UNEP/GEF Project: Reversing Environmental Degradation Trends in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand Trat Province Mangrove Demonstration Site, Thailand Community Involvement, Public Awareness and Issues and Challenges A root cause for the past destruction of mangrove was Education for Mangrove Conservation and a lack of understanding and knowledge at the Restoration in Trat Province, Thailand community level regarding the functioning of mangrove ecosystems and the economic benefits provided by Project Summary mangroves. Consequently there is a need to improve Activities at the Trat Mangrove Demonstration Site are understanding and knowledge and to emphasis the implemented within the Thatapoa – Namcheio forest links between the conservation of mangrove forest and conservation area in Thailand’s Trat Province, which the livelihoods of local people. borders the upper Gulf of Thailand adjacent to the Pred Nai Mangrove Conservation and Development border between Thailand and Cambodia. The purpose Group of the project is to develop models of good practice in community based sustainable use of mangrove. Some 15 years ago, the Chief of Pred Nai village proposed to the Provincial Governor that the spread of The main activities at the site include: strengthening shrimp farming in mangrove areas be halted. In the and expansion of the community-based mangrove case of the Pred Nai community the desire to conserve management system; implementation of a replanting mangrove come from the need to protect their own land programme for mangrove restoration; development of a Fishing is a major source of income in the community for occupation and use of the animal resources for business plan for the sustainable financing of food. mangrove management in Trat; development of a The Thatapoa – Namcheio area is diverse with 33 true comprehensive mangrove management plan; and mangrove species and 36 associate mangroves The Pred Nai villagers formed a cooperative to protect awareness building and education at all levels of species. Eight villages are located in the conservation mangroves from outside investors who wanted to government and civil society. forest area while a total of 21 coastal villages in Trat extend shrimp farms in the area. Following the collapse Province depend upon mangrove resources for at least of the shrimp farms the community commenced part of their livelihood and income. The mangrove reforestation using local traditional knowledge. Around forest in Trat has been used for many years as a 1998, Pred Nai Mangrove Conservation and source of charcoal and tannin, extracted under Development group was established to manage and government concessions, which were terminated in conserve the Pred Nai mangrove forest under a 2001. The major cause of mangrove degradation in the community based mangrove management plan. 1970s and the early 1980s was clearance for the The actions of the community have become a model for construction of extensive shrimp culture ponds, which community-based forest management, and Pred Nai proved unsustainable in the long-term. Extensive village was selected as the lead village of eight target shrimp culture declined in the late 1990s and at present villages involved in the project such that it could mentor local villagers earn their living through coastal fishing, other villages and lead community education activities. and the collection and sale of mud crabs and grapsid crabs. Mangroves were progressively removed up to 1996 and substantial areas of abandoned shrimp farms require re-planting with mangrove. Despite the cessation of government concessions in Mangrove replanting in Trat Province 2001 and decreased investment in shrimp aquaculture, The project has also initiated establishment of a mangroves continue to be degraded. The main threats cooperative framework for resource management in the to mangroves at Trat include: illegal encroachment into transboundary waters of Thailand and Cambodia. The mangrove forest areas for human settlement and Department of Marine and Coastal Resources of the expansion of some intensive shrimp ponds; over-fishing Royal Thai Government’s Ministry of Natural and the use of illegal fish gear in and adjacent to Resources and Environment is responsible for the mangroves; and erosion of the mangrove forest fringe execution of the project. caused by intensive operation of fishing boats in near shore areas. Replanted mangrove, Trat Province UNEP/GEF Project: Reversing Environmental Degradation Trends in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand Trat Province Mangrove Demonstration Site, Thailand Other community based activities implemented by the In order to facilitate the re-planting programme in the Rationale for the Approach group include establishment of a crab bank, Province the Department of Marine and Coastal construction of near shore reefs as nursery areas for Resources provided education in mangrove The approach, built on traditional and local knowledge juvenile fish, and construction of bamboo pole fences to rehabilitation and published a manual of re-planting of mangrove conservation and rehabilitation, combined protect sensitive areas from intensive fishing. In techniques and an evaluation of previous experiences with more scientifically based sylviculture, has addition this group has purchased mud crabs in the in mangrove restoration in Thailand that identifies strengthened awareness of the need for and local markets for release in mangrove plantations to appropriate techniques for use in Trat Province. approaches to mangrove conservation. Activities enhance production and although hard scientific data involving school children have enhanced their were not available to substantiate the benefits of this Public awareness was enhanced through the knowledge and directly involved them in community practice, local peoples’ experience suggests that this widespread distribution of five issues of a quarterly activities thus increasing the potential for sustainability enhances subsequent crab catches. project newsletter for stakeholders and improvement of of mangrove conservation in Trat Province. Replanting the existing Mangrove Learning Centre, and further activities have increased mangrove coverage and Management Plan Development and Conservation development of the boardwalk through the mangrove species diversity and have served as a starting point for areas. the development of cooperative management in the Initial steps in the development a mangrove transboundary waters with Cambodia. management plan for the Thatapoa – Namcheio forest conservation area included collection of information Potential for Replication and data at the village level. Limited existing capacity in villages for the conduct of resource and socio- The practices established through the work of the Pred economic surveys was overcome through training Nai Village and the Trat Mangrove Demonstration Site members of the Pred Nai Mangrove Conservation and will continue to be supported by the Thai Government. Development Group in the areas of survey design and Implementation of the Comprehensive Management execution, data and information management, and Plan for Trat Mangroves developed under the project management plan development. These trainees were will be supported by the Sub-district Administration, subsequently responsible for guiding other villages whilst education in mangrove management will through the process of plan development during continue, through the work of the Department of Marine community meetings and training exercises. The result and Coastal Resources and Thailand Environment of this highly participatory process using local leaders Institute (TEI). from the Pred Nai village resulted in the involvement of The strengthened community participation at the Trat 17 villages in plan development compared to the 8 Mangrove Demonstration Site represents a successful initially envisaged. Villagers from Pred Nai were trained Boardwalk in the Thatapoa–Namcheio conservation area experience in management by local people that the in the conduct of forest patrols and transferred Thailand Department of Marine and Coastal Resource knowledge and skills learned to leaders from other Co-operation between Thailand and Cambodia will use as a model for other mangrove areas that wish villages. The villagers from Pred Nai also led the In order to establish a cooperative framework for to develop community-based mangrove forest establishment of a community-based patrols network. resource management in the transboundary water area management. Awareness Building and Community Education between Thailand and Cambodia, experience and Contact Details Activities in Trat knowledge regarding the threats to sustainability of the mangroves were reviewed during an initial joint Department of Marine and Coastal Resources Activities focused on building an understanding of the technical workshop between Trat Province (Thailand) 92 Soi Phaholyothin 7 Paholyothin Road, functions and values of mangrove ecosystems and and Koh Kong (Cambodia). This workshop also Phayathi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand education activities have been implemented at both the E-mail: [email protected]; provided an opportunity to share knowledge and [email protected] government and community levels. Three youth camps experiences in the technical aspects of mangrove involving groups of 100 school children and teachers rehabilitation including mangrove propagule production, were organised and led by officers from the mangrove nursery and planting techniques. A second joint resources research and development station and workshop discussed and agreed a framework for community leaders. Activities during these camps assessment and monitoring of mangrove forests and focused on mangrove rehabilitation, resource fisheries resources. assessment and monitoring. .