Ban Pret Nai Community, Huang Nam Khao Sub-district, Meuang District, Trat Province

22/10/2024

4 Water-related Management (Sea-Fresh-Brackish-Waste)

Good Practices

• The mangrove forests of Ban Pret Nai, the Natural Heritage of Eastern Seacoast
• Community-based development to overcome 4 water-related problems,
  Sea-Fresh-Brackish-Waste
• Trustworthy Savings and Integrated Farming System Approach for Sustainable
  Expansion

The Challenge

Ban Pret Nai, a medium-sized community located in Huang Nam Khao Sub-district, Mueang District, Trat Province, consists of five villages: Ban Laem Po, Ban Pret Nai, Ban Klong Lord – Ao Kood, Ban Huang Nam Khao, and Ban Gun Na. As of 2019, the community had 3,256 people in 1,160 households. The livelihoods of the residents primarily depend on rice, fruit, and rubber cultivation, supplemented by harvesting resources such as crabs from the nearby mangroves. However, during the 1980s, the mangrove forest was heavily impacted by the shrimp industry, resulting in the degradation of over 8 square kilometers of forest. This degradation severely disrupted the local ecosystem, leading to water shortages and negatively affecting the local economy. The community eventually accumulated household debt exceeding 30 million baht.

The Approach

In 2009, the Ban Pret Nai community formed the Ban Pret Nai Water Resource Management Committee to address issues related to sea, fresh, brackish, and waste water. Later, the Hydro-Informatics Institute (HII) introduced His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great’s initiative on Community Water Resource Management (CWRM) to the community. In line with this, the community adopted the Sufficiency Economy Principles to improve their livelihoods by cultivating a variety of vegetable crops for household consumption, sharing any surplus with neighbors, and selling the rest to generate income. This approach helped reduce household debts and expenses while simultaneously increasing income. A collaborative network also expanded to include neighboring communities.

Science and technology were applied to create water maps and analyze development plans for water reservoirs, weirs, and monkey cheek systems. Land use planning was also a key focus of the collaboration, which led to the establishment of the Ban Pret Nai Mangrove Conservation and Development Group. The group restored abandoned shrimp farms and public areas, transforming them into freshwater resources for both consumption and agriculture.

Additionally, the community adapted the concept of weirs to block and detain fresh water, preventing saltwater intrusion into agricultural areas and freshwater sources, further enhancing their resilience and sustainability.

The Impacts

As the mangrove forests faced rapid destruction, the Ban Pret Nai community reached a mutual agreement to close off access to the mangrove areas and launched a campaign to promote awareness about “The Importance of Mangrove Forests.” The campaign focused on reforestation, ecological restoration, and breeding of aquatic animals. In addition, the community established the “Ban Pret Nai Trustworthy Savings Group” to help manage household debt.

To address sea water intrusion into farmlands and farm ponds, the Ban Pret Nai Water Resource Management Committee was created. Through their efforts, they were able to secure more than 1,776,505 cubic meters of freshwater, ensuring water security for both consumption and agricultural use in the community.

Success Factors

Community-empowered adaptation for self-reliance in mangrove forest conservation and restoration has brought back the abundance of the mangrove ecosystem. The community mutually agreed on implementing solutions for water scarcity and addressing sea water intrusion into farmlands and farm ponds. Consequently, water security for both consumption and agriculture has been ensured since then. Furthermore, the adoption of the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy has transformed their way of living, reduced household debt, and secured economic stability.

Good Practices

1. The Mangrove Forest of Ban Pret Nai, the Natural Heritage of the Eastern Seacoast
   Since 1998, the Ban Pret Nai Mangrove Conservation and Development Group has taken significant action to restore and conserve the 19.2 square kilometers of mangrove forests. Ban Pret Nai is recognized as having the second most abundant mangrove forest in Thailand.

• Ban Pret Nai Mangrove Conservation and Development Group
  • The group consists of six smaller groups, each comprising 20 households. The mangrove forest is patrolled across five zones to prevent illegal logging, charcoal production, and ecosystem destruction. As a result, a community mangrove forest management plan was established. The group adheres to rules and regulations regarding the use of natural resources, and this concept has been expanded to nearby communities to promote sustainable mangrove forest management and reduce coastal environmental issues.
• Community Research on Mangrove Forests
  • Research was conducted to address cognitive conflicts, foster conscious learning processes, and analyze problems. The findings were published as innovative community knowledge, including local wisdom on building artificial reefs using old car tires to prevent shoreline erosion and protect the mangrove forest.
• The Mangrove Forest Management Plan
  • The Mangrove Forest Management Plan was developed through a brainstorming session involving villagers, stakeholders, and the committee’s leadership, using a bottom-up approach with full local participation. Following the rehabilitation of the mangrove forests, the richness and abundance of ecosystems and marine life returned. Rules, regulations, and penalties were established for those who violated the guidelines for using forest and non-timber products such as timber, fuelwood, artisanal fishery, and aquatic animals.
• Marine Animals Conservation Project
  • The community implemented the policy of “Stop catching a hundred, wait for a million.” This involved refraining from catching crabs during reproduction periods, specifically on the 4th, 5th, and 6th days of the waxing moon, and the 4th, 5th, and 6th days of the waning moon every October, following the lunar calendar.
• Coastal Erosion Protection
  • Pret Nai villagers have worked to reduce coastal degradation by using blocks of old car tires, locally known as “Tao-Yang,” along an eight-kilometer stretch of the conservation zone to protect the coast from destructive clam dredging and coastal erosion. Additionally, Tao-Yang was installed as artificial fish habitats to increase fish populations near the shore.
• Community Coastal Resource Management Network
  • The Ban Pret Nai community extended its network to other local villages by exchanging knowledge and sharing experiences among various groups, including the community, local government agencies, and public sector organizations. Local education has benefited from this practice through collaborations between schools and village elders to transfer knowledge and local wisdom on mangrove ecology and coastal resources to the youth. This was facilitated through environmental youth camps, where the community mangrove forest was used as a “Learning Room.” This initiative has helped raise awareness of traditional livelihood activities and lifestyles for the younger generation. Moreover, the youth have learned to apply science and technology in collecting survey data and understanding the work of community leaders for natural resource conservation, while carrying on a simple way of living.

2. Community-based Development to Overcome Four Water-related Problems: Sea, Fresh, Brackish, and Waste Water
Ban Pret Nai community faces an extended rainy season of eight months each year, with an average annual rainfall of 2,882 millimeters. Despite this, freshwater scarcity has been a significant issue, directly impacting the agricultural sector due to the lack of systematic water resource management and freshwater storage for the dry season.

The community collaborated to reserve more freshwater for 30-45 days during the dry season and retain rainwater for eight months using four key management practices:

• Freshwater Trapping
  The community increased freshwater retention by creating more monkey cheeks to collect rain and excess floodwater. They converted 1.17 square kilometers of abandoned shrimp ponds, retaining up to 1,776,505 cubic meters of freshwater. Additionally, they transformed 0.019 square kilometers of agricultural areas, with 9.7 kilometers of garden furrows to improve drainage efficiency and store 29,330 cubic meters of freshwater.
• Brackish Water Balancing
  The community created a buffer zone between fresh and seawater to balance the mangrove forest ecosystem. This area acts as a soft break, serving as a nursery for baby marine animals and sustaining the rich natural resources at the convergence of fresh and seawater.
• Wastewater Management
  In the past, wastewater from mangrove forest degradation due to shrimp farming was a major issue. The destruction of natural filtration systems led to rapid wastewater accumulation. In response, the villagers took action to restore the mangrove forests, established regulations for natural shrimp farming, and prohibited the discharge of polluted sludge from shrimp farms.
• Seawater Pushing
  The community implemented the freshwater pushing seawater approach by constructing check dams and water gates to collect freshwater and carefully manage water levels where freshwater meets seawater.
  • Built 49 sandbag check dams in public ditches and garden furrows, benefiting 458 households and 6.47 square kilometers of agricultural areas.
  • Installed 27 water gates in public ditches to prevent saltwater intrusion, benefiting 392 households and 4.87 square kilometers of agricultural land.
  • Built 24 reinforced concrete weirs to increase freshwater storage efficiency at the convergence of fresh and seawater, benefiting 401 households and 1.48 square kilometers of agricultural areas.

3. Trustworthy Savings and Integrated Agriculture Approach for Sustainable Expansion

• Trustworthy Savings Group
  • The villagers are encouraged to explore additional livelihood activities based on the resources from mangrove forests. The Trustworthy Savings Group was established with the support of a local Buddhist monk, Pra Ajarn Subin Panito from Pai Lom Temple, to manage life welfare services. This group provides low-interest loans for education and healthcare, with the interest earnings remaining within the community. The fund has facilitated the development of small-scale enterprises, including a marketing system for local products. Other organizations, such as women’s and youth groups, have also been formed. This system has successfully reduced community debt from 30 million baht to 10 million baht, with monthly savings of 60,000 baht. The model has since been replicated in neighboring communities.

• Happiness Bank from Integrated Farming Approach
  • The community adopted New Theory Agriculture, applying intensive land consolidation to maximize the use of agricultural land. This includes crop planning, a crop calendar, and water reserve systems. Villagers grow a variety of vegetable crops for household consumption, sharing the surplus with neighbors and selling the remaining produce. This approach has reduced annual household expenditures by 24,000 baht and increased annual income by 36,000 baht per household. Currently, 118 households are practicing this method, covering 0.25 square kilometers of agricultural land and retaining an average of 377,727 cubic meters of water.

Replication
By the end of 2020, Ban Pret Nai community successfully expanded their practices from 1,047 people in one village to 3,256 people across five villages. The agricultural area benefiting from this concept increased from 28.8 square kilometers to 44.86 square kilometers.