Agenda (2030) The 2015-2025 Strategic Plan for Man and Biosphere Projects (MAB) and the Lima Action Plan are based on the Seville Strategy and the WNBR and on the evaluation basis of the Madrid Action Plan for Biosphere Reserves (2008-2013), an effort to balance the growth between human society and nature in accordance with the goals of sustainable development and the implementation of the sustainable development agenda for 2030 both inside and outside of the biosphere reserve through the publication of sustainable development developed in Biosphere Reserve. For the Lima Action Plan, it is presented in tabular format based on the 2015-2025 Strategic Plan for MAB Projects including expected outputs, productive, and activities that support the objectives of the strategic plan and identification of those responsible, timeframes and measurement indicators. Both MAB Projects and this Lima Action Plan will be a reference for the committees of the MAB Projects at national level and the network under the MAB Projects to develop tactics and strategies for each country / network (UNESCO, 2017).
2.3.2 Related laws The management of natural resources in the area of RBR has following related laws: 2.3.2.1 The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, 2017 The issue of "gender" is provided in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, 2017 on Section 3: Rights and freedoms of the Thai people, Section 27: Individuals are always equal in law, have rights and liberties and protection neutrally. Both men and women have equal rights, and the discrimination against persons regardless of the differences in origin, race, language, sex, age, disability, physical condition, or health status of person, economic or social status, religious beliefs, education, training, or political opinions that do not conflict with the provisions of the Constitution, or any other reasons will not do. The government has imposed the measurement to remove obstacles or encourage people to exercise their rights or liberties like other people or to protect or facilitate children, women, the elder, the disabled, or the underprivileged which are not considered as unfair discrimination under the Section 3 (the Royal Gazette, 2017).
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2.3.2.2 Marine and Coastal Resources Management Promotion ACT, B.E.2558 The key points of this Act and the management of biosphere reserves are Section 2 "Coastal Communities" and Section 3 "Marine and Coastal Resources Protection". The objective of this Act is to promote the participation in coastal community and local government organizations to be engaged in the conservation, rehabilitation, and utilization of marine and coastal resources in a balanced and sustainable manner with the DMCR as a support agency in providing academic knowledge and information.The DMCR also encourages participation of coastal communities and local government organizations including accepting comments for policy and plan management of marine and coastal resources both at provincial and national levels (DMCR, 2015). For the "Marine and Coastal Protection" section, it can be used if there is any activity that could seriously damage the resources in the Ranong Biosphere Reserve area. The DMCR has the authority to suspend those activities and has the power to declare mangrove forest conservation area or marine and coastal protection areas. This will make the management in the area more effective.
2.3.2.3 Fisheries Act, 2015 The Fisheries Act, 2015 requires the measures to promote and develop management, maintenance, utilization of aquatic resources, encouraging people or local fishing communities to participate in management, maintenance, and equitable use to sustain resources. Furthermore, there are also measures to promote the quality of aquatic animals or fishery products derived from fisheries or aquaculture to hygienic standards. Safe for consumers Include measures to regulate and regulate the use of Thai fishing vessels.
2.3.2.4 National Park Act, 1961 The National Park Act,1961 is used to enforce, restrict, and regulate natural resources in the National Park. In 2009, Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP) announced the area of Pak Nam Sub-district, Ngao Sub-district, Koh Phayam Sub-district, and Ratchakrut Sub-district, Mueang Ranong district, Ranong province are the area of Ranong Islands National Park due to some areas overlap with Ranong Biosphere Reserve. According to the Act, the area cannot be used for economic purposes but to preserve the natural condition in order to maintain the balance of the
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ecosystem as priority. With strict provisions, there are severe penalties to prevent the destruction of national resources.
2.3.2.5 National Forests Act, 1964 According to this Act, all mangroves in the biosphere reserves are declared as national forest reserves. The mangroves that have been designated as National Forests are protected and prohibited in performing any activities which may be a deterioration of national forest reserves, such as habitat, construction, clearing, burning, logging, forest collection, etc.
2.3.2.6 Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act, 1992 The Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act, 1992 provides an extensive protection for wildlife species and rare sea animals. In Ranong Biosphere Reserve Area, sea animals which are announced as conserved animals are dugongs and sea turtles, which are found in Koh Phayam, Ao Nang, Ao Phang-nga, and Hat Sai Dam Island. In the area of natural resources management in the Biosphere Reserve area, housing and food sources needs to be considered including reducing the threat that may affect rare animal resources.
2.3.2.7 Environmental Quality Promotion Act, 1992 The Environmental Quality Promotion Act, 1992 has laid the foundation for environmental protection and environmental management to control the use of land without damaging the natural ecosystem or environmental value by prohibiting to do any activities which may be dangerous or have an impact on ecosystems in that area. This Act also defines the authority of state agencies, state enterprises, and local government to coordinate and share a common duty to promote and maintain environmental quality and to set guidelines to act in the absence of any agency directly responsible for the establishment of pollution control measures by providing air-polluted treatment systems, wastewater treatment systems, waste disposal system, and tools or equipment to solve the problem of pollution. Defining responsibilities and duties of those involved in pollution-related activities and specifies that all authorized government agencies, state enterprises, and local government to have fundraising promotion and assistant measures to encourage the acceptance of the
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duty to preserve the quality of the environment and to support people and NGOs to participate in promoting and maintaining the quality of the environment (DEQP, 2016).
2.4 General information of the study area
2.4.1 Location and territory Ranong Biosphere Reserve Area is located in the southwest of Thailand at the latitude 9 43 North to latitude 9 57 North and the longitude 98 29 East to latitude 98 39 East covering the area of Ngao Sub-district (Tambon) and some parts of Pak Nam Sub- district, Bang Rin Sub-district, Ratchakrut Sub-district in Mueang Ranong district, Ranong province (Meepol, 2012) with an area of about 30,308.96 ha, consisting of mangrove forest at approximately 10,147.84 ha, land at about 1,903.2 ha, villages or communities at about 5,940.32 ha, and water as the remaining area. - In the North, Ranong Biosphere Reserve Area is adjacent to Ranong canal and Ranong bay. - In the South, it is adjacent to the Andaman Sea and Sai Khao canal. - In the East side, it is adjacent to Ngao Waterfall National Park. - In the West, it is adjacent to the Andaman Sea.
2.4.2 Terrain Ranong Biosphere Reserve Area is located on a hillside parallel to the Andaman coast. In the past, some areas were mangrove forests concessions, mineral mine concessions, and shrimp farming behind mangroves where there are hills, grasslands, and rainforest spreading over the coastal area of Ranong resulted from the drowning of the shoreline due to the formation of slides in the peninsula causing widespread landslides and is influenced by floods of the sea on a regular basis. Therefore, it causes this area to have mangrove forests spreading widely (Meepol, 2012).
2.4.3 Climate Mueang Ranong district, Ranong province is under the influence of the southwest monsoon covered Thailand between mid-May to October causing a cloudy and raining in general especially along the coastal area of Ranong Province. Moreover, the
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mountains on the wind side get more rain than other places making Mueang Ranong district has 2 seasons. Summer is in February - May. Rainy season is in June - January.
2.4.4. Characteristics of the rise and the fall of the sea levels The shoreline of Ranong Biosphere Reserve Area is influenced by the frequent floods of the sea (flood tides) with diurnal or semidiurnal tides which have the mean of tidal differences at 1.3 meters in water level during the neap tide (around the 7th - 11th day of both waxing moon and waning moon) and 3.5 meters during the spring tide (around the 12th – 6th day of waxing and waning moon). Furthermore, during the spring tides there will be more water in the canal than usual with the rapidly flow of water and the rather fast rise and fall of the sea levels. For the high tide, the sea water will flood into the mangrove forest at the approximately of 1 meter high, and the low tide is when the water in some areas of the canal is dry such as the end of the canal may be completely dry. On the other hand, during the neap tide there is less water in the canal, and the water does not rapidly flow like during the spring tides (Meepol, 2012).
2.4.5 Diversity of organisms 2.4.5.1 Fauna Many species of land animals are found in mangroves including crab-eating macaque monkey, squirrels, Bengal monitor lizard, varieties of snakes, fish-eater birds, cormorant (Microcarbo niger), red-backed sea-eagle (Haliastur indus), and etc. Furthermore, the "Lutraperspicillata", a mammal that usually lives in the perfect mangrove forest with other three endangered rare extinct birds included Chinese Egret (Egretta eulophotes), Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris), and Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) are also found here. According to the results of a survey on the diversity of organism in the mangrove forest in RBR area of the Office Mangrove Conservation, DMCR, there are about 278 species of insects and 86 species of local and migratory birds found habituating in RBR area.
Generally, the most common-found aquatic species in RBR area are crabs, shrimps, and shellfish, and the most common crabs are Sesarma mederi, Fiddler crab, and sea crabs (Scylla serrata) with black tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon), Banana shrimp (Fenneropenaeus merguiensis), Jinga shrimp (Metapenaeus affinis), and paste- making shrimps as the most-found shrimp species with the valuable economic significant.
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In addition, the important fish species that are mostly found in the canal of the mangroves include white perch (Lates calcarifer), mullet (Mugilidae), milkfish (Chanos chanos), and target fish (Terapon jabua). Significantly, in accordance with the studied results of mangrove forest organisms in Ranong province of Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University (2008) found that there are 98 species of fish, 124 species of phytoplankton, 28 species of crustaceans, 77 species of benthic animals and soil fauna, and 30 insects species living in the mangroves.
2.4.5.2 Flora Meepol (2012) had surveyed mangrove vegetation species in Ranong Mangrove Biosphere Reserve area and found that it consists of 26 families, 38 genera, and 52 species with the most-found plants families is Rhizophoraceae, for instance, Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora apiculata, Bruguiera, Ceriops, Fabaceae, Avicenniaceae, Meliaceae, Combretaceae, and Sonneratiaceae by exploring three regions of the mangrove forests including the areas near the sea, the middle areas between the sea and the forest land, and the areas that are adjacent to the land or forest. The survey results are as follows:
- At the areas near the sea (at the range of 0-1000 meters distance from the shoreline), it consists of 12 vegetation species, such as Aegiceras corniculatum, Avicennia officinalis, Bruguiera cylindrica, Bruguiera parviflora, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (black mangrove), Ceriops decandra, Ceriops tagal, Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata, Sonneratia alba, Xylocarpus granatum, and Xylocarpus moluccensis.The dominant vegetation species is Rhizophora apiculata, followed by Bruguiera parviflora (black mangrove), Rhizophora mucronata, and Bruguiera cylindrica with the average density of trees, fruits, and seedlings at 237, 160, and 1,160 trees per Thai rai, respectively. Moreover, the average diameter and height of the trees are 10.5 centimeters and 13.4 meters, respectively with the average cross-sectional area of 2.5689 square meters per Thai rai and the average index of diversity at 0.7245. - In the middle areas (at the range of 1,000-2,000 meters from the shoreline), it consists of 12 vegetation species, including Avicennia officinalis, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera cylindrica, Bruguiera parviflora, Bruguiera sexangula, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (black mangrove), Ceriops decandra, Ceriops tagal, Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata, Xylocarpus granatum, and Xylocarpus moluccensis with Rhizophora apiculata as
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the dominant vegetation species followed by Bruguiera parviflora (black mangrove), Bruguiera cylindrica, and Rhizophora mucronata, respectively. Moreover, the average density of trees, fruits, and seedlings were 240, 135, and 834 trees per Thai rai, respectively with the average diameter of the trees at 10.53 centimeters, the average height at 15.26 meters, the average cross-sectional area at 2.5227 square meters per Thai rai, and the average index of diversity at 0.6351. - The area adjacent to the forest land (about 2,000-3,070 meters from the shore) consists of 13 vegetation species: Avicennia officinalis, Avicennia alba, Avicennia marina, Dios malabarica, Ceriops decandra, Ceriops tagal, Rhizophora apiculata.
2.4.6 History of Ranong Mangrove Forest The history of Ranong mangrove forests can be divided into five major events, namely, the mining concession era, charcoal brazier era, shrimp farm era, mangrove rehabilitation era, and associated mangrove rehabilitation era (DMPD, 2015). 1) Mining concession era In the Ayutthaya period, Ranong province had many "tin" ore under the ground, and then later in the early Rattanakosin period in the reign of King Rama III (1824-1851) there were license auctions for tin ore concessions in Ranong city. As a result, Ranong became important as a tin city, and mining career was a major occupation of Ranong people in those days. Later in 1911, Siamese Tin Syndicate Company applied for a tin mining license for the tin mine in Ngao Subdistrict, and the territory covered the mangrove forest area of Ngao Subdistrict resulting in more people began to live in Ngao plain, and the mangrove forests were converted into mines and housing including cutting firewood and sold to the company used as fuel for tin dredge. Mining era in Ngao Subdistrict continued until 1982 when the slumped price crisis of tin ore had occurred, and in 1987, the overflow of tin ore into the market was subsequently befallen causing the tin mining gradually decrease and ended in 1989. 2) Charcoal brazier era In the period prior to 1961, the area of mangroves in Ranong was still fertile, and there were people living in some areas of the mangroves. Also, the government allowed the private companies to utilize mangrove wood by licensing the mangrove wood concession to only produce charcoal with a limited number of concessionaires. After 1961, the government improved mangrove management plans by adjusting the concession period for
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a period of 15 years and determining eligibility of long-term concessionaire by auction method, only Thais who were domiciled in the province of the forest in accordance with Cabinet's resolution on January 4th, 1966 leading to the continuing removal of timber from the mangrove forests. However, in 1996, the cabinet resolution terminated the timber concession in the mangrove areas, and the last concession period ended in 2003, with the concession period of about 40 years. 3) Shrimp farming era (1979 - 1995) During 1979 – 1987, black tiger prawn culture in the mangroves was a very popular career with high paid and short payback, so the shrimp farming business expanded rapidly. As a result, the mangrove areas in Ranong province were decreased due to the invasion and the demolishment for shrimp farms, but after the shrimp epidemic crisis in 1994-1995 causing many shrimp farmers to quit their shrimp farming businesses. 4) Mangrove Rehabilitation era by reforesting on deteriorated areas by Government Sector (1990-2000) After Department of Forestry had explored the mangrove area of the country, and found out that since 1964-1993 the mangrove forests were destroyed at approximately of 54.15% of the total mangrove areas. In 1961, the government therefore had the Cabinet on 27th February, 1990 to accelerate the mangrove rehabilitation in Ngao Subdistrict, Ranong Province, so the mangrove reforestation has been started since then, and began to rehabilitate seriously after the announcement on abrogating concession of timber production in the mangrove forest in 2003 to present. In 1982, the Forest Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives established the "Ranong Mangrove Research Center" at Ngao Sub-district resulting in ongoing research on mangrove ecosystems in the area until 1997 when the UNESCO announced the establishment of Ranong Biosphere Reserve. Therefore, Ranong mangrove forest is well known to many countries and a source of research for both domestic and foreign researchers. 5) Participatory mangrove rehabilitation era (2000 - present) Since 2000, the OISCA Foundation (Japan) has been involved in planting mangrove forests linking Thai-Japanese friendship in deteriorated former mangrove forest that had been mined and farmed shrimp farming in Mueang Ranong district, and this resulted in the Ngao Conservation Network and the involvement of villagers, government agencies, and private agencies. In 2002, the DMCR was established
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causing Ranong mangrove research center moved into this department. Furthermore, the Department has set up a mangrove resource development station No. 10 (Ranong) to manage mangrove conservation and rehabilitation in Mueang Ranong district by emphasizing on understanding and promoting people's participation in sustainable mangrove resource management making this era is the era of mangrove management in supporting the participation of all sectors.
2.5 Communities in Ranong Biosphere Reserve area
2.5.1 Settlements and population According to the study by DMPD (2013) found there are 11 communities in the RBR area (Table 2) both living near the mangroves and not near the mangrove forest. The communities that live near the mangrove rely on mangrove forests as a source of livelihood using wood from mangroves to create habitations, firewood, and fishing equipment maintaining the fishery as a main occupation. As for the communities that do not live near the mangroves, most of them are rubber plantation, palm plantation, trading, and contracting. Considerably, the communities can be divided by BR area management. A. Core area - There are 3 communities, namely, Ban Haad Sai Khao, Ban Ko Chak and Ban Ko Kam which are small communities located on the island in village no. 4 in Ngao Sub-district, village no. 5 in Ngao Sub-district, and village no. 6 in Pak Nam Sub-district, respectively, with a total population of 80-90 people and fishing as a main occupation. B. Buffer zone has two communities, namely, Ban Haad Sai Dam and Ban Ko Lao in Pak Nam Sub-district with the most population doing a local fishery and shrimp paste. C. Transition area has 6 communities which are Ban Bang Rin and Ban Pae Mai in Bang Rin Sub-district, Ban Ta Chang and Ban Lang in Ngao Sub-district, and Ban La Ong in Ratchakrut Sub-district with population mostly working in palm plantation, fruit orchard, and general contractor.
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Table 2: Population in villages residing in Ranong Biosphere Reserve Area Order Village Name of Sub-district BR Area Population No. of No. Village Household
1 2 Bang Rin Bang Rin Transition area 3,648 1,320 2 5 Pae Mai Bang Rin Transition area 5,636 2,934 3 2 Ngao Ngao Transition area 557 233 (No mangrove forest) 4 3 Ta Chang Ngao Transition area 3,384 860 5 4 Lang Ngao Transition area 1,549 422 6 Haad Sai Khao Core area 7 5 Haad Sai Dam Ngao Buffer zone 698 242 8 Ko Chak Core area 9 1 La Ong Ratchakrut Transition area 1,346 526 10 6 Ko Lao Pak Nam Buffer zone 426 112 11 Ko Kam Core area Total 17,244 6,649 Source: Ratchakrut Municipal District, Ngao Municipal District, Bang Rin Municipal District, and Pak Nam Municipal District, 2012
2.5.2 Socio-economic conditions of Ranong biosphere reserve communities The socio-economic status of the communities in the RBR is as follows. 1) Bang Rin Sub-district Bang Rin Sub-district is generally the mountain on the east, and there is a central plain with the sea on the west. The mountainous area is about 30% and 70% is the plain area and mangrove forest. Moreover, people in Bang Rin have varieties of work which can be divided into as follows: • Agriculture – The areas where the agriculture is cultivated are Village No. 1, 2, and 3; most of which are rubber plantation, palm, cashew, coconut, parkia speciosa, and fruit orchard such as rambutan, mangosteen, and durian. • Livestock as breeding farms such as meat-chicken, eggs-chicken, pig, cow, duck, and buffalo in Village No.1, 2, and 3. • Fisheries are saltwater fishing in the Andaman coast, and there are some of the freshwater fisheries in the family scale or in the canal and ditch, but in a small number.
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• Trading - most of the commercial is food, clothing, equipment, hotel, and car showroom. • The industrial business - there are varieties of factories, such as ice factories, water factories, cold storage, sawmill, charcoal braziers, seafood processing factory, and etc. • Hiring laborer – the laborers are from two sources, local people and foreigners (Myanmar).
Two villages in Bang Bum Sub-district located in BR area are Village No. 2 Ban Bang Rin and Village No. 5 Ban Pae Mai. As for Village No. 1 Ban Bang Klang and Village No. 6 Ban Bang Klang Bon, they are adjacent to mangrove forest on the outer rim of RBR.
Village No. 2 Ban Bang Rin According to the data in 2016, it showed that there were 810 households, 856 men and 945 women, who have earned a living by trading, farming, livestock (rubber plantations, palm plantation, breeding cattle), coastal fishing, shrimp farming, and general contracting. The average household income was 181,023 baht/year with the average personal income at 81,415 baht/year and the average monthly expenditure at 46,430 baht/year (Ngao SAO, 2016), and most population is Buddhism.
In the community, there are 2 monasteries, one elementary school, one high school, two small docks, and one healthcare center.
Figure 3: General condition of Bang Rin Village
2) Ngao Sub-district Ngao Sub-district has the most mangrove area in Mueang District with the approximately of 5,440 ha of mangrove forest. Significantly, 40% of mangrove forest area in Ngao Sub-district is perfect mangrove forest, and another 17% was converted into port
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and shrimp farms which in the past this area was a tin mine. Furthermore, there are 4 villages in the biosphere reserve: Village No. 2 Ban Ngao, Village No. 3 Ban Tha Chang, Village No. 4 Ban Lang, and Village No. 5 Ban Haad Sai Dam with only Village No. 2 without mangrove area.
Village No. 3 Ban Tha Chang has a mangrove area of 800 ha, and in the past this area was for mining and making charcoal with 95% of community population is Islamic. In 2016, there were 741 households, 952 men and 912 women, so the total of population was 1,864 people. Most of the population is Islamic with the average household income at 249,573 baht/year, the average personal income at 99,213 baht/year, the average household expenditure 114,763 baht/year, and the average monthly expenditure at 45,622 baht/year (Ngao SAO, 2016). The villagers have a variety of occupations, such as agriculture, livestock (rubber plantation, palm plantation, cattle farming), coastal fishing, shrimp farming.
Figure 4: General condition of Tha Chang Village
Village No. 4 Ban Lang 80% of the population is Thai Muslim, and the remaining 20% are Buddhists. Most of the people living in Village No. 4 are migrants who migrated coming to work in the mine. After mining concession was expired, the villagers started planting palms and rubber trees and began to rehabilitate mangrove forests.
Village No. 4 Ban Haad Sai Khao is a small community on the island, and at present there are about 10 people with a tendency to move out more. Since most moved up on land, the population who resides in this village work as coastal fishermen such as capturing crabs and fish in the mangroves. Therefore, the houses are built next to the mangrove forest, and mostly are Buddhist. The village is located in the core area, and in the mangrove area of Ban Haad Sai Khao contains with a group of mangrove giants which is about 200 years old with 201 meters in diameter and a height of about 25 meters.
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Village No. 5 Ban Haad Sai Dam A village is on the island, so the travelling of people in this village relies on boat, and most population engage in coastal fishing and mostly Islamic. From the database of the Ngao SAO in 2016, found that the current population was 104 households with a total population of 377 people, 196 men, 181 women, and 80% of the population is Islamic and 20% of Buddhists.
Figure 5: General condition of Haad Sai Dam Village
The average income per household was about 143,763 baht/year with the average expenditure per household at 102,220 baht/year, the average income per person at 39,659 baht/year, and the average household expenditure at 37,558 baht/year (Ngao SAO, 2016).
In Ngao Sub-district, there are two conservation groups of coastal communities in RBR which are Village No. 3 Ban Tha Chang located in the transition area and Village No. 5 Ban Haad Sai Dam located in the buffer zone with the cooperation of Village No. 4 Ban Lang located in the transition area.
3) Ratchakrut Sub-district The geography of Ratchakrut Sub-district on the east side is the mountain, and about 75% of the western side is connected with the Andaman Sea with a perfect mangrove forest due to the whole Ratchakrut Sub-district is adjacent with the Andaman Sea along the coast with the communities located in the central plain. Moreover, approximately 75% of the population is Buddhist, and about 25% are Islamic. Most of the population is engaged in agriculture such as oil palm plantation, rubber plantation, fishery, and livestock breeding. In addition, among Village No. 7 and No. 8 there is a major industrial household as OTOP product which is a shrimp paste, and only one village in Ratchakrut Sub-district is located in the biosphere reserve area, Village No. 1 Ban La Ong.
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4) Pak Nam Sub-district Village No. 6 Ban Koh Lao is the only village in Pak Nam Sub-district with mangrove forest located in the Buffer zone. Ban Koh Lao is a small island located in the southeastern part of Ranong Province, about 5 kilometers from Pak Nam Pier, and on the opposite side is Koh Song province, Myanmar. It consists of two small fishing communities, Thais and Moken, living on the opposite sides of the island with about 3 kilometers apart and can be reached both by boat and by foot. The majority of the population is Islamic making a living with local fishery activities, including the netting of crabs or fish pots and shrimp paste. Presently, people in the community have migrated causing the decreasing numbers of Koh Lao communities.
2.5.3 Utilization of coastal resources From the socio-economic study and the mangrove utilization of communities in RBR area of Division of Mangrove Promotion and Development (2013), found that the majority of the population (45.1%) had their own residential land but no work land. The population with both residential and work land, such as rubber plantation, palm plantation, was about 32.7%, and 22.2% of the population did not own their own land. The non-landowners were located in public areas along the coastline and mangrove forest utilizing the coastal resources for living, with about 85% of the population living in the buffer zone benefiting from mangroves. Furthermore, the population in the transition zone utilizes about 50% of the mangrove forests, and the people outside the RBR area utilize the mangrove at about 43%, where the villagers will take advantage of resources as following:
The coastal communities with the mangrove forests will rely on the mangrove as their work land; most of them are fishery folk by using simple fishing tools such as push nest, fishnet, spring-trap, dip-net, noose, and aquaculture such as soft shellfish, sea bass, red snapper, mussel, and oyster with the species of aquatic animals brought to the villagers are captured from the mangroves. In addition, villagers also rely on mangrove forests to build habitat, make firewood, and make equipment for catching aquatic animals.
The communities in this area have wisdom to utilize mangrove resources, such as Village No. 5 Ban Haad Sai Dam in Ngao Sub-district, which has the wisdom to do the handicraft of Hibiscus tiliaceus L. into various souvenirs, such as mudskipper key chains,
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dolls, and making dyed tie from mangrove wood. Essentially, this wisdom has been passed to the youth of Ngao Sub-district by providing a local curriculum, the course of "Teaching Art for Conservation" at Ban Thung Ngao School for the students to learn how to cultivate and preserve mangrove conservation and to make use of mangrove resources to generate income.
2.5.4 Coastal Resource Conservation Group The communities in the RBR Area have groups of coastal resources conservation with continuous activities and operations. 2.5.4.1 Marine and Coastal Conservation Groups The DMCR has supported the establishment of the "Mangrove Protection Volunteers Group" or "Mangrove Resources Conservation Group" to promote and encourage local communities to engage with government officials in the prevention of invasion and smuggling mangrove trees by maintaining the forest areas that have been designated as Mangrove Forest Protection Area and Aquaculture Conservation Area by specifying the conservation area of approximately 800 ha of land per a community or by the terrain of the area. The DMCR will provide budgets to support the communities for the cost of hosting and enhancing participation. The areas that have been designated as protected areas are mostly mangrove areas with abundant natural resources, so the purposes of the groups are as follow (OMC, 2014). 1) It is to protect, prevent, and preserve the mangrove forest where is a habitat of various aquatic species as well as for the environment. 2) It is to encourage and support the communities adjacent to the Mangrove Protection Areas and participate in mangrove resources management with officials. 3) It is to strengthen the groups/ community networks and to co-maintain in guarding the protection areas.
Mansilp (2009) concluded that the management of Mangrove Conservation Group in Mangrove Protection Area as the main activities of the group is mangrove planting, mangrove rehabilitation, and teaming patrols to keep guard and protect the area for the appropriateness of habitat and the reproduction of aquatic animals. The academic principles are: 1) trimming the branches on the bottom of the trunk and thinning the top branches that wither or die out to help trees grow taller and taller. It also improves the condition of the forest as the light can reach the forest floor making the aquatic species
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more diverse: 2) thinning the vines that bundle the trunk of the trees. This will help in the growth of trees, especially fruits and seedlings, which should be done at least twice a year: 3) excavating the higher area where the sea is not flooded regularly to help the circulation of the tides and for the groups‟ activities in releasing aquaculture activities, such as sea crabs, sesarma meder crabs, mussels, and horn shell continuously, and there are activities to collect waste and debris from the forest floor because these waste will hinder the growth of mangrove trees because of the interruption of the rising and ebb tide. In addition, the DMCR has organized activities to strengthen the Mangrove Conservation Group / Network, such as organizing seminars to develop group knowledge, educational tours, and propaganda publicity creating the conscious in the conservation and continuously follow-up the group operations.
2.5.4.2 National Resources and Environmental Protection Volunteer Group – NEV Group The NEV Group established from the fact that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) of Thailand sees the importance of natural resource management as a result of the participation of all concerned parties especially local people, who are closest to natural resources to co-preserve, restore, and protect natural resources and to work together. Therefore, there are training courses in Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Volunteer: NEV (DEQP, 2016) by regulating "the Regulations of MNER on NEV” to protect natural resources and the environment since 2006. The purpose of NEV Group is to: 1) strengthen the capability, strength, learning process, and self-reliance of the community in sustainable management of natural resources and the environment in their own local communities; 2) to link the management of natural resources and environment between policy level and community level. NEV's activities include encouraging people to participate in the natural resources and the environment management raising awareness about the conservation of natural resources and environment in the local people, monitoring and checking the natural resources and environment of the community including promoting environmental- friendly careers to the community. Therefore, those who are members of NEV must be interested persons seeking knowledge, sacrifice, and dedicate to the work of conservation and restoration of local natural resources and environment. Furthermore, NEV is operated as network to coordinate and exchange information between the NEV Groups of other
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villages, called Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Volunteer Network: NEV-Net (Ratana, 2015).
2.6 Related Researches
Phanthurat (1999) studied the household in activities‟ participation in Thai households found that almost all household activities husbands participated in activities, and each activity was about 3 times less than women, except for the care of young children and the care of the elderly in which the percentage of participation between husband and woman was not very different. Based on the cross-sectional and chi-square data analysis, it was found that the variables influencing the level of participation in the household activities of the husband. The statistically significant difference was the period of marriage, occupation of a husband, occupation of women, residential area, number of household members, difference between education of a wife and a husband.
DMPD (2013) studied on the participation of communities in different areas of 13 villages in the biosphere reserve areas. In the mangrove conservation activities, found that the activities in which people participated in were mangrove planting and releasing aquatic animals. Mangrove Conservation Group has joined in defining rules and regulations for mangroves conservation, joining the training on mangrove knowledge, attending the meeting to set the agenda / projects related to mangrove conservation, making mangrove conservation zone, monitoring and patrolling the mangrove intrusion, and engaging the mangrove knowledge training. If separating by the zone, it showed that most people in the Buffer Zone (75%) participated in mangrove planting and releasing aquaculture activities followed by training on mangrove knowledge (45%) and co-ordinating the rules and regulations in mangrove forest conservation (35%). People in Transition zone (60.7%) mostly participated in mangrove planting activity followed by releasing aquaculture activity (41.0%), training on mangrove knowledge (20.9 %). Conclusively, the involvement of communities in conservation activities found that mangrove rehabilitation and releasing aquatic animals are activities that the communities have engaged at high to moderate level. On the other hands, the participation in other activities include setting up mangrove conversation group, joining to set rules and regulations for mangroves conservation, training on mangrove knowledge, meeting to set the agenda / projects related mangrove conservation, setting mangrove conservation zone,
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checking and patrolling for the intrusion, and joining the mangrove conservation knowledge were still at low level.Lastly, for mangrove management activities, the participation of people in the community was also, so the relevant agencies should encourage participation to suit local conditions, socio-economic conditions, and the needs of each community.
Upadhyay et al. (2013) researched about the specific role of male/female and forest communities. The lesson from Ban Thung Yao, Lamphun, Thailand, by analyzing different accountability and responsibilities between men and women was to determine the level of participation and extent of participation in the utilization, management and conservation of forest resources in Thung Yao Forest Area, Lamphun Province, Northern Thailand. The results indicated that both men and women participated in community forest activities on both co-decision and action. It was found that women paid special attention in protecting traditional knowledge, wisdom, beliefs, and rituals about the forest, fund management to encourage villagers to have the right to own forest products, and the role of women's responsibility is to care for the family and have knowledge of product trading and expertise in networking more than men. Men often do activities like catching insects at night, finding new hiking trails, and undertaking forest patrol duties. However, for activities that focus on reinforcing capability, such as using the initiative, conflict resolution, and training and coordination with outside organizations are usually conducted by male members. Whereas women are often less involved in the process; it is more receptive and informative than co-decision. According to this study, it showed that we need to focus on the representation of a woman more deeply than just the proportion of women in the representation.
Wimonpusit (2004) conducted a study on Gender Role and Coastal Resource Management in four communities in Klong Suan Sub-district, Bang Bo District, Samut Prakan Province, by collecting data from elders, community leaders, and government officials in the area. It was found that the role of males/females and the management of coastal resources were evidently divided into three roles: leadership roles, participatory roles as coastal resources users as a career base, and the role of transfer and management that affects coastal resource management as follows: 1) both women and men have similar leadership roles. However, men's leadership qualities are different; male leaders are skilled in fishing with high potential for controlling the capital and technology used in the occupation while women will have a social status with high education and life experience
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in associated with coastal fishing. 2) Women play an active role in coastal resource management as family representative in training, conferencing, and debt management, whereas men are often participated with government leaders and network groups which are related to managerial development of appropriateness or suitable technology for coastal resources conservation. 3) Men play a more prominent role in transferring and managing occupations related to coastal resources than women. With these three roles, there are also other conditional factors include giving a value of coastal resources, the conflicts in coastal resource management, intervention of the capitalist system, and the opportunities in accessing to information.
Bista (2005) researched Gender Roles in the Resource Management of Agricultural Systems in Jhapa District, Nepal found that women spend more time in their daily tasks than men and in activities that require meticulousness, such as vegetable planting in which women are more involved than men while men mainly participate in raising buffaloes more than women. It was also found that the women have the access to agricultural loans and access to revenue less than men including knowledge and promotion of agriculture is insufficient for women's access with less participating in decision making. However, both men and women make decisions together in trading, mortgaging, leasing land, selecting types of plants to grow, loaning, and the use of capital in agricultural production more than women in the local community. The study also shows that there is no significant difference in the division of work in the different activities of plant and animal production among low- income, middle-income, and wealthy women. On the other hands, it was found that women in low-income level are landowners accounted for a higher percentage than women in other economic classes and also be able to have the right to make decisions in comparison to women in the higher economic classes. In addition, the decision-making of both men and women in low-income household is more common than in the middle and wealthy classes.
Somountha (2008) studied the Changes in Livelihood Strategies and Gender Roles in a Fishery-Dependent Floating Community in Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia, found that at the household level, men and women have different responsibilities for earning income and crisis management. Although man is the fish catcher, the woman will be a person who sells the fish and manage the household finances. In most cases, women often cope with food shortages and the family's economic crisis, so social relationships are
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essential for women. Men and women gain knowledge of fisheries differently according to the types of work they do and the distribution of work done among family members. Even Though spouses go fishing together, they work differently on different knowledge bases and abilities. However, dividing tasks by gender does not have the same characteristics throughout the year because men and women work differently each season. Tasks may also vary depending on economic status, age, and assets, so the gender roles are not fixed and are influenced by fisheries policy and other limitations of unstable resources.
Vichitporn (2001) A study on the modification of the male/female role in resource management of the Karen community in Northern Thailand, found that in the production of self-reliant agriculture for community consumption both men and women play an equal role in managing the home and community resources, but when the Thai government started controlling resources by declaring forest restriction areas and promoting commercial cropping, under limited resources use makes a change in male roles in resource production and management. The more commercial production is less principal role of women in production and become more mercantile workers. Later, when villagers set up a natural resource conservation group, women found themselves joining the group with men and the village council to claim the right of land and the right to protect nature in the community are.
Kanitthanupong (2013) A study of Coastal Resources Management by Community with a case study of coastal communities in Bo Hin Sub-district, Sikao District, Trang Province, found that the process of coastal resource management by community was divided into four processes: 1) planning to express opinions on the plans and policies for the operation and exchange of information between communities or the relevant governmental agencies: 2) managing process: 3) the implementation of the plan 4) the evaluation to follow up the solution. Success factors in coastal resource management of the community are due to internal factors such as having a serious and dedicated leader in resource management resulting in go-on activities, the cooperation of people in coastal communities who have awareness and appreciation of resources, and external factors such as the support from various agencies. Moreover, problems and obstacles in coastal resource management by communities consist of knowledge, changing in local leaders, continuity of policies, local politics, budgets, and unregulated fishing equipments.
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Kunaporntham (2008) studied on Community organization network on environmental and natural resourece management case study of the mangrove conservation and development group of Prednai community, Trat province, Thailand found that the factors that enabled conservation groups to manage mangrove forests effectively were: 1) experiencing the resource crisis: 2) having potential leaders; and 3) social relationships of community with kind of relatives. In addition, the community has applied sufficiency economy by altering the way of production not to affect ecosystems for sustainable economic benefits. Furthermore, there is social control by establishing agreements on the sustainable utilization of mangrove and aquatic resources to make the community, the restoration of local wisdom, establishing welfare fund, and mangrove conservation, so that the community members can become self-reliant including a learning process for members to be conscious by training activities, exchanging knowledge, and continuous studying.
Khuain (2009) researched on local knowledge and natural resource management: development impacts on the transfer of knowledge of the Urak Lawoi in southern Thailand Provinces on the issues of relationship in the family level found that men in the family are responsible in working to get things that family needs, whereas women work as housewives, cooking dishes, washing, taking care of children. In addition, women have been taught how to find food such as small shells and small squid while children are mainly about the nature.
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3. METHODOLOGY
The research on gender Role in RBR Management - Thailand, the researcher focused on the expression of male and female in the community related to the management of natural resources in the RBR, Ranong Province, Thailand by selecting only villages in the RBR area where the population is grouped to manage resources together as a direct participant in natural resource management. The purpose of this research was to study the gender roles of resource management in RBR and to study relationship patterns and gender issues in managing biosphere reserves.
This research used questionnaire as a tool for quantitative data collection to support quantitative findings by qualitative research with document review, so In-depth Interview (IDI), Focus group discussion (FGD), and observation were conducted to obtain information that served the purpose of the study.
3.1 Target group Selection of target groups was conducted using a purposive sampling technique by collecting data were collected from all the villagers who were listed as members of the conservation group in RBR. From the preliminary study, found that in all 11 villages located in the RBR area, there are 3 villages where the villagers have formed groups to maintain their resources in terms of career development and conservation groups. There are a total of 10 groups, and among Village No. 2 and No. 5 found that one villager is a member in more than one group. Therefore, in this research, the data were collected from 111 target groups, 65 males and 46 females.
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Table 3 : Number of members involved in natural resource conservation in RBR and the number of target groups in the study Numbers of Group Numbers of Data Members Providers Village Name of the Group Male Female Total Male Female Total
Bang Rin Village 1) Mangrove Conservation 9 5 14 11 7 18* No. 2, Bang Rin 2) Coastal livelihood 8 2 10 Sub-District Conservation Tha Chang 1) Mangrove Conservation 8 6 14 19 25 44 Village No. 3, 2) Tha Chang NEV 11 19 30 Ngao Sub-District Hat Sai Dam 1) Crab eggs outside the 14 1 15 35 14 49* Village No.5, carapace 1 Ngao Sub-District 2) Crab eggs outside the 9 5 14 carapace 2 3) Food Processing 1 10 11 4) Breeding fish in creel 1 21 0 21 5) Breeding fish in creel 2 15 2 17 6) Homestay 4 8 12 Total 65 46 111 Note* Village No. 2 and No. 5, one villager is a member of more than 1 group.
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MYANMAR THAILAND Ban Pae Mai Ban Bang Rin Bang Rin Sub-district Ban Ko Lao Ban Ko Kam
Ban Haad Sai Khao
Ban Lang Ngao Sub-district Ban Tha Chang Amphoe Mueang Ranong Ban Ngao Ban Ko Chak
Ban Haad Sai Dam Ban La Ong
Village Sub-District Amphoe Ranong Biosphere Area Ratchakrut Sub-district Buffer Core(Slope) Core1 Core2 Core3 Core4 Transition Target Village
Figure 6: Ranong Biosphere Reserve Community Map
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3.2 The area of study In this research study, the researcher specifically focused on the villages that have formed groups to share resources in the nature of conservation groups and professional development groups related to coastal resources. Based on preliminary data, there are 3 villages as follows: 1) Village No. 3 Ban Tha Chang in Ngao Sub-District Village No. 3 Ban Tha Chang, Ngao Sub-district has the western area next to the mangrove forest, and the east side is adjacent to main road which serves as the boundary between Village No. 3 and No. 4 located in Transition area of Ranong Biosphere Reserve Management Area. The population is scattered settlements due to certain populations of rubber farming and palm plantation. 2) Village No. 5 Ban Koh Hat Sai Dam in Ngao Sub-District Village No. 5 Ban Koh Hat Sai Dam, Ngao Sub-district, is the island at about 7 nautical miles from the coast. There has mangrove forest on the east and beaches on the west. The area on the island is covered with rainforest which is in the buffer zone of the zoning in Ranong Biosphere Reserve and in the Ranong Islands National Park (Park Service data). Population has a cluster settlement on the east coast of the island. 3) Village No. 2 Ban Bang Rin in Bang Rin Sub-District Village No. 2 Ban Bang Rin in Bang Rin Sub-district is located in Transition area of Ranong Biosphere Reserve Management Area with scattered settlements. About 80 % of households set up homes in Bang Rin canal and adjacent to the road, which is far from the mangroves with the households located adjacent to the mangroves account for about 20%.
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Map of Tha Chang Village, Muang District, Ranong Province
Tha Chang Village
SCALE 1:10,000
Village
National Mangrove
Figure 7: Map of Tha Chang Village, Muang District, Ranong Province, Thailand
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Map of Hat Sai-Dam Village, Muang District,
Ranong Province
Hat Sai-Dam Village
SCALE 1:1,500
Village
National Mangrove
Figure 8: Map of Hat Sai-Dam Village, Muang District, Ranong Province, Thailand
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Map of Bang-Rin Village, Muang District, Ranong Province
Bang-Rin Village
SCALE 1:4,000
Village
National Mangrove
Figure 9: Map of Bang-Rin Village, Muang District, Ranong Province, Thailand
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3.3 Tools used to collect data The researcher selected tools to collect data using qualitative research methods and qualitative research methods as follows.
3.3.1 Qualitative research methods Qualitative educational tools used include document review, in-depth interview (IDI), direct observation, and focus group discussion (FGD) 1)Document Inspection: The researcher collected general information about the study area by reviewing documents on the terrain, boundary area, natural resources, population, socio-economic status of the community, and review the researches related to gender roles, including plans and policies for resource management in RBR from related agencies. 2) In-depth Interview (IDI): Researcher used semi-structured interview with open-ended questions and key informants which were 10 group leaders or 9 people (the leader of two groups is the same person) for information on resource dependency, community problems in resource use, community member relations, group history, group purpose, group management, gender roles, and supporting organizations used along with the direct observation method. 3) Focus Group discussion (FGD): The researcher selected 5 FGD participants (numbers of participants) about 5-10 people in each group, and in each group consists of females and males who simultaneously are members of the conservation group in the target villages by separating one FGD per village, including three FGDs. The key aspect of the discussion consists of daily activities, household duty, ability to access to natural resources, roles within the group, and influencing factors on male/female role.
3.3.2 Quantitative Research Methods Quantitative study collected data from the target groups of 111 people as per Table 3 by questionnaire consisted of Part 1 and Part 2 in open-ended questions and Part 3 in closed-ended questions. Part 1: Personal information and socio-economic conditions include gender, age, religion, education, marital status, number of household members, primary occupation, income, and domicile
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Part 2: Information about group membership consists of the main purpose of joining a group, position in the group, and participation in group activities. Based on the query from the leaders of 10 groups, found that there were activities in resource management in total of 18 activities and to be consistent with DMCR's RBR Management Plan (OMC, 2016), the researcher classified the activities into four groups: Group 1: Conservation, Protection, and Preservation of Resources (Strategy 1) 1) Resource conservation area activities 2) Community waste management activities 3) Forest area preparation activities 4) Breaking deserted shrimp levee activities 5) Mangrove seedling cultivation activities 6) Mangrove rehabilitation activities 7) Thinning and weeding forest plantation 8) Aquaculture activities 9) Patrolling activities to prevent the invasion and destruction of resources. 10) Setting rules and agreements activities Group 2: Resource utilization and product development (Strategy 2) 11) Aquaculture bank activity (Crab and Horn Shell) 12) Product-processing promotion activities 13) Ecotourism activities Group 3: Promotion of public participation and networking (Strategy 4) 14) Meeting activities to set a group plan 15) Participation in the Resource Conservation Forum 16) Knowledge passing on activities for young people / villagers in the area Group 4: Empowering participants (Strategy 7) 17) Attend training courses on conservation activities 18) Educational study activities
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Part 3: Opinions on the issues / constraints on the role of female- male participation in the community and suggestions on increasing the role of male/female participation which were conducted by using closed-end questions.
3.4 Analysis and validation of data Data analysis of this research, the researcher analyzed the data obtained from in-depth interviews, group discussion, and questionnaire using the data analysis and statistics approach as follows:
3.4.1 Qualitative Data Analysis The researcher analyzed and summarized qualitative data by descriptive lectures summarized a daily activity calendar including activities within conservation groups and analyzed gender roles in the management of the BR separately in each village by the analytical method: 1) Activity profile was to identify differences when males and females spent their time and ascertained some of the gender issues at the household level. 2) Access control profile was to analyze who could access to the resources, control, and decide to use resources. 3) Analyzing the influencing factors was to make gender displaying a different role.
3.4.2 Quantitative Data Analysis The researcher analyzed the data obtained from the questionnaire by using statistical tests with descriptive statistics in order to statistically summarize important characteristics of data with percentage and arithmetic mean by SPSS and Microsoft Excel Programs. In this study, the results of the review of the relevant documents were examined, and stage-setting was to conclude the preliminary data analysis provided to three village representatives with one village at a time for three times in total for comments, suggestions, and additional information on some issues that were useful for analyzing more information and then analyzed the data again to get more accurate data.
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4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
According to the study on gender role in Ranong Biosphere Reserve Management, Thailand, the data were collected from all villagers who are members of the Coastal Resource Conservation Group in RBR Area, Ranong Province. There are 3 villages: Village No. 2 Ban Bang Rin in Bang Rin Sub-district, Village No. 3 Ban Tha Chang in Ngao Sub-district, and Village No. 5 Ban Hat Sai Ha Dam in Ngao Sub-district with a total of 10 groups and 111 members. The study results are divided into 3 parts as follow. 1. Characteristic of respondent 1.1 Background and activities of natural resources management 1.2 Socio-economic conditions 2. Gender roles in resource management of the biosphere reserve 2.1 Gender role in everyday life and activity participation 2.2 Accessing and controlling of resources and services 2.3 Participation in marine and coastal resources management activities of males in the groups 3. Gender relationships, identified problems, and the gaps related to gender balance in the biosphere reserve management.
4.1 Characteristic of respondent
4.1.1 Background and activities of coastal resources management group According to the historical study and marine and coastal resources management activity of the group from activity framework defined into 18 activities using the method of direct observation, in-depth interviews with group leaders, and focus group discussion were as follows: Bang Rin Village, Bang Rin Sub-District, Ranong Province Village No.2 Ban Bang Rin has two conservation groups which are Bang Rin Mangrove Conservation Group and Bang Rin Coastal Livelihood Conservation Group as follows: 1) Bang Rin Mangrove Conservation Group was established in 1993 to: (1) restore mangrove forest resources; (2) prevent mangrove deforestation with the group's
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main activity as mangrove rehabilitation activities. The group has cooperated with the 10th Forest Resources Development Station, Department of Marine and Coastal. 2) Bang Rin Coastal Livelihood Conservation Group: The group is supported by the 10th Mangrove Resource Development Station which under the DMCR, and its objective is to preserve career in the community and reduce waste in the forest and community. There are currently no organized community groups and non-registered funds group, so the group's activities will focus on supporting activities with the Bang Rin Mangrove Conservation Group.
Bang Rin Conservative group:There are 13 activities in marine and coastal resources management including building conservation zone, preparing forest planting area, breaking abandoned shrimp levee, cultivating mangrove seedling, rehabilitating mangrove forest, thinning the planting mangrove area, releasing aquaculture, patrolling and protecting the encroach on the mangrove forest, setting up the meeting for group‟s plans, participating in conservation meetings, joining on conservative training, conservation, and educational tours. The agencies that co-support group‟s operations are as follow. 1) DMCR: supporting group establishment and allocating budgets for all activities of Bang Rin Mangrove Conservation Group. 2) Provincial Administration Organization: participating in mangrove planting activities, releasing aquaculture on the important days, and supporting the fund in mangrove seedling cultivation, boat fuel, mangrove planting activities, and releasing aquatic animals in an integrated tactical pattern to cooperate with DMCR. 3) DEQP: to support the development of environmental knowledge and group management guidelines by some group members who have attended the training organized by the Department of Promotion, such as the training on the conservation group management, waste pollution, etc. 4) Forest Department: to participate in mangrove planting activities and release aquatic animals on the important days, and support the development of knowledge about forest resources in the area in which some members have attended. 5) OISCA International: to support the mangrove planting project together with agencies and people in the area.
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Figure 10: Destroying abandoned shrimp levees Activity at Bang Rin Village, Ranong Province
Tha Chang Village, Ngao Sub-District, Ranong Province Village No. 3, Ban Tha Chang, Ngao Sub-district- There are two conservation groups; Ngao Sub-District Mangrove Conservation Group and Tha Chang NEV Group (National Resources & Environment Protection Volunteer – NEV), which are set up to participate natural resources conservation activities of the village and operate activities together with the public and private sectors. The detail is as follows: 1) Ngao Sub-District Mangrove Conservation Group established in 2003, aims to: (1) conserve mangrove forest resources: (2) cultivate mangrove seedling: (3) increase the quantity aquaculture in the community. In addition, there is the promotion of supplementary occupations which is the invention from the scraps of mangrove wood, such as keychain, mudskipper doll, etc. The group will work with the 10th Mangrove Resource Development Station under DMCR without group funding but members get paid from DMCR. Group rules - Mangrove trees for household use only - Cut down 1 plant must re-plant with 10 plants 2) Tha Chang NEV Group was established in 2010 with registration by the DEQP, and the objective of the group is to conserve resources and environment in the community, to build knowledge on mangrove rehabilitation and utilization, and to conserve local fisheries, such as the activities of mangrove planting, releasing aquatic animals, Horn Shell Bank, garbage collection in the community, mangrove products-processing such as shampoo made from Derris trifoliata Lour., tea from Indian Marsh Fleabane (Pluchea indica (L.) Less.) leaves, and shrimp paste. Moreover, the activities of mangrove planting, releasing aquaculture, and collecting waste will be held 4 times a year on the important days. There is
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also a one-time conservation training program per year for the youth propelling by head villages with no group‟s funds and the participants as volunteers not earning.
Ban Tha Chang Conservation Group has about 16 activities in marine and coastal resources management, including making conservation zone of resources, collection of waste in the community, preparation of mangrove plantation, destroying abandoned shrimp levees, mangrove planting cultivation, mangrove rehabilitation, thinning mangrove rehabilitation, mangrove rearing, releasing aquatic animals, patrolling and preventing the invasion and destruction of resources, setting up group‟s rules and agreements, aquaculture banks (Horn Shell), promoting the products-processing profession, organizing the group's agenda, participating in the conservation forum, providing knowledge to the youths / villagers in the area, participating in conservation workshops, and participating in educational tours, with the agencies that support the group's operations include: 1) DMCR: supports group establishment and budget for all activities of the Tha Chang Mangrove Conservation Group including mangrove planting support, mangrove forest resources training for Tha Chang NEV Group. 2) DEQP: supports the establishment of groups and registered members of the Tha Chang NEV Group by providing guidelines for group operations included with providing knowledge on environmental management and natural resources in the village. 3) Department of Forestry: participates in mangrove planting activities and in releasing aquatic animals on the important days and supports the development of knowledge about forest resources in the area that some members have attended. 4) Department of Fisheries: supports aquatic animal for releasing on the important day. 5) OISCA International: supports the mangrove planting project together with agencies and people in the area.
Figure 11: Cultivating mangrove seedlings Activity and Releasing aquaculture Activity at Ban Tha Chang Village, Ranong Province
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Hat Sai Dam Village, Ngao Sub-District, Ranong Province Koh Hat Sai Dam Village is a small community located on the island closed to the community: there are plenty of beaches and mangroves with approximately 112 ha of mangrove near the village.
Nearly 100% of the population is engaged in coastal fishing, such as making shrimp nets, fish nets, crab nets, fish traps, squid traps, shellfish and crap fisheries, and breeding fish in floating basket/creel. Most fishing professions have a secondary job, for example, rubber plantation which is about 30 rubber plantations, employing foreign workers (Myanmar) to harvest their produces, in addition with trading including 4 people in seafood trading and 8 people in making shrimp paste.
Hat Sai Dam Village uses electricity from generators and solar cell with water supply to the village from the mountains-water. The transportation can be made only with boat but no taxi-boat. There are 11 community grocery stores, one kindergarten to one junior high school, one elementary school, one healthcare center, one mosque, and one monastery. Hat Sai Dam Village has 6 related conservation resources groups as follows: 1) The 1st breeding fish in creel group was established in 2007 with no organization registration and group fund, and the only objective is to promote more revenue by breeding fish from nature, such as grouper and sea bass breeding in the creel. 2) The 2nd breeding fish in creel group was established in 2010 with no organization registration and no group funds. The main objective is to promote more income, help members in breeding fish in creel by distributing fish species derived from the Department of Fisheries to be raised in a floating basket, and buying fish from members for selling. Members must have a fish creel (most of them have about 4 creels) and will have to register in the breeding culture group with the Department of Fisheries. This group was up due to the needs of help from the government in the event of a disaster. Department of Fisheries will also distribute fish species, fish medicine, and provide academics to check on the water quality for members in the group. 3) The 1st crap egg outside the carapace was established since the tsunami in 2003, aims to: (1) increase the amount of aquatic resources: (2) create community responsibility for the conservation of aquatic animals and the environment: (3) promote harmony in the community, but the group stopped working in the period 2007-2011 and started to operate
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again in 2012. The group was registered with the Department of Fisheries with group funds, with the initial funding coming from the SML project of the Government Savings Bank of 30,000 Baht. The members bring blue crab with eggs outside the shell to the creels of the group and wait for crabs to release the roe out. Then the group board will bring the crabs to sell, bring the crab selling money into the group, and notify monthly expenses to members. The group board will reward members who bring in a lot of crabs by giving prizes like boat paint. 4) The 2nd crap egg outside the carapace was established in 2014, aims to conserve blue crabs, and the community registered as a juristic person with group fund but no money for members to loan members because there is not much money. Presently, provincial fisheries and district fisheries provide help by supporting the fishing equipment to the group members. 5) Seafood Processing Group, founded in 2005, aims to enhance the career of the villagers and thanks to the support of the Chaipattana Foundation in providing funds to build the housing. The members gather money as a share at 100 Baht per shares to buy fish, raw materials to sell, and share the profit by the number of shares, but from 2012 onwards the group has not used the housing already. The group members live and work at home, and nowadays, it is not in group form, but there are still 3-4 members processing seafood and put up for sale in the stores. 6) Homestay Group – its purpose is: (1) to conserve natural resources by providing villagers with the benefits of conservation: (2) to improve the cleanliness of the community: (3) to present the way of life of local fishermen. Hat Sai Dam Village was established as a Home-Stay Village since 2004 with the support of Ranong Community College but no group registration. The home that joined the homestay group must have two conditions in which the house must be clean in order to welcome tourists, and a house must be with a boat with 6 life jackets (private fund). Currently, there are 11 homestay members, and the home-stay group will usually meet on the fifth of the month. 3% of the income be put as group fund, which is not much now, so it is not used yet. Nevertheless, in the future if there is more money in group fund, the group plans to purchase life jackets, which belong to the group.
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For rules of resources conservation, the community will mainly follow the national park law and the regulations of the Department of Fisheries because the area is in the Ranong Islands National Park. In addition, the community has agreed to conserve marine and coastal resources as below. - Do not trade small crabs - Anti-push net boat - Members of the community have to participate in the mangrove planting activity if not participating for more than 3 times will not be allowed to take advantage of mangrove forest. - The mangrove area is designated as a 22.4 ha, and the rest is a conservation area. In the mangrove conservation area, there are rules that cutting woods must be permitted by the head villages before the cutting. - Do not buy commercial mangrove wood and do not take wood out of the area. It is to be used only in the household.
Ban Hat Sai Dam Conservation Group undertake 10 marine and coastal resources management activities, including community waste collection, mangrove reforestation, aquaculture, group agreements, aquaculture bank (crab), product processing promotion, ecotourism management, a meeting to set up the group's agenda, attending a forum on resource conservation, and educational. Moreover, the group‟s operations are supported by the agencies including; 1) DMCR: supports for mangrove and imitation reef planting activities. 2)Department of Fisheries: supports aquacultures for releasing aquatic animal activities on the important days, provides Fish Aggregating Device (FADs), and takes the villagers to see the work. 3)Department of Community Development:supports Sufficiency Economy Village Project 4)Ranong Community College: supports knowledge and development of village and environment to develop eco-tourism and homestay. 5)Government Savings Bank: provides funding for the SML project supporting the blue crab bank activity.
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Summary of marine and coastal resources management activities in the Ranong Coastal Resources Conservation Group of Bang Rin Village in Bang Rin Sub-district, Tha Chang Village in Ngao Sub-district, and Hat Sai Dam Village, Ngao Sub-district by analyzing each village separately is shown in Table 4
Figure 12: Managing ecotourism Activity and managing community waste Activity at Ban Haad Sai Dam Village, Ranong Province
Table 4: Summary of Marine and Coastal Resource Management Activities of Conservation Groups in RBR Area Activities Villages 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Bang-Rin √ - √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ - - - √ √ - √ √ Tha-Chang √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ - √ √ √ √ √ Hat Sai-Dam - √ - - - √ - √ - √ √ √ √ √ √ - - √ Activity 1=Organizing resource conservation zone, 2= Managing community waste, 3=Preparing mangrove planting area, 4=Destroying abandoned shrimp levees, 5=Cultivating mangrove seedlings, 6=Mangrove rehabilitation, 7=Thinning/weeding mangrove plantation, 8=Releasing aquaculture, 9=Patrolling & Preventing the invasion and destruction of the resources, 10=Setting group rules & agreements, 11=Aquaculture Bank, 12=Promoting natural resources processing, 13=Managing ecotourism, 14=Meeting for setting up the group plans, 15=Participation in the forum for resource conservation, 16=Passing on the knowledge to the youth / villagers, 17= Participation in conservation training, 18=Educational tour.
From the Table 4, found that Ban Bang Rin Group and Ban Tha Chang Group have many of the same activities more than the group of Ban Hat Sai Da. It was also found that Bang Rin Village and Tha Chang Village have the mangrove conservation group with the same network group and have the 10th mangrove resource development station of the DMCR in supporting the group's activities, particularly the activities of organizing resource conservation zone, cultivating mangrove seedlings, preparing mangrove planting
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area, mangrove rehabilitation, thinning and weeding mangrove according to academic principles, and patrolling and preventing the invasion and destruction of the resources. All these are DMCR‟s main activities cooperated with community groups in the area with the members of the conservation group who has been trained in DMCR's "Marine Volunteers and Coast Guard Volunteers Program" since 2003 and in 2016. DMCR has implemented a government policy to survey the mangrove area that has been compromised to confiscate back to the state; most of the invading area is converted to shrimp farms. Therefore, there is an activity in destroying shrimp levees for mangrove rehabilitation. Such activities are not found in Hat Sai Dam Village because there is no mangrove conservation network group.
However, Ban Bang Rin Group and Ban Tha Chang Group also have 3 different activities, including community waste collection, aquaculture bank (Horn Shell), the promotion for natural resources products-processing profession due to there are only two conservation groups in Tha Chang Village, namely Mangrove Conservation Group with the support from DMCR, focusing on mangrove resource management as only planned by the DMCR. Another conservation group is Natural Resources & Environment Protection Volunteer, called NEV supported by the DEQP, focusing on conservation restoration and the natural resources and environment management as a whole by working with different sectors from household level to community level as well as integrating with civil society groups. For the NEV Group of Ban Tha Chang, most activities will focus on environmental improvement in the village such as garbage collection in the community, professional development to reduce the use of resources, mangrove planting, and releasing aquatic animals on the important days. Furthermore, the members of the local fisheries together made more of the horn shell bank as it was found that the number of horn shell in the mangrove forest has decreased.
Group of Ban Hat Sai Dam is different from Ban Bang Rin and Ban Tha Chang Groups because it was found that the groups were established to primarily aim for occupational promotion, aquaculture banking, aquaculture farming, seafood processing, and home-stay for ecotourism. However, in the groups‟ operations the issues related to the restoration and utilization of natural resources have been included, and the group members will regularly take part in mangrove rehabilitation activities and aquatic resources on the island. In addition, due to the community of Hat Sai Dam Village was settled down in
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cluster settlements and has a population of only 104 households resulting in closed relationship to each other, so most of the activities are not done by the group members but by all the villagers participating together.
The agencies that support the operations of all three villages are comprised of public, private, educational institutions, financial institution, and private organizations in providing the budget, knowledge, and tools which further help supporting the ongoing work of the group. In addition, relevant agencies have also integrated the management of the Biosphere reserve area. In 2015, the committee of the MAN and Biosphere Thailand has appointed a subcommittee for the MAN and Biosphere Ranong project, which comprises all relevant agencies including the Governor of Ranong Province, DMCR, DNP, Mayor, Chief Executive of the SAO (Sub-District Administration Organization), Provincial Fisheries, Office of Educational Service Area, Tourism and Sports, Thailand Environment Institute Foundation –TEI, Provincial Chamber of Commerce, and Ranong Public Relations to oversee the operation of the MAN and Biosphere Ranong projects in accordance with the objectives of the establishment of the biosphere reserve (Appendix A).
4.1.2 Socioeconomic status of group members The results of the study on socio-economic background data were as follows: gender, age, marital status, religion, primary education level, main occupation, family income per month, domicile, settlement period, number of household members, and number of members needed to take care; the data were collected from the questionnaire as follows.
Table 5: Socio-economic information of the sample groups by village (numbers and percentage) Information Villages Total Bang Rin Tha Chang Hat Sai Dam Numbers % Numbers % Numbers % Numbers % Gender - Male 11 61.1 19 43.2 35 71.4 65 58.6 - Female 7 38.9 25 56.8 14 28.6 46 41.4 Age - below 20 1 5.6 0 0 0 0 1 0.9 - 21-30 2 11.1 1 2.3 8 16.3 11 9.9
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Information Villages Total Bang Rin Tha Chang Hat Sai Dam Numbers % Numbers % Numbers % Numbers % - 31-40 2 11.1 7 15.9 15 30.6 24 21.6 - 41-50 6 33.3 15 34.1 12 24.5 33 29.7 - 51-60 4 22.2 17 38.6 9 18.4 30 27.0 - over 60 3 16.7 4 9.1 5 10.2 12 10.8 Marital Status - single 3 16.7 4 9.1 1 2.0 8 7.2 - married 13 72.2 32 72.7 47 95.9 92 82.9 - divorced 2 11.1 8 18.2 1 2.0 11 9.9 Religion - Buddhism 18 100.0 13 29.5 11 22.4 42 37.7 - Islam 0 0.0 31 70.5 38 77.6 69 62.2 Education Level - Did not study 0 0 1 2.3 1 2.0 2 1.8 - Elementary 1 5.6 1 2.3 31 63.3 33 29.7 - Middle school 13 72.2 25 56.8 10 20.4 48 43.2 - High school 3 16.7 9 20.5 4 8.2 16 14.4 - Diploma 1 5.6 6 13.6 3 6.1 10 9.0 - Bachelor Degree 0 0 2 4.5 0 0 2 1.8 or higher Occupation - Coastal fishing 6 33.3 8 18.2 44 89.8 58 52.3 - Agriculture 1 5.6 8 18.2 0 0 9 8.1 - Breeding 0 0 3 6.8 0 0 3 2.7 aquacultures - employment 11 61.1 12 27.3 3 6.1 26 23.4 - Trading 0 0 10 22.7 2 4.1 12 10.8 -Personal business 0 0 2 4.5 0 0 2 1.8 - Unemployment 0 0 1 2.3 0 0 1 0.9 Income (Baht) - Less than 10,000 14 77.8 19 43.2 27 55.1 60 54.1 - 10,000-20,000 4 22.2 10 22.7 22 44.9 36 32.4 - 20,001-30,000 0 0 15 34.1 0 0 15 13.5 Domicile - Since birth 16 88.9 38 86.4 43 87.8 97 87.4 - Moved from 2 11.1 6 13.6 6 12.2 14 12.6 elsewhere
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Information Villages Total Bang Rin Tha Chang Hat Sai Dam Numbers % Numbers % Numbers % Numbers % household members - 1 people 0 0 1 2.3 1 2.0 2 1.8 - 2 people 3 16.7 9 20.5 2 4.1 14 12.6 - 3 people 3 16.7 7 15.9 12 24.5 22 19.8 - 4 people 9 50.0 17 38.6 18 36.7 44 39.6 - 5 people 3 16.7 9 20.5 11 22.4 23 20.7 - More than 5 0 0 1 2.3 5 10.2 6 5.4 taken care - None 12 66.7 19 43.2 10 20.4 41 36.9 - 1 person 6 33.3 7 15.9 16 32.7 29 26.1 - 2 persons 0 0 12 27.3 21 42.9 33 29.7 - 3 persons 0 0 5 11.4 0 0 5 4.5 - 4 persons 0 0 1 2.3 2 4.1 3 2.7 public health services - no received 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 - received 18 100.0 44 100.0 49 100.0 111 100.0 Total 18 100.0 44 100.0 49 100.0 111 100.0
From the Table 5, found that the results of the study on the socio-economic status of The group members from three villages in terms of sex, age, marital status, religion, primary education level, main occupation, family income per month, domicile, settlement period, number of household members, and the number of members to take care were consistent with the literature review and from the in-depth interview as follows:
- Gender found that Bang Rin Village and Hat Sai Dam Village have more male members than females whereas Tha Change Village has more females than males. However, in overall number of male members is slightly higher than females with the male population at 58.6% and female at 41.4% which is consistently with the study of Tangpiew (2013) studied the factors influencing volunteerism in the conservation of natural resources and environment of Makham Sub-district, Makham District, Chanthaburi Province, Thailand. The results of the study showed that people with different sexes have
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no differences in volunteering in the conservation of natural resources and the environment, and the study of Kongdechadisak (2014) - a study of participation in the conservation of natural resources and environment in Koh Chang Islands National Park, Trat Province, Thailand found that people with different sexes had in-different participation in conservation. - Age found that most members are between 41-50 years old and 51-60 years old with only about 0.9% of members with less than 20 years-old and 9.9% for 21-30 year-old members. In accordance with Nenlaeard et al. (2015), the sample populations with age differences participating in mangrove resource conservation at Hat Sa Bua area had statistically significant difference (F = 4.803, p-value = 0.001). The population aged 50-59 years and over 60 years-old participated in mangrove resource conservation more than the sample population aged 20-29, 30-39 and 40-49 years due to the relationship with mangrove forests. Their occupations are related to the mangrove, and these people have also witnessed the changes of mangrove from past to present as well as problems for a longer period of time resulting in a conscious effort in valuing mangrove forests highly and becoming a leading group that initiated the mangrove conservation officially. Therefore, the populations at the age of 50 - 59 and over 60 years have engaged in mangrove resources conservation more than the younger sample population.
- Marital status showed that most members are married in the high proportion (82.9%), and it was consistent with the study of Thamamatikul (2007: 82) that marital status factor affected participation in mangrove forest management of people in Ngao Sub-district, Muang District, Ranong Province.
- Religion found that the members of Ban Tha Chang Group and Hat Sai Dam Group are mostly Islam more than Buddhists, but some members of Ban Bang Rin Group are Buddhism more than Islamic. This corresponds to an in-depth interview with group leaders and is consistently with the in-depth interviews with group leaders and the research of the DMPD (2013) which found that the population of Tha Chang illage and Hat Sai Dam Village is over 90% Islam.
- The level of education found that members of Ban Tha Chang Group and Ban Bang Rin Group are mostly graduated from junior high school unlike the
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members of Ban Hat Sai Dam Group with mostly finished elementary. Based on observations of the area and from the interviews with group leaders, when compared with all 3 villages, found that Tha Chang Village and Bang Rin Village are located on land in the city and have public utilities while Hat Sai Dam Village is located on the island, several kilometers from the shore with no taxi-boat and no electricity resulting in different education levels. - The occupations found that most group members engaged in coastal fishing except for members in Bang Rin Village who mostly engaged in general contracting because houses in Bang Rin Village are scatteringly built near canals and roads (DMPD, 2013), which is far from the coast than Tha Chang Village and Hat Sai Dam Village causing a difference in occupations. The cause is that the numbers of coastal fishing professionals are members more than other professions because the people who work in the local fisheries can see the change of mangrove such as invasion and destruction better than other occupations. In addition, this group is also exposed to mangroves and resources directly (Tharasook et al., 2013).
- The average monthly income found that the group members had an estimated household income at 10,000-20,000 baht per month, or about 120,000 - 240,000 baht/year, but it is not certain depending on the season, such as during the monsoon season (June - August). The revenue of coastal fishing is reduced due to the inability to leave the boat daily, and in this period some families have to work as a general contractor as a supplementary occupation. For a person who works as a general contracting as a main occupation, the daily wage is about 300 baht per day or about 108,000 baht/year, which is the amount of income from this study is close to the study of primary data in 2016 of villages of Ngao SAO and Bang Rin SAO.
- The domicile and settlement period found that over 85% of the group members were natives in the area and have lived in the community since birth. Further inquiries indicated that in the past the coastal resources of the villages were more abundant than the present. Villagers who became members of the group were significantly affected by the decline in the number of aquatic animals and mangrove forests are degraded. Therefore, the villagers are aware of the importance of resources and would like to engage in resource restoration. When compared with the historical data of the mangrove area in
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Ranong province, mangrove forest area in Ngao Sub-district and Bang Rin Sub-district was destroyed from 1964 to 1993 because of the mining, mangrove wood charcoal, and the widespread of shrimp farms (DMPD, 2015). For those who move from elsewhere when more inquiries were made, found that everyone has lived in the community for more than 6 years, moving from other districts in Ranong Province, from other provinces in the southern provinces, the eastern provinces, the central, Central, and neighboring country, Myanmar corresponding to the research of Sue Leum et al.,(2012), studied the participation of local communities in mangrove conservation area with the case study: Ban Sahakon and Ban Chaitalay communities of Samut Sakhon. It was found that the settlement periods in community has affected the participation in mangrove preservation, since the people in the community have been born, they have benefited from mangrove resources in their careers and have been living for a long time until they feel ownership and cherish local resources causing them to cooperate and participate in mangrove conservation.
-Number of family members and the number of members needed to take care found that most members have about 4-5 family members, and most (36.9%) do not have anyone in the home to care for which corresponds to Lertphitayanon (2009) studies about people‟s participation in mangrove conservation in Muang Kluang Sub-District, Kapoe District, Ranong Province. The results of the study showed that the number of different household members had different effects on participation in which the sample groups with 7-8 members were more involved than those with 1-2 members and those with 3-4 members were more involved than those groups with 5-6 members because many household members can send representatives to participate in activities to conserve marine and coastal resources.
- Receiving public health services include access to public health services such as health centers or hospitals. According to the study, it was found that all members (100%) have received health services from government agencies.
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4.2 Gender roles in Coastal Resources Management of the Biosphere Reserve Area
According to the results of the study on Gender roles in Natural resources management of the Ranong biosphere reserve case study which is divided into 3 groups: 1) the distribution of responsibilities/ roles of male about daily living routine, occupation, and resource management activities of the Coastal Resources Conservation Groups: 2) access to essential resources and services in daily life, roles, and the decision-making power of the male/female members of the group; and 3) participation in marine and coastal resources management activities of the men in the group. The details are as follows.
4.2.1 Roles of GENDER From the results of a study on the distribution of responsibilities / roles of males/females in resource management groups in daily life activities, occupation, and resource management activities of the Coastal Resources Conservation Group from the in- depth interviews with 10 group leaders and 3 focus group discussions (1 group per 1 village) were as follows. Table 6: Activities Profile in daily life, group activities, and the distribution in males/females roles of Marine and Coastal Conservation Group in RBR Area Bang Tha Hat When Rin Chang Sai Activities Where Dam M/F M/F M/F day year Productive 1) Coastal Fisheries - Fishing M M/F M 5-8am,1-4pm Everyday Sea, Coastal - Fishing processing F M/F M/F 8am-1pm Everyday Home, Dock - Selling aquacultures F F M 10am-1pm Everyday Home, Village, Dock - Repairing tools M/F M/F M/F 8am-3pm 6-10 times Home - Making drying beds - - M/F 8-9am, 1-3pm 6-10 time Home - Sun-Drying fish - - F 10-11am,2-3pm 4-5 months Home, Village - Repairing boats M M M 8am-1pm 3-6 times Village 2) Breeding fish - Feeding - - M 5-6pm Every day Coastal - Catching - - M 1 hour 2-4 times Coastal - Repairing creels - - M 1 week 1-2 times Coastal
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Bang Tha Hat When Rin Chang Sai Activities Where Dam M/F M/F M/F day year 3) Trading - F F 10am-6pm Every day Home 4) Tobacco Handicraft F F - 10am-4pm 4-5 Months Home 5) Agriculture M/F M/F M/F 5am-16pm 6-12 Months Plantation 6) Homestay - Sailing boats as - - M 9-11am, 3-5pm 5-10 times Sea transportation - Cooking for tourists - - F 10am-12pm, 4-6pm 5-10 times Home, Village - Preparing the - - F 8-10am 5-10 times Home accommodation Reproductive and household - Cooking F F F 4-5am,5-6pm Every day Home - Child care F F F 6am-8pm Every day Home - Cleaning F F F 6-7 am Every day Home - Supervising account F F F 1 hour 12-60 times Home payable/receivable Social and Community - Village meeting M/F M/F M/F 5-6pm 6-12 times Village - Village ceremony M/F M/F M/F 7am-8pm 1-3 times Village - Group meeting M/F M/F M/F 1-2 hours 6-20 times Village - Collecting waste in M/F M/F M/F 1-2 hours 2-4 times Village the community - Mangrove planting M/F M/F M/F 1-6 hours 5-10 times Village, MG and releasing aquacultures - Mangrove seedlings M/F F - 8am-5pm 2 months MG - Preparing seedlings M/F F - 8am-4pm,10am- 6-10 times Village, coastal before planting 3pm - Preparing planting area M/F M/F - 7am-4pm 6-10 times MG - Patrolling M/F M - 9am-1pm, 12-24 times MG 10am-3pm - Zoning conservation area M M - 8am-5pm 3-6 times MG - Thinning/weeding M/F M/F - 8am-5pm 6-12 times MG mangrove planting areas - Aquaculture Bank - M/F M/F 1-2 hours 6-12 times MG, canals
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From the details in Table 6 was a result of the qualitative study which found that the distribution of males/females roles of the marine and coastal resources conservation in the Ranong Biosphere Reserve has the following trends influencing activities:
1) Productive Activities The roles of duty in productive activities or occupational activities to earn is that most men play a greater role than women in fishing activities in the parts of labor and being away from home or taking time out of the house for a long time, such as sailing boat to the sea or along the coast to catch fish, making boat trips to the city to sell aquatic animals, sailing boats as tourists‟ transportation, repairing boats, and breeding fish in the creels. For production activities, women play more roles than men, and most are related to financial activities which are a careful work with not much labor and it can be done at home or community areas, such as trading, handicrafts, catering for tourists, repairing nets, and removing crabs‟ shell. The activities that women and men in the family do together and cannot tell who is doing more or less is the rubber farming, fishing gears repairmen, and bring the fish out of the net after the man returns.
2) Reproductive and Household activities Roles in reproductive and household activities: cooking, child caring, house cleaning, and household accounting in the groups of population of all three villages is found to be female which most of these activities are daily routines and non-revenue activities.
3) Social and Community Activities Male/female roles in community activities including the activities of the group, it was found that most men and women play an equal role, and in one social activity every member of the community, of all sexes and ages, will join hands and help out with social tasks, so there is no split role that gender should do. However, some activities in Bang Rin Village and Tha Chang Village that must go outside the village and intensive labor, such as bringing cement sticks to the conservation zone and patrolling men will play a greater role. In addition, at Tha Change Village, in seedling activities and planting seedling preparation activities women will play a role more than men unlike Hat Sai Dam Village where men and women play the same role.
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Figure 13: Women Activities in daily life
Figure 14: Men Activities in daily life
4.2.2 Access and Control Profile The researcher collected and analyzed the Access and Control Profile data of gender by grouping into two areas: access to and control over resources and services needed in daily life, roles, and the decision-making power of the male/female members of the group.
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4.2.2.1 Access to and Control over the resources and services needed in everyday life The researcher has considered the access to and control over the resources and services needed in everyday life and divided into 3 topics: (1) living factors and basic services include housing, basic education, medical treatment, information, and the use of natural resources: (2) family assets include home appliances, finance, agricultural land, boats, fishing equipments: (3) self-potential improvement such as training and educational tours. The results are shown in Table 7
Table 7: Access to and Control over Resources and Basic Services of the Members of the Conservation Groups
Resources and Services Bang Rin Tha Change Hat Sai Dam access control access Control access control Living factors and basic services 1) Housing M = F M = F M = F M < F M = F F 2) Basic education M = F F M = F F M = F F 3) Medical treatment M = F F M = F F M = F F 4) News and information M = F M = F M = F M = F M = F M = F 5) Natural resources - MG M = F State/Group M = F State/Group M = F State/Community - Fishing sources M > F State M > F State M > F State/Community (sea) - Sources for M > F M > F M > F M > F M > F M breeding aquatic animals (coast) Assets 1) Home appliance M = F M < F M = F F M = F F 2) Finance M < F F M < F F M < F F 3) Agricultural land M = F M = F M = F M = F M = F F 4) Boat M > F M M > F M M > F M 5) Fishing tools M > F M = F M > F M = F M > F M = F Self-potential improvement 1)Training/educational tours - Within the province M = F M < F M < F M < F M < F F - Other provinces M > F M < F M = F M < F M > F F
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From Table 7 found that male and female of the Coastal Resources Conservation Group in the RBR area have access to basic resources and services:
1) Living factors and basic services Male and female members of Ban Bang Rin/ Ban Tha Chang/ Ban Hat Sai Dam Coastal Resources Conservation Groups have access to living factors and basic services in housing, basic education, medical treatment, news and information, and natural resources (coastal/ sea/ forests) equally, but the majority of control power in the household on the housing, basic education, and medical treatment of family members, wives are more likely greater than men who serve as the heads of the households.
For the access to natural resources, it was found to be related to occupation due to most of the informants, who are group members, are engaged in traditional fishing, and from the Activities Profile showed that most men make boat trips to catch aquatic animals including breeding fish in the creel at the coastal area of the villages, so in one household, men have access to marine and coastal resources better than women. However, the power in controlling the access to and the utilization of natural resources for these three villages is largely governed by the laws of the state due to being in the conservation area means under the laws of the DMCR and DNP. Furthermore, local conservation groups have also established community agreements to control the utilization of resources.
Access to and control of information by men and women in coastal resources conservation groups have been found to be equally between women and men due to the rapid development of communication and technology. Almost everyone in the community has a mobile phone, which makes it easy to access information and much faster.
However, for Hat Sai Dam Village which is located on an island without transportation and a taxi-boat causing the delay of living factors and basic service later than other villages.
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2) Properties Access to and control over the family properties of male and female members of the Coastal Conservation Groups of Bang Rin Village, Tha Chang Village, and Hat Sai Dam Village have the same pattern: Agricultural land (rubber plantations): men/women in the family equally have access to land which is to help the whole family farming, but the inheritance in the land is mostly women (wife). Finance: women have greater access to and control over family expenditures than men as the group members provided reason that women are more careful. Household goods: women/men in the family have access to home applicances such as TVs, refrigerators, cars, motorbikes, but the control is mostly of women (wife). Boat: men have access to and have control over the vessels used in coastal fishing more than women because men play a greater role in catching fish. Fishing equipments: men have access to and have control over coastal fishing gears more than women, but the control like decisions to buy, repair, and throw away are both women and men.
3) Self-potential development Male and female members of Ban Bang Rin/ Ban Tha Chang/ Ban Hat Sai Dam Coastal Resources Conservation Groups have access to the factors and self- potential development by participating in knowledge training and studying to enhance the occupational skills including adding more knowledge of resource conservation. From the group discussions, it was found that the members of Ban Bang Rin Group whether men or women have the right to attend training and educational tours within Ranong Province equally. As for the members of Ban Tha Chang Group and Ban Hat Sai Dam Group, stated that women have access to the training and educational tours within Ranong Province better than men because during the day at home women do not go out, so they have more time in attending the events, whereas men go out to fish for time. Moreover, training and educational tours outside Ranong Province the members of Ban Bang Rin Group and Ban Hat Sai Dam Group said that males are more accessible than women, with group members‟ reason that women have a duty to take care of their children and their homes, so it is not easy to travel to other provinces.
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However, family decision-making power is dominated by women (wives) and the fact that women decide not to attend training or educational tours in other provinces and willing to let the males go; mostly from the voluntary nature of the women themselves.
4.2.2.2 Roles and decision-making power of men in the group Based on study data about group structure, roles and the distribution of responsibilities in the group analyzed between men and women on how roles are played and who has the power to control and decide on the operations of the group are shown in Table 8 and Table 9
Table 8: Roles and the decision-making power of the male members of the group Numbers of members Position Status in Groups Vice- Male Female Total President Treasurer the group President Bang Rin Village Bang Rin Mangrove 9 5 14 M - - active Conservation Coastal Livelihood 8 2 10 M - - active Conservation Tha Chang Village Ngao Mangrove 8 6 14 M M - active Conservation Group Tha Chang NEV Group 11 19 30 M F - active Hat Sai Dam Village Breeding fish in the 21 0 21 M M - active creels Group 1 Breeding fish in the 15 2 17 M M - active creels Group 2 Crab eggs outside the 12 0 12 M M M active carapace Group 1 Crab eggs outside the 9 5 14 F - F No active carapace Group 2 Seafood-processing 1 10 11 F - - No active improvement Homestay 4 8 12 F - F active
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Table 9: The ratio of male/female with the positions in the group Male Female Both Role in Group # % # % # % President 7 70 3 30 10 100 Vice-President 4 80 1 20 5 100 Treasurer 1 33.3 2 66.7 3 100
According to Table 8 and Table 9, found that - Groups related to Mangrove Conservation have more men than women, and importantly the president is male. - Groups related to coastal fishing have more men than women, and most of them are men. - Seafood Processing Improvement Group and Homestay have more women than men with the group president is a woman - Men and women have the same opportunity in leading a group, but the ratio of men and women who are presidents of the groups are 70:30 and a ratio of men and women who are vice-president is 80: 20. - Women act as treasurer more than men at the ratio of 2: 1. - 2 out of 3 women who are presidents of the groups have discontinuously operated the groups.
The reason is that the ratio is different in accordance with the group discussions; it was found that the selection of leaders and the key positions within the group, in addition to personal potential and the well-known people in the community also depends on the purposes of the group and gender stereotypes such as female are more thorough, so women take care of the finance better than men but men can do harder work better than women.
4.2.3. Participation in marine and coastal resources management activities of males and females in the groups According to the study, the research studied the main reasons why males and females joins and participate in the activities of marine and coastal resources management by quantitative data to support qualitative study results with 111 questionnaires as follows:
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4.2.3.1. The main reason for participation The main reasons in joining as one of the members of the conservation groups of each gender in each village (Table 10) are as follows - Most men in Bang Rin community (45.4%) and Tha Chang community (89.4%) have joined the conservation groups because they want to restore the natural resources in the community to be more abundant for future generations while most men (71.4%) Hat Sai Dam community have joined the conservation groups because of the problem of occupation causing the reduction of income in the family. - Women have a primary reason for joining conservation groups differently; most women in Bang Rin Village (57.1%) have joined the groups because it is a participatory activity in the form of compensation. On the other hands, most of women in Tha Chang Village (88.0%) have joined because of the needs to restore natural resources in the community to be more abundant while most women in Hat Sai Dam Village (78.6%) have joined the conservation groups because of the problem of occupation resulting in reduced family income.
Table 10: Reasons in joining conservative groups of males/females classified by village Hat Sai Dam Bang Rin Village Tha Chang Village Factors Village %Male %Female %Male %Female %Male %Female Environmental Factors - The need to restore the 45.4(5) 28.6(2) 89.4(17) 88.0(22) 22.8(8) 21.4(3) natural resources Economic Factor - Difficult in making a - - - - 71.4(25) 78.6(11) living - Get the compensation 9.1(1) 57.1(4) 5.3(1) - 2.9(1) - Social Factor - Persuaded by family 9.1(1) - - - - - members - Persuaded by friends/ 18.2(2) - 5.3(1) - 2.9(1) - relatives - Persuaded by 18.2(2) 14.3(1) - 12.0(3) - - community leaders Total 100(11) 100(7) 100(19) 100(25) 100(35) 100(14)
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According to the results, it showed that women and men who are members of conservation groups in RBR Area have a major difference in participation in which women consider the economic factors more than men. This is consistently with the findings from Khuain (2009) and Somountha (2008), suggest that women are more likely to consider the living within the family, finding food, earning income, child caring, and managing the household finances while most men participate because of environmental factors. Moreover, the study found that most of the studied communities engage in coastal fishing which mainly relies on natural resources, and most men will go out to the coast and in the sea to catch aquatic animals, so men have more access to natural resources than women. As a result, men see the changes or degradation of natural resources that affect their lives more than women causing men to be more aware of resource recovery. This is consistently with the research of Wimonpusit (2004) that men play a major role in transferring and managing occupations related to coastal resources that are more inherited than women.
In addition, the history and the different locations of the communities in all three villages have differently influenced the participation of males and females, namely, Bang Rin Village and Tha Chang Village. In the past, there were rich mangrove resources but after mining concession and shrimp farming resulted in mangrove destruction and deterioration. When the mining concession ended and shrimp farming was experiencing epidemics (DMPD, 2017) causing most of the villagers returned to fishery, so it was affected by the degradation of coastal resources. This results in a combination of conservation and restoration of resources, and there are also support agencies in resource conservation. The reasons in participation of both villages are environmental factors and social factors as well.
The group members of Hat Sai Dam Village gave out an economic factor as the most significant reason due to the village is an island and all areas are under the responsibility of Ranong Islands National Park, so there is no encroachment on the mangrove forest or the forest land because it is controlled by law. Moreover, with the access to resources of man and woman is limited by the conditions in the area and law causing almost all population on the islands are occupied by coastal fishing. Therefore, government agencies often support and promote extra occupation and sustainable use of resources with more emphasis on conservation than restoration. However, the DMCR has
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encouraged Hat Sai Dam community to be part of the Conservation Network together with Bang Rin Village and Tha Chang Village resulting in all these three villages commonly participating in conservation activities.
4.2.3.2 Participation in Marine and Coastal Resources Management Participation in all 18 resource management activities, included the creation of a resource conservation zone, waste management in communities, preparing planting area, breaking down the shrimp levees, mangrove seedlings, mangrove rehabilitation, thinning mangrove planting area, releasing the aquatic animals, patrolling the resources intrusion and destruction, setting up rules and agreements, aquaculture bank, promoting profession of natural resources processing, managing ecotourism, meetings to set the agenda of the group, participating in the Resource Conservation Forum, passing on knowledge to the youth / villagers in the area, attending training on conservation, and educational tours of Bang Rin/ Tha Chang/ Hat Sai Dam Conservation Groups, the details are shown on Figure 15, Figure 16,and Figure 17
Figure 15: Percentage of conservation activities participation of Ban Bang Rin's group members
Males Females
Zoning Conservation 38.9 5.6 Collecting waste 44.4 16.7 Preparing planting area 50 27.8 Breaking down shrimp levees 50 0 Seedlings 27.8 11.1 Mangrove planting 61.1 38.9 Releasing aquacultures 44.4 38.9 Patrolling 33.3 11.1 Setting rules 33.3 22.2 Group meetings 55.6 33.3 Meeting stages 27.8 16.7 Passing on knowledge 16.7 0 Training 27.8 22.2 Educational Tours 27.8 11.1
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Figure 16: Percentage of conservation activities participation of Ban Tha Chang's group members
Males Females
Zoning Conservation 18.2 4.5 Collecting waste 38.6 56.8 Preparing planting area 18.2 13.6 Seedlings 18.2 13.6 Mangrove planting 40.9 56.8 Releasing aquacultures 40.9 56.8 Patrolling 18.2 13.6 Setting rules 29.5 56.8 Aquaculture Bank 18.2 34.1 Processing 20.5 38.6 Group meetings 38.6 56.8 Meeting stages 31.8 45.5 Passing on knowledge 27.3 34.1 Training 38.6 56.8 Educational Tours 27.3 31.8
Figure 17: Percentage of conservation activities participation of Ban Hat Sai Dam's group members
Males Females
Zoning Conservation 30.6 10.2
Collecting waste 71.4 26.5
Mangrove planting 71.4 22.4
Releasing aquatic animals 71.4 18.4
Setting rules 51 18.4
Aquaculture Bank 71.4 16.3
Processing 2 24.5
Home Stay 10.2 20.4
Group meetings 57.1 20.4
Meeting stages 32.7 14.3
Training 30.6 10.2
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The study results of Ban Bang Rin Conservation Group in Bang Rin District, Ranong Province were: - The activities that most members participate in were: mangrove planting activities (100%) followed by group meetings (88.9%) and releasing aquaculture activities (83.3%). All three activities accounted for the same percentage of men and women. - The least participatory activity was the transfer of knowledge (16.7%) and found that there was no female in the participating figure. - Activities with no female members attending were 2 activities: breaking down the shrimp levees and knowledge transfer. However, it was found that both activities were attended by only 50% and 16.7%, respectively.
For activities other than those mentioned above, both male and female members participated but the majority of attending members were males. The participation in marine and coastal resources management activities of Ban Bang Rin Conservation Group in quantitative terms in line with the depth interview and group discussions stated that most activities engaged by Ban Bang Rin Conservation Group were activities with intensive labor, such as breaking down the shrimp levees, weeding weeds in the forest, and thinning in which most of which went from morning to evening or to go patrol boat including attending the meetings in other provinces for several days. Male members are more convenient and flexible because female members have to take care of their children at home. Therefore, the activities that women engage in are usually seedling preparation for planting and handicrafts activities.
The study results of Ban Tha Chang Conservation Group in Ngao District, Ranong Province were: - The activities that most members participated in were mangrove planting (97.7%) and releasing aquatic animals (97.7%), followed by group meetings (95.4%) and training (95.4%). - The least participation activity was making conservation zone (22.7%) with male members at the greater percentage. - Most of Ban Tha Chang's activities found that there were a higher percentage of women participating than men, except for nursery activities, planting area
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preparation activities, zoning conservation area, and the activities of patrolling for the intrusion in the mangrove forest. This is because all these 4 activities are specific activities of mangrove conservation group in Ngao Sub-district with 14 members and more men than women.
Participation in marine and coastal resources management activities of males/females members of Tha Chang Conservation Group in quantitative terms in line with the depth interview and group discussions found that the majority members of Ban Tha Chang Conservation Group are females because they have more free time, so they get together and join the groups. However, in some households participate for the whole family. The distribution of duties usually involves labor: activities that need to stay outdoor for longer time will be done by men, such as the preparation of planting mangrove and weeding weeds, whereas women will be collecting wood chips from the planting area. Also, another activity is a making keychain activity made of Mudskipper and Hibiscus Tiliaceus in which it is still in practicing stage of both men and women.
The study results of Ban Hat Sai Dam Conservation Group in Ngao District, Ranong Province were: -The activities that most members participated in were waste collection activities (97.9%), followed by mangrove planting (93.8%) and group meetings (77.5%). - The activity that members participated at the least was processing activity (26.5%). - Most of the activities in Hat Sai Dam Village are found to have a higher percentage of men than women, except seafood processing and homestay activities.
Participation in marine and coastal resources management activities of males/females members of Ban Hat Sai Dam Conservation Group in quantitative consistently with the results from in-depth interviews and group discussions is that males work as a resource-management group quite distinctly than women. This is due to the island community with the only transportation by boat, and most of the activities are away from home to the mangrove, the sea, or the coast, whereas most women work at home and in the village rather than outside because of the duty to take care of children and
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housework. According to the interviews, no woman rides the boat or goes fishing, so the activity which women play an obvious role is a homestay because most jobs are in the community. However, in the home-stay home when tourists come, both men and women in the family will join to help. Furthermore, the community has rules to draw a circular home for tourists and to circulate to all the houses where one house can get no more than 6 tourists if it comes to any house. The woman in the house is responsible for preparing food and accommodation as men are responsible for transportation. In case the tourists come to a big group and stay overnight; female members will come together to cook and welcome tourists at the house of any one of the members or of the president of the group. In addition, it was found that the 1st crab egg outside the crustacean has no woman as a member, so the leader‟s wife will responsible in helping her husband in behind by supervising income and expenditure of the group.Therefore, the distribution of the male/female role in the community is to support each other.
In accordance with the study results of Gender in Ranong Biosphere Reserve Area, found that the demographics of the rural population and their occupations depend on natural resources, so the role of daily living and access to resources for males and females is in a divided form, and everyone has equal access to the resources. It also depends on the given roles as for the hard work and work that needs to leave houses will be the duty of men, and women work at home, take care of their children, and work on delicate tasks such as financial management. These results are in line with Moser (1993), who concluded that the men in the family are engaged in productive work outside the home, while the woman is a housewife and homemaker with reproductive and domestic tasks in organizing the household. Moreover, it is also consistent with the researches by Bista, (2005), Khuain (2009), and Somountha (2008).
For the role of men and women participation in natural resource management, it was found that men and women have equal access to conservation activities of the groups, and women have the same leadership opportunities as men, but men's leadership qualities are different. Men are leaders in resource conservation groups and fishing groups, whereas women will lead extra careers, such as processing groups and home-stay groups which is in line with Wimonpusit's (2004) research. The proportion of male involvement varies depending on the types of job; the men and women are divided according to the
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physiological differences between sexes and the cultural mainstreaming. However, it was found that in the Hat Sai Dam Village, there was a woman who played a leading role but the group is discontinuous. The interviews revealed that they had problems with networking and budgeting for activities from various agencies.Due to the island environment and transportation, it is inconvenient because most women are only in the village which is also consistent with Upadhyay et al. (2013) found that coordination with external organizations is often performed by men. Women are often involved in a little process which is more receptive and informative than co-decision.
In addition, gender roles in resource management in Ranong Biosphere Reserve Area, Thailand also depend on the government's natural resources management policy, which, according to the constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, 2017, men and women have equal rights and is protected by laws (The Royal Gazette, 2017), and the National Economic and Social Development Plan of Thailand has brought “Sufficiency Economy” of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej to use since the year 2002, focusing on developing people to be perfect, creating opportunities for everyone in society, sustainable development of the country economy with quality and stability, environmentally-friendly, biodiversity conservation, communities, ways of life, values, traditions, and culture (NESDB, 2017). All agencies have adopted the framework to set policies and action plans in line with national laws and policies. The principles and plans must specifically be consistent with the main objectives of declaring the area as a biosphere reserve are 1) to conserve the diversity of plants, animals, and ecosystem; 2) to promote sustainable economic and social development emphasized on closed-cooperation with the surrounding communities and 3) to research, educate, and train about the conservation of natural resources and the environment (UNESCO, 2015). The study found that the agencies involved in the management of RBR Area, Thailand have promoted people in the area to maintain and utilize resources in areas of the Buffer Zone and Transition Zone properly to not affect the ecology, based on the principle of image consistency, respect local wisdom and customs to encourage people to have consciousness in the conservation of natural resources and participate in management areas (DMCR, 2016).
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4.3 Gender relations, identified problems, and gaps related to gender balance in the biosphere reserve management
4.3.1 Gender relations Gender relations are created through social rules, tradition, and norms which are the ways in which the society determines specific roles, rights, and behaviors for each gender in a relationship emanating the relationship of the individual and the group in the way of life. Therefore, the researcher analyzed the situation of Gender Relations in Ranong Biosphere Reserve Area by gender roles and level of relationships in a daily life and in group activities participation, and the details are shown in Table. 11
Table 11: Relationship of Gender in Ranong Biosphere Reserve Area level Gender Dominant Features and Limitations Social Expectations and Roles Males Dominant Features Social expectations - Strong muscles more than women and - Producing new members better work force - Men need to help and honor women who are - Less emotional change than women. weaker sex. - Use intuition to make decisions - Must be a good family leader supplying - like taking risks and challenges housing, going out to work, finding food, and Limitation earning money for family. - lack of thoroughness Roles
- Out to the sea to catch aquatic animals. - Finding the sources of outputs. - Repairing homes and boats Household Females Dominant Features Social expectations and - Thoroughness and careful - Producing new members - More patience than men - Must be a good wife in the frame of traditions
Individual - Use intuition to make decisions and customs. Limitations - Taking care of family members - The sizes of body and muscle are Roles smaller than men and can work in less - Pregnant force tasks. - Caring for family, stay at home, housework, - When have menstruation, often feel cooking, parenting children uncomfortable. - Taking care of family expenditure and handle - Need to conceive and breastfeed babies, financial problems and liabilities so can work inconveniently. - Fishing Processing
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level Gender Dominant Features and Limitations Social Expectations and Roles Males Dominant Features Social expectations - Leadership, powerful, and imposing - Living according to social norms. - Go outside the community for a long - Joining a religious ritual and community time. tradition. Limitations - Maintaining community resources. - During going out to the sea, there will Roles be no time for group activities - Being a group leader and distributing jobs - Lack of thoroughness in financial include benefits to group members. management - Joining group activities and they play a major
role in labor-use activities and life-threatening activities. community
Females Dominant Features Social expectations and
- More free time because most do not - Living according to social norms. have to leave with the boat. - Joining a religious ritual and community roup G - Like talking, networking. tradition. - Ability to manage finance. - Maintaining community resources. Limitation Roles -When have menstruation, it will be a - Motivating members to practice by the rules and hindrance to forest planting activities and creating a collaborative network. releasing aquatic animals. - Joining group activities and play a key role in Activities, such as meeting, processing, handicrafts, taking care of accounting and finance, and public relations.
From Table 11, it was found that gender relations in RBR at the levels of individual, household, group, and community with most of the roles are performed by the social norms. It is a role that benefits each other to meet the needs of the community members on the basis of living; each of which has status and many roles at the same time, such as roles in the family, roles in the group, and roles in the community by the time of arising opportunity. However, due to the villages in this study are rural communities that have to rely on natural resources to live and make a living, and transportation in some communities are not yet convenient resulting in men are more likely to have a choice or access to resources than women and more convenient than women. For example, families with fishing in the coastal in Hat Sai Dam Village men are responsible for boat trips to the sea to find aquatic animals as women are at home helping to manage the aquatic animals after catching them and rarely leave the community. The convenience of transportation and
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local government system are a community context that affects the changes of relationships and roles of men and women in the communities, Wimonpusit (2004).
According to the tests of the relationship between women and men and participation in various activities for each village in term of quantitative to validate the correctness of the results of qualitative data analysis with Chi-Square at the level of statistical significance at 0.05 (see Appendix B), males and females have the rights and freedom to express their roles in society to access the group's conservation activities equally, and only a few participatory activities have statistically significant relationships with gender differences, with Asymp. Sig less than 0.05 as follow.
- Bang Rin Village found that gender relations had a statistically significant relationship with the participation of two activities in the activities of the group, such as zoning conservation activities and breaking down the shrimp levees activity with the Asymp. Sig at 0.040 and 0.001, respectively.
- Tha Chang Village found that gender relations had a statistically significant relationship with the participation of four activities in the activities of the group, such as zoning conservation activities, setting group‟s rules and agreements activities, aquacultures bank activities, and attending in resources conservation stage activities with the Asymp. Sig at 0.007, 0.002, 0.046, and 0.006, respectively.
- Hat Sai Dam Village found that gender relations had a statistically significant relationship with the participation of three activities in the activities of the group, such as releasing aquaticultures activities, promoting professions of natural resources-processing activities, and ecotourism activities with Asymp. Sig at 0.007, 0.000, and 0.000, respectively.
4.3.2 Problems and Gender gaps related to gender balance in the biosphere reserve management Analysis of problems and gaps related to gender balance in the biosphere reserve management was to bring out the part 1 and part 2 data of the study results to further analyze for quantitative and qualitative analysis in the meta-data analysis by using
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4-dimensional indicators, such as getting education, getting health services, participation in group activities, and getting a leadership position of the 111 members compared the equality between males and females by applying metrics from all four dimensions according to The World Economic Forum (2016) and supporting the results with qualitative from in-depth interviews with group leaders and group discussions as follows Figure 18.
Figure 18: Percentage of members of male/female members be able to access to the indicators in each dimension
Gaining Leadership 100.0 80.0 60.0 40.0 20.0 10.8 100.0 Participation in Men Healthcare 0.0 6.5 59.0 100.0 55.4 group
Women
98.5 100.0 Education
Group leader position/ Healthcare services/ Education/ Participation in group - Getting education found that men were educated at 98.5% and 100.0% for women, which is a similar number. - Getting healthcare services have found that all (100%) members of both men and women have access to health services. - Participation in group activities by average, all activities in resource management and in the overall picture of all three villages showed that men are more involved in group activities than women. Men are involved in group activity at 59.0% of all members while women participated in group activities at 55.4% of all members. - Gaining leadership positions, men were assigned to be the group leader at 10.8% of all members more than women, which accounts for 6.5% of all members.
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In accordance with the analysis of the 4-dimensional metrics as shown in Figure 18, found that men and women in Ranong Biosphere Reserve have no gap in the dimensions of access to education and access to health services.Everyone in society is equal in accordance with the constitutional law governing the country and according to government policy plan which defines the right to freedom of all Thais equally, regardless of gender differences, race, place of origin, religion, age, and different personal status are different. However, there are gaps in inequality between men and women in the dimension of participation in group activities and leadership which the data from in-depth interviews with the group leaders and group discussions showed that these two dimensions are related to factors that differentiate the physiological nature of men and women naturally and expectations from different societies such as age, health status, marital status, beliefs, and traditions; men and women divide responsibilities and roles at the family, group, and community levels for mutual benefits.
Even though men will play the role of group and community leaders in a greater number and more pronounced than women, the women who are the wives of the leaders are often supporters of her husbands‟ work by coordinating group members to schedule meetings and ensuring group accounting accuracy. It is also found that although men are heads of households, the control power of most family decisions are made by women. The sample groups reasoned that this is because it is a family distribution by doing the outdoors is a man's duty and housework is a woman's duty. Because of this, most female and male members of the conservation groups in RBR have the same opinion that men and women have equal rights properly according to the differences and limiting factors of each gender, so there is no problem in the relationship. Although men are more likely to have access to certain resources than women, the women in the sample groups do not feel that the problem was a problem and do not feel the gap between genders, isolation, exclusion, or social oppression due to; - Allocate resources for living and group resources appropriately. - Assign duties and responsibilities suitable for gender, age, marital status, and skills. - Communities value or see the importance. - Have the power to drive groups and communities.
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However, considering Figure 18, it has been found that there are no more than 60% of those who have access to resource management activities in biosphere reserves, and the relevant agencies should encourage more non-participating members to get involved to effectively manage natural resources in Ranong Biosphere Reserve, so people in the area are allotted the benefits thoroughly.
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5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Conclusion
The summary of the Gender Role in Ranong Biosphere Reserve, Thailand: Case Study on Coastal Conservation Groups is as follow.
1) Characteristics of respondents The groups in coastal resources management in RBR, Thailand, are found in three villages with two villages located in the transition area, namely, Bang Rin Village No. 2 in Bang Rin Sub-district and Tha Chang Village No. 3 in Ngao Sub-district, and another one is located in the buffer zone which is Hat Sai Dam Village No. 5 in Ngao Sub- district. The total numbers of coastal resources management groups are 10 groups with 111 members in total, 65 men and 46 women. In overall membership, most are at the age of 41-50 years-old and 51-60 years with the level of education at elementary and middle school, Islam, married, most of them engaged in coastal fishing due to their proximity to the mangrove forest and the sea, and the household income at 10,000-20,000 baht per month depending on the season. Furthermore, more than 85% of group members who are local in the area have utilized mangrove and coastal resources in their both working and living for a long time and have been affected by the degradation of resources resulting in desire and consciousness to gather into groups in order to conserve and restore resources.
The purpose of setting up groups of three villages in managing coastal resources can be summarized into 3 objectives: (1) to maintain and rehabilitate the mangrove, aquatic, and environmental resources in the village: (2)to preserve the way of life of the community; and (3) to make income and create a profession by sustainably utilizing resources, with these 18 group activities including setting up the resources conservation zones, managing the waste in community, preparing the reforestation area, breaking down the abandoned shrimp levees, planting the mangrove seedlings, rehabilitating mangrove forests, maintaining the mangrove planting area, releasing the aquatic animals, patrolling and preventing the invasion and destruction of resources, defining rules and agreements of the groups, aquaculture bank, promoting natural resource processing, managing eco-tourism, meetings to organize groups‟ plans, attending meetings on resource conservation,
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transferring knowledge to young people / villagers in the area, attending conservation trainings, and educational tours. Significantly, these 18 activities are supported with funds, knowledge, and tools from government and private agencies, educational institutions, financial institution, and private organizations.
2) Gender roles in resource management of the biosphere reserve According to the study on group members of coastal resources management groups, found that the roles and access to resources of males/females in the BR area of Ranong Province are more on dividing up or sharing the work which means everyone has access to resources for living and access to the conservation activities of the groups varied by roles.The roles that have been given are usually categorized accordingly to the physiology of sex, age, health status, marital status, and cultural motifs.
The results of the Activities Profile found that the productive activities and social and community activities of males were more likely to be in the labor force (heavy work) and outside from home than females, such as riding a boat to catch aquatic animals, repairing home, and placing the cement bars for the conservation zone. Most males‟ working areas and times are located on the coast or on the seashore while females are often given the role of work that requires carefulness, not very laborious, and with the limitations to take care of family members females' working areas are often at home and in the village, for example, processing aquatic animals, taking the fish to sell, repairing fishing tools, and taking care of family and group accounts. For reproductive activities such as home-based cooking and child-rearing, it was found that the participants in the three villages considered them as the role of the wife (female), and this reproductive activity was mostly a taking- time activity that need to work from getting up till going to bed. Therefore, considering the working hours between males and females it was found that females have more working hours than males, but most jobs are non-income.
According to the results from the analysis of Access and Control to resources and services required in everyday life and group resources including the male/female decision-making power within the group, it was found that all males/females had equal access to resources in their daily lives, and access to resources will vary depending on the role they receive under the Activity profile. For example, males are responsible for
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catching fish, so they have access to marine and coastal resources than females, and females tend to work at home, so they have more access to and control over family properties than males.
For the access to group resources, both males and females have access to knowledge-based training and educational tours to study to enhance their career skills included with more knowledge about resource conservation quite equally, but women have restrictions on places in which if women have to travel to other provinces for a long time, they will not be able to go because of need to take care of home and family. In addition, women have the same leadership opportunities as men but not many, and the study found that the groups with females as leaders are groups with discontinuous operations.
3) Gender relationship, and identify problem and gaps related to gender balance in the biosphere reserve management For the relationship of Gender in RBR at Individual Level, Household Level, Group Level, and Community Level, most of the roles are performed by the social norms. It is a role that benefits each other to meet the needs of community members on the basis of living in which each has status and many roles at the same time including roles in the family, roles in the group, and roles in the community; males and females have the right and freedom to express their roles in society in equal access to conservation activities. However, only a few participatory activities have statistically significant relationships with gender differences and different in the context of each village, such as Bang Rin Village and Tha Chang Village that gender correlates with zoning resource conservation activities and breaking down the abandoned shrimp levees activities. The same with Hat Sai Dam Village with the gender is associated with releasing aquatic animal activities, promoting the profession in processing of natural resources activities, and ecotourism activities, so this relationship is based on the gender role as mentioned above.
In accordance with the results of the analysis of problems and gaps related to gender balance in the biosphere reserve management to compare male and female relationships on each side found that men and women had no gap in accessing to education and health services due to the constitutional law of the Kingdom of Thailand and the government's action plan that supports the equality and equality of all people. There are
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only gaps in inequality in group activity participation and leadership concerning the factors of male and female physiological differences and role sharing in society.
Conclusively, gender roles in resources management of the biosphere reserve showed that gender roles are the result of attitudes, experiences, socialization processes including the factors in location of the community causing the differences in roles between males and females. These differences can be categorized into four main differences which are energy or strength used in the work, professional skills, working time, and place of work. Moreover, these differences affect the opportunities in personal development, access to natural resources, participation of group activities, and socio-economic benefits. Therefore, the different roles of these males and females should be taken into account to find a method, a process, or a tool to fill the gaps between existing genders and to promote the potential of gender in knowledge and capability relevant in livelihoods and conservation of natural resources in order to achieve equitable sharing of benefits, so members of all age groups are potentially involved in resource management in Ranong Biosphere Reserve. As a result, the management of biosphere reserves is to meet the objectives of the MAB project with more effectiveness.
5.2 Recommendation
Recommendations for the further researches should study in the following subjects: 1) Due to this research study only the roles of males and females who participate in the management of Ranong biosphere reserve without studying the roles of girls and boys, so this issue should be further studied. Furthermore, this will be able to illustrate the changing trends of society and the inheritance of resource conservation ideas in the new generation. 2) There should be a study about the changes in socio-economic and the environment arising from the community's participation and related agencies to continuously manage resources in biosphere reserves, so it can be a way to improve and correct the operations of the relevant agencies.
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APPENDICES
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APPENDIX A : Notification on Appointment of subcommittee for the MAN and Ranong Biosphere Reserve, Thailand
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APPENDIX B: Questionnaire form
Name of Interviewer Tel. Name of group Name of Village Village No. Sub-district Muang Ranong
Part 1: Personal information
1.1 Gender Male Female
1.2 Age below 20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 over 60 1.3 Status single married divorced 1.4 Religion Buddhism Islam Christianity 1.5 Numbers of household members people 1.6 Numbers of household members who need to be taken care None Yes people 1.7 Education Level Did not study Elementary Middle school High school Diploma Bachelor Degree or higher 1.8 Major Occupation Coastal fishing General employment Agriculture Trading Breeding aquacultures Government officer Personal business Unemployment Others 1.9 Monthly household income Less than 10,000 Baht 10,000 – 20,000 Baht 20,001 – 30,000 Baht 30,001 – 40,000 Baht 40,001 – 50,000 Baht More than 50,000 Baht 1.10 Domicile Since birth Moved from (where) ...... How many year? . 1.11 public health services no received received
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Part 2: Group information 2 .1 Important Reasons to joining conservative groups
The need to restore the natural resources
Difficult in making a living
Get the compensation
Persuaded by family members
Persuaded by friends/ relatives
Persuaded by community leaders
2.2 Position in the group
President Treasurer
Vice-President Member
2.3 Activities of group on Ranong Biosphere Reserve Management
Activity Have Don‟t Paticipation have Yes No 1. Organizing resource conservation zone 2. Managing community waste 3. Preparing mangrove planting area 4. Destroying abandoned shrimp levees 5. Cultivating mangrove seedlings 6. Mangrove rehabilitation 7. Thinning/weeding mangrove plantation 8. Releasing aquaculture 9. Patrolling & Preventing the invasion & destruction of the resources 10. Setting group rules & agreements 11. Aquaculture Bank 12. Promoting natural resources processing 13. Managing ecotourism 14. Meeting for setting up the group plans 15. Participation in the forum for resource conservation 16. Passing on the knowledge to the youth / villagers 17. Participation in conservation training 18. Educational tour 19. Others .
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Part 3: Opinions on the role of female-male participation in RBR management
3.1 Problem / Limitations of female-male participation in RBR management
No problem
Yes 1)......
2)...... 3)...... 4)...... 3.2 suggestions on increasing the role of male/female participation in RBR management 1)...... 2)...... 3)...... 4)......
------End------
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APPENDIX C: List of group’s member who participated in Focus group Discussion and Verification workshop
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APPENDIX D: ACRONYMS
BR Biosphere Reserve DEQP Department of Environmental Quality Promotion DMCR Department of Marine and Coastal Resources DMPD Division of Mangrove Promotion and Development DNP Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation F Female FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FGD Focus group discussion IDI In depth Interview ILO International Labor Organization M Male MAB Man and Biosphere Programme MG Mangrove forest MNRE Ministry of Natural Resources and Envionment NESDB Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board NEV Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Volunteer OMC Office of the Mangrove Conservation ONEP Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning OXFAM the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief RBR The Ranong Biosphere Reserve SAO Sub-district Administrative Organization SIDA Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency UNESCO United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization WHO World Health Organization
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APPENDIX E: Photos of data collecting
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BIOGRAPHY
NAME Miss Disaorn Aitthiariyasunthon
DATE OF BIRTH March 10th , 1981
PLACE OF BIRTH Bangkok, Thailand
INSTITUTIONS ATTENDED Kasetsart University, 2000-2005: Bachelor of Science (Forestry) Bachelor of Art (Sociology & Anthropology) (2nd Ckass Honours) Mahidol University, 2010-2015: Master of Science (Technology of Environmental Management)
POSITION & OFFICE Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Office of Mangroves conservation Position: Forestry Technical Officer, Practitioner Level
HOME ADDRESS 17 Prachanivat3 Village, Samukkee Road, Muaeng District, Nonthaburi, 11000, Thailand
E-MAIL [email protected]
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