MAP-Thailand hosts field study trip from Gudandong Ocean University, China
Project (MAP) Thailand had the opportunity to host a week-long study tour on
coastal management for four professors from the Agricultural College at
Gudandong Ocean University, Zhanjiang City, Guandong Province, China. We were also very pleased to be joined by Leo
Thom, MAP’s Creative Director who is based in the UK. The focus of the trip was on MAP’s Community
Based Ecological Restoration (CBEMR) sites on the Andaman coast of southern
Thailand an area which was hit by Indian Ocean Tsunami of 26 December 2014.
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Team visiting the Klong Lu Homestay & mangrove trail, Krabi |
expertise is on mangrove and coastal natural resources. I learned that the former MAP Executive Director,
Alfredo Quarto and MAP’s Asia Coordinator, Jim Enright, have had a long-standing
relationship with Dr Han. In 2003, Dr.
Han hosted an exclusive mangrove trip for Jim and Alfredo in the coast of the
Leizhou Peninsula
in south eastern China, where they learnt a great deal on the value and destruction
of mangroves in Leizhou area. Alfredo wrote an article based on this trip which
can be viewed at this link: http://wrm.org.uy/articles-from-the-wrm-bulletin/section1/china-ramsar-mangroves-lost-to-shrimp-farming/
Mangrove Restoration
(CBEMR) sites such as Bang Khang Khao in Trang province, Klong Lu, Koh
Klang and Nai Nang site as well as the Nai Nang Apiculture group in Krabi
province. In Ranong we visited MAP’s
first CBEMR site established in 2009 in Ban Talay Nok.
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| Meeting with the Nai Nang Apiculture Group |
Estuary Ramsar Site and the Ranong Biosphere Reserve where we met with MAP
staff, communities, partner NGOs and researchers to exchange information and
knowledge. At the Ngao Mangrove Research Center within the Ranong Biosphere
Reserve near the Myanmar border we were all given a warm welcome from Dr.
Wijarn Meephol, a mangrove expert and the Director of the Center. On arrival everyone
was then invited by Dr Wijarn to a viewing platform with incredible panoramic
views of the mangrove forest which was followed by a brief presentation about
the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve designated in 1997, the Center and mangrove
research carried out there.
visit the primary old growth mangrove site where there are more than 200 Rhizophora
apiculate which are approximately 200 years old. Our guests enjoyed the
primary mangrove site where there has been no impact from the charcoal
concession period (1961-1986) and remains the only undisturbed primary mangrove
site left in the country. During the boat trip it was especially exciting to
see stop along the way and see a new mangrove species found in Thailand, Bruguiera hainesii, which is category C1 critically
endangered under the IUCN
Red List of Threatened Species.
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| Visiting the primary mangrove forest in Ranong |
On the whole, the field study
trip was a great opportunity for MAP to visit community leaders from a number
of our CBEMR sites and to disseminate the CBEMR methodology to the Chinese professors
who all got to experience mangroves in Thailand for the first time! I was especially impressed with all the
warmth shared by all the professors and our MAP team throughout the trip. Dr. Jinjun Chen shared at the brief
evaluation meeting that he was amazed about the collaboration among the
stakeholders to manage coastal resources as well as Dr. Weidong Han and
Professor Yuanman Zhou were happy about our well design program and logistic
arrangements. It was a particularly good
trip also for all the group’s durian lovers who luckily got to sample the local
fruits with frequents stops along the roads.