Transformations for the Survival of Traditional Water-Based
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TRANSFORMATIONS FOR commumtzes, (2) factors affecting the THE SURVIVAL OF transformations and survival of water based communities, and (3) trends in TRADITIONAL WATER transformations and capabilities for the BASED COMMUNITIES IN survival of water-based communities. The AMPHAWA DISTRICT, findings of this research should be useful for preliminary deliberations of the SAMUT SONGKHRAM appropriate policy recommendations for PROVINCE maintaining the uniqueness and the survival ofwater-based communities. 1 Wilawan Phamornsuwan Introduction Wannasilpa Peerapun, and Siriwan Silapacharanan2 Transformations are inevitably the natural phenomena occurring in developing countries where Western notions and Abstract culture have to be applied for their modernization (Moore [1963] and The water-based communities in Amphawa Eisenstadt [1973]). Transformations in District have evolved in their settlements Thailand have been evident since the over a long period of time. They all have launch of the First National Economic and specific and unique characteristics in Social Development Plan (NESDP) in terms of natural and cultural heritages. In 1961. The transformations had been the past, the communities have been especially predominant during the span of affected by various transformations and the first four NESDPs (1961 - 1981) which changes not only in the natural could be regarded as Thailand's major environment but also _through the direct transformation period. During those and indirect developments which have twenty years, intensive infrastructure been undertaken in the Mae Klong River developments had been undertaken, i.e., basin. Despite these changes, however, the land-transportation networks, water traditional water-based communities have resources management, industry, been able to adjust themselves for survival agriculture, public utilities and fac ilities, up to the present day. This study aims to etc., which had led to increasing describe certain issues which affect the modernization of communities within the survival of traditional water-based country. communities in Amphawa, i.e., (I) transformations of traditional water-based The traditional water-based commumties in Amphawa District have also been influenced by, inter alia, many direct and 1 Ph.D. Student in the Department of Urban indirect developments, including the and Regional Planning, Faculty of impacts of continuous changes in the Architecture, Chulalongkorn University, natural environment to which these Thailand. communities are highly sensitive due to 2 Associate Professors, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of their downstream locations on a river. Architecture, Chulalongkorn University, People living in these areas have Thailand. consequently learned to adjust themselves Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 12:14:12AM via free access Transformations for the survival of Traditional Water-Based to live consistently with the changing classified as being in the brackish ecology environment in order to maintain their of the so-called 'bi-water' zone (Surajit, survival. In examining the overall present 2004: 44). This is the primary factor living conditions of these Amphawa affecting the formation of community communities, it has been found that these patterns, ways of life, occupations, and commumtles are essentially able to agricultural land use, resulting in certain maintain their traditional, water-based characteristics which distinguish these community characteristics. It is therefore communities from their surrounding areas. interesting to learn how these traditional Consequently, these communities have water-based communities have been able been renowned as unique trading centres to maintain their survival. and water-based agricultural communities (gardening communities) since the In this research, Rapoport's (1977) and Ayudhya era (Srisakr, 1993:54). Garnham's (1985) concepts in examining the specific characteristics which help In studying the characteristics of establishing a community's identity were traditional water-based communities in applied in contemplating the Amphawa District, it was found that the transformations and the survival of a areas covered ten sub-districts (tambon), community. These include distinguished i.e., Amphawa, Bang Chang, Thakha, Suan geographical characteristics, prominent Luang, Bang Nang Li, Bang Khae, K wae activities and functions, and conveyance of Oam, Muang Mai, Wat Pra Du, and Plai symbols and meanings in a community. Pong Pang sub-districts (Fig. 1) (not Our research assumes that the levels of including two sub-districts, namely Yisam transformations in the major components and Praek Nam Dang, which are in the which collectively established the brackish zone and predominantly are areas community's identity and the living status for shrimp ponds and mangrove forests). or the survival abilities of a water-based Differentiated by their evolution and community are closely correlated with the transformation patterns, these water-based development or urbanization levels of that communities can be categorized into three community. groups, i.e., half-urban, half-garden water based communities, fruit-gardening water Traditional Water-based based communities, and coconut gardening water-based communities. One Communities in Amphawa water-based community in each of these District three groups was selected for further detailed study in this research, i.e., Khlong The areas of Amphawa District on the Amphawa water-based community, lower Mae Klong River delta are Khlong Bang Khae water-based geographically influenced by a network of community, and Thakha water-based about a hundred canals which are community (Fig. 2). widespread over the entire areas and many of which connect directly to the Gulf of Thailand. These canals, as well as Mae Klong River, are impacted by the flooding and ebbing of the tides, and, consequently, most areas in Amphawa District could be 91 Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 12:14:12AM via free access MANUSYA: Journal ofHumanities (Special Issue No.12 2006) Key Factors Influencing Transformation The results of this study indicated that the two most influential factors in the transformation of water-based communities were external, i.e. , 1) Road development was the major factor which caused the deterioration, and sometimes the disappearance of the key components of the water-based ! Tb~~fof 'I commumtles, particularly in the \ Thailand A transformations of the water network. Such N changes subsequently affected the people's Figure 1: Samut Songkhram Province and ways of life m the water-based the Study Area in Amphawa District communities as they lost opportunities in utilizing the water and the water network. It was found that the locations and the alignments of new roads had notably resulted in extensive transformations of water-based community settlement patterns (Fig. 3). If a road was built adjacent to and in parallel with a water based community, it usually caused the community to expand and shift its settlement from alongside the waterway to be along both sides of the new road at a faster rate than if the road was built otherwise. And if many roads were built to connect the waterfront with the main road, the community usually expanded and became more densely-populated. In addition, it was found that the rate of expansion of the new settlement and the f Khlong Amphawa: half-urban, half-garden traditional water-based community changes in the water-based community's 2 Khlong Bang Khae: fruit-gardening traditional settlement structure mostly varied with the water-based community urbanized characters of that community. Thakha: coconut-gardening traditional water 3 based community 2) Dam construction on the upper Mae Figure 2: Three Traditional Water-based Klong River basin drastically changed the Communities as Case Studies ecological balances in the river-basin areas and in the water-based communities in terms of quality, quantity, and flow of water. The changes were particularly severe during 1977 - 1980 when the tides 92 Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 12:14:12AM via free access MANUSYA: Journal ofHumanities (Special Issue No.J2 2006) were quite high and the fresh water being new community roads so that trading stored behind Sri Nakarin Dam could not activities could continue. The adjustments be released to push back the sea water. were also due partly to the migration of What resulted then was the flooding of people from the water-based communities saline water onto coconut-plantation areas to work in Mae Klong urban areas or which subsequently suffered massive elsewhere. damages. Also, the quality and quantity of water became so deteriorated that it could As a result of the road-network not be utilized in as many activities as development during 1965 - 1977, roads before. had assumed more significant roles as compared with rivers and canals. In addition, water-based commun1t1es Community growths, previously centred in could also be significantly changed in the areas of Amphawa and the estuaries of other aspects by a number of other external other main canals, had shifted to the areas factors, such as capitalism production where land transportation became much system, industrial and agricultural more convenient, i.e., to Mae Klong urban development, public utilities and facilities areas. development, advances in technologies and communications, etc., as well as some Within water-based communities in rural internal factors such as the easy of areas (agricultural communities), the