(Chonburi, Thailand) Halfway through its two-year implementation, the first project of the UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme and PEMSEA Partnership in Thailand is reaping the benefits within the framework of integrated coastal management (ICM).

Initiated in July 2007, the SGP-PEMSEA project involves developing the capacity of communities to implement activities related to protection and sustainable use of marine resources, coastal habitat rehabilitation, and waste management and pollution reduction. The project is implemented by community organizations at seven different locations in Chonburi Province, with the guidance of the local governments, government agencies and academic institutions.

In the municipalities of Sriracha, Laem Chabang and Bangphra, a project to rehabilitate the declining crab population through a "crab condominium" has been implemented. The crab condominium is an artificial shelter for spawning crabs until the eggs are released. The crab condo project, which has increased the crab catch along the coasts by at least two-fold, relies on the active participation of fisherfolk and community members. These stakeholders turn over spawning crabs caught in the wild to the concerned caretakers for protection and nurturing in the crab condos, which now contain around 2,000 crabs.

In the municipalities of Chonburi, Angsila and Saensuk, a series of community mangrove reforestation activities has resulted in thriving mangrove areas that serve as habitats to marine life, coastline protection, and learning areas for local schools. In Sattahip Municipality, demonstration areas for community-based waste management activities involving recycling and organic composting, which aim to reduce the burden on local landfill sites, have been set up in three communities with the participation of individual households.

The project has placed emphasis on the need to strengthen capacity among the beneficiary communities to address their own concerns, as well as the need for the participation of different sectors to create a strong community of implementers that is conscious of the development initiatives being pursued under the project.

Developed within the framework of the Chonburi ICM Program and the Chonburi Coastal Strategy, the SGP-PEMSEA project has received steady support from different sectors, including the local governments, government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, business sectors, academic institutions and various social groups within the ICM network. It has also provided opportunities for developing partnerships among the neighboring municipalities and various stakeholders.

The project sites are currently serving as learning centers for visitors from other local areas intending to replicate the innovative approaches and good practices.

About PEMSEA

PEMSEA was first established in 1993 as the Regional Programme on the Prevention and Management of Marine Pollution in the East Asian Seas. In 1999, it entered its second phase as the Regional Programme on Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia. PEMSEA was transformed from a project-based initiative into a regional coordinating mechanism for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) in December 2006. The objective of the regional mechanism is to facilitate the implementation of the SDS-SEA through the mobilization of the necessary partnership arrangements, intellectual capital, support services and resources. Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and executed by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) its Country Partners include: Cambodia, China, DPR Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Philippines, RO Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

About Chonburi Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) Site

Chonburi Province is the center for coastal tourism and economic development in the eastern region of Thailand. However, rapid and unregulated coastal development and urbanization in the past 20 years have posed threats to its ecological resources, cultural and traditional heritage, social security, economic growth and overall quality of life. Recognizing the need to address such threats, the Provincial Government of Chonburi, in collaboration with PEMSEA, established a demonstration project for ICM implementation in August 2001. Starting with five participating municipalities covering 18 percent of the provincial coastline, the ICM program now covers the entire 157-km provincial coastline, with a view to encouraging the participation of non-coastal municipalities as well.