1. Mangroves Management
in Thailand
1st Regional Shared-Learning Workshop:
Mangrove Conservation as a part of Coastal Management in Southeast Asia
Surabaya, Indonesia
November 4-10, 2012
Prepared by:
RECOFTC-Thailand, DMCR and Community leader

2. Outline:
• Overview of Mangroves in Thailand
– Location of Thailand
– Distribution of Mangroves in Thailand
– Mangroves flora in Thailand
– Situation of Mangroves in Thailand
– Conclusion and the way forward
• Mangroves Management
Practice in Thailand; a case study of Pred Nai
community, Trat Province

3. Overview of Mangroves in Thailand

4. Location of Thailand:
• Thailand, centrally
located in the
Indochina Peninsula
• The total area of
Thailand is 513,115
Sq.km.
• 77 provinces

5. Distribution of Mangroves in Thailand:
•Thai coast = 2,670 km. (Gulf of Thailand
=1,870 km, Andaman Sea = 800 km)
•Mangroves covers 24 provinces along
the coast
•More mangroves in South: Andaman
Region
Mangroves
Area* (Sq.km.)
Central 258.48
East 121.09
South (Gulf of Thailand) 292.69
South (Andaman) 1767.83
Total 2440.10
* DMCR, 2009
Mangroves Area
Gulf of Thailand
Andaman Sea

6. • Recorded 168 species of 118 genus, 54 fam. (tree
and shrub 102 species of 69 genus, 37 fam.)
• Only 41 species of 22 genus, 14 fam. are true
mangroves species. (tree and shrub 36 species of
19 genus,12 fam.)
• The dominant true mangroves species;
– 10 species of Fam. Rhizophoraceae; Rhizophora,
Bruguiera, Ceripos, Kandelia
– 6 species of Fam. Acanthaceae
– 4 species of Fam. Lythraceae
Mangroves flora in Thailand:

7. Situation of Mangroves in Thailand:(1)
Year
Mangroves Area
(Sq.km.)
1961 3679
1975 3127
1979 2873
1986 1964
1991 1736
1993 1687
1996 1676
1998 1676
2000 2452
2004 2658
2009 2440
3,679
3,127
2,873
1,964
1,736 1,687 1,676 1,676
2,452
2,658
2,440
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
1961
1975
1979
1986
1991
1993
1996
1998
2000
2004
2009
Mangrovesarea(Sq.km.)
Mangroves Area of Thailand (1961-2009)

8. Situation of Mangroves in Thailand:(2)
• Mangroves area: decreased about 1239 Sq.km. (from
1961-2009)
• Caused by human activities as
– 1961- 1979: logging concession for charcoal and timbers,
mining, port and dam
– Since 1986: encroachment for aquaculture especially shrimp
farm, expanding of settlement and industry.

9. Situation of Mangroves in Thailand:(3)
• Mangroves area: increased about 764 Sq.km. (from
1996-2009) by policy on mangroves restoration, Community-
based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM)

10. Situation:(4)
􀂇 Changed of mangroves areas to shrimp farm,
oil palm plantation, settlement
􀂇 Sludge discharged from shrimp farm and
waste & solid water discharged from
communities and industries
􀂇 Tourism development in mangroves area

11. Situation:(5)
􀂇 Authority and responsibility for mangroves
management in the past has rested with the
government and limited public and local
participation between mangrove management
agencies (DMCR, DOF, LDD, RFD, DEQP, PCD)
􀂇 Lack of systematic and coordinated monitoring,
dissemination of information and publicity
material are limited and do not reach its target

12. Conclusion and the way forward:
• Mangroves of Thailand have been heavily
exploited for shrimp farming since 1975.
• Various management programs have been done
to conserve and maintenance mangroves.
• To manage & conserve mangroves,
– People participation is needed
– People capacity building should be conducted
– Need the co-operation between mangroves
management agencies
– Monitoring programs should be set in systematic way
– Information distribution is also needed

13. Mangroves Management
Practice in Thailand
: A case study of Pred Nai Community, Trat Province

14. Location and Area:
Total area; 25.77 Sq.km.
-Settlement and Agri. 3 Sq.km.
- Aquaculture 5.8 Sq.km.
- Mangroves 17 Sq.km.

15. General information:
Occupation:
Major: Rubber tree
plantation and Fruits
orchard
Minor: Folk fisheries
Population: 632 in 164 Households

16. Development of Pred Nai Mangroves
Management: (1)
• Mangroves destruction period (1983-1987):
– logging concession for charcoal industry,
expanding of shrimp pond.
– villagers joined forces to fight against it.

17. Development of Pred Nai Mangroves
Management:(2)
• Mangroves restoration period (1987-2000):
– tree planting activities
– formed conservation and development group
– created rubber cubes for habitat for fish and
protect coastal erosion

18. Development of Pred Nai Mangroves
Management:(3)
• Networking, expansion, research and
development period (2000 onwards):
– Supported from many agencies on academic
information, studies and research, fund and
training
– Created cooperation network at provincial level
– Lessons from protection and restoration became
widely known

19. Pred Nai Mangroves Management
Plan:(1)
• Restoration / Preservation / Prevention /
Utilization Plan:
– Create agreement on grapsiod crab collecting
through a slogan, “Stop Catching Hundred to
Catch Million”
– Reforestation activity adjusted to have those who
come for study visit do planting
– Crab Bank of which female crabs are kept in cages
for reproduction

20. Pred Nai Mangroves Management
Plan:(2)
• Research and Studies Plan:
– Create rubber cube for mitigation of coastal
erosion
• Organization and Network Management Plan:
– Rules and regulations review
– Six Sub-District Network meetings
• Public Relations Plan:
– support and build capacity of young people

21. Pred Nai Mangroves Management
Plan:(3)
• Mangroves Management Fund Plan:
– A tool to take care of the mangrove
• Monitoring and Evaluation Plan:
– Emphasis is placed on participation of marine
products collectors in forest protection and
providing information.

22. Key Finding:
• Self-Ecosystem Monitoring: learning process for
mangrove monitoring through Grapsoil crab
• Crab Bank and Grabsoil crab harvesters group:
social space for the poor user group to
participate in mangrove management
• A channel for increasing equity of the poor to
improve local livelihood both economic and
politic
• CBNRM: A means to strengthen community
institutions for their sustainable development
(organization, institutional and network.

23. Conclusion:(1)
• Participatory process in nature resource
management is appropriate and effectively
integrate marginalized groups in natural
resource management
• RECOFTC has a role as facilitator and be
sensitive in diversity in community
• The process of participation is channel for
opening a social space for the poor to position
themselves

24. Conclusion:(2)
• Mangrove Forest Conservation Group and the
Saving Group have provided opportunities for
marginalized to increasing their equity through
participatory natural resource management for
their better livelihoods.
• Mangrove Forest Conservation Group is in the
self-mobilization, while in the group still has
some differential stage of participation (incentive,
functional, interactive).
• Activities also have built up a network of villages
who use the mangroves area.

25. Conclusion:(3)
• Diverse of actors both internal and external in
Pred Nai
• The local efforts will hopefully be sustained as
long as there are economic, environmental and
cultural incentives
• How practitioners can use the successful case of
Pred Nai to create a framework of participatory
community based natural resource management
to create equitable access rights to natural
resources for the poor.

26. Future Challenges:
• Participation of the poor: Challenges of increase
their equity for better livelihoods
– Who are poor?
– Heterogeneous and differential in community?
– How participatory process effective? Facilitator
learning process
– What type of Pred Nai in typology of participation?
• Integrating and mainstreaming second generation
into ongoing conservation

27. Thank you very much…