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In Celebration of His Majesty the King of Thailand’s 84th Birthday Anniversary

preservation and realization of the importance of the environment to the community and society in a sustainable manner. The ESDC is managed by WWF Thailand. The ESDC develops facilities and areas for environmental education and sustainable utilization; services the nature education curriculum according to the environmental education process; raises awareness and builds an understanding of the environmental and natural resources for sustainable development; promotes the conservation of biodiversity and natural resources; and advocates conservation and rehabilitation activities to all target groups at both the national and international levels. The ESDC is located at an ecotone between flat plain and coast, and three different forest types meet here: deciduous, mangrove, and beach. Most of the area is composed of mangrove forests. Trees that grow here include Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata, Bruguiera, Avicennia marina, Xylocarpus, Excoecaria agallocha, Thepesia populnea, Barringtonia asiatica, Acrostichum aureum, Pluchea indica and Suaeda maritima. The ecotone serves as a nursery for aquatic animals and a significant habitat for many benthic animals such as marsh crab, rock oyster and snapping shrimp. It also provides a boundary between resident and visiting birds such as the Malaysian Plover, the White Throat Kingfisher, the Common Hoopoe and Kites. Through the process of environmental education and immersion to this ecological community, people experience different ecosystems and the biodiversity of natural resources. Thailand’s Coastal Profi le Thailand has a coastal line measuring 3,148.23 kilometers and covering 23 provinces. The inner gulf of Thailand has 2,055.18 kilometers covering 17 provinces. The Andaman Sea has 1,093.14 kilometers covering six provinces. The coastal line of 220 kilometers in the upper part of inner gulf of Thailand cover six provinces: Bangkok, Chachoengsao, Samut Prakarn, Samut Sakorn, Samut Songkram and Phetchaburi. It has a rich national heritage which provides enormous benefits to its people. However, coastal wetlands are now under threat. Marine and coastal resources utilization is a main problem and has Figure 3. The map area of coastal line in Thailand. direct impact on estuarine productivity. The problems faced in the upper part of the inner gulf of Thailand are illegal fishing gear, coastal erosion, and ownership of sediment land which have a significant impact on marine and coastal resources degradation. Empowering the Fishermen The Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development, Sirindhorn International Environmental Park, assisted in establishing the conservation group of local fishermen in Cha-am Sub-district in May 2011. Dubbed Coastal Fishery and Marine Resources Conservation Group of Phetchaburi Province, the group is composed of 44 local fishermen. The main objectives of the group are to solve the marine and coastal resource management problems found in Figure 4. The structure of the Conservation of Fishery and Coastal Resources in Phetchaburi Province Group. ENCOURAGING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BUSINESS AND COMMUNITIES FOR BIODIVERSITY 33


In Celebration of His Majesty the King of Thailand’s 84th Birthday Anniversary
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