Mangrove dependency and the livelihoods of coastal communities in Thailand

From 1961 to 1996, Thailand lost 50-60% of its mangrove forests, mainly because of conversion to shrimp aquaculture. The speed and scale of deforestation have affected many coastal communities. This chapter highlights the importance of mangroves to four case study villages. Households depend directly on mangrove forests for fish and wood collection and/or benefit indirectly from the mangroves' support to coastal fisheries. Mangrove loss therefore affects the decision of households to look for outside employment. In response to deforestation, female household members allocate more hours to employment relative to mangrove-dependent activities, whereas males allocate fewer hours to outside work. Awareness of community conservation efforts and of the environmental damage imposed by shrimp farms also motivates households to participate in replanting activities. Efforts to control mangrove deforestation and promote community-based management of remaining mangrove forests, as well as replanting, would help to mitigate some of the worst impacts on coastal villages. By developing institutions to support local community management, the government of Thailand could help avoid excessive mangrove deforestation and conflicts over uses. Such a framework could also provide important lessons in coastal resource management for other countries in South-east Asia and elsewhere.