Community Capacity Building for Coastal and Mangrove Conservation of Tambon Khlong Pasong

Objectives

1) To build capacity of community on coastal resources management
2) To demonstrate management activities through participatory process
3) To instill awareness on conservation and sustainable use of coastal resources and mangrove

Background

Environmental Conservation Group of Koh Klang Village: Registered as a CBO on 28 September 2001, as a recommendation from the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives in Krabi Province, aiming to reduce conflict amongst community members who had regularly struggled and fought to provide services for tourists. With subsequent financial supports from several national and international organizations, the group has experienced in community waste management, documentation of wetland conservation and mangrove protection manual.

Target beneficiaries

All 100 households who earn their living through fishery and depend upon provisions of mangrove for livelihood activities. The per capita income is THB 48,000.

Outputs

Expected Outputs

Accomplishments and challenges

1) The project referred to community participation, dealing with direct community problems and supports from government agencies/local administrative organization as main factors for accomplishment. Transparency was the thing that should be a mantra (every project member should have a clear answer).
2) Lack of clear know-how on planting Lamphoo and Pipi seedlings

Contributions to cross-cutting themes

Gender equality

The elder and women group participating in activities on mangrove reforestation, capacity building and knowledge and experience sharing with young people made a more harmonized picture in social interaction.

Lessons Learned

1) Women, elderly persons, and youth were able to play a leading role in implementing the project, as they seemed to have more free time. These 3 groups should be encouraged to participate in any community activities, to ensure smooth and effective implementation.
2) In reforestation of mangrove, careful consideration should be given to selection of suitable species if high rate of survival was to be achieved.
3) Growing cork tree through nurseries process, i.e. putting them into plastic bags, was not recommended, as the rate of survival was very low.
4) Reforestation of deserted shrimp farms provided both direct and indirect benefits to the group. Directly, mangrove area was increased where community member would use for black crabs raising to generate additional income. Indirectly, the activities demonstrated possibility of reclaiming degraded mangrove area, thus encourage replication. As the matter of fact, the rehabilitated shrimp farms of the groups had become learning places for both targeted communities and external communities.