Group C - Collaborative Climate Adaption Project

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Area	Coastal
Country	Thailand
Topic	Mangrove Remediation in Coastal Asia
Author(s)	Christopher Boone, Helena van Boxelaere

Rationale: Reasons for Mangrove Reforestation in Coastal South East Asia

The world is full of myriad ecosystems, each with different variables of location, biodiversity, climate patterns, nutrient systems, geography, etc. And as the study of the effects of Climate Change continues to expand and deepen, we begin to learn that there is no single, conveniently scalable solution to this issue. In actuality, almost every effected ecosystem is going to require a specific case study to map out the sources of its strain, and to diagnose a site specific solution. This is at the heart of the riddle of Climate Change; it is the diversity of effects on global ecosystems that makes gives this issue its complexity.

The case for studying coastal cities in Southeast Asia has a lot to do with what Climate Change scientists have already learned through their study. The phenomenon of increases in global atmospheric temperatures has a great number of effects around the world, but possibly one of the more immediately dire is the noted decrease in glacial ice due to melting. Scientists have noted an accelerating rate of polar ice cap recession, and while there were some projections made in years past, continued examination has led researches to question if polar ice melting is not actually occurring even faster than originally thought. The connection between melting polar ice and Climate Change in tropical Asia is the rise of global sea levels; all that melting ice is raising the global water level, and this poses to have massive effects on coastal cites around the world. [1]

Recently, guest speaker Asan Suwanarit from Thammasat University in Thailand gave a presentation about the devastating potential effects of storm surges and consequent flooding in the specific case of Bangkok, an example of a major coastal city in S.E. Asia. His report provided an eye-opening perspective on the extent of damage that the effects of Climate Change can have on this set of human settlements, ranging from financial losses and the costs of redevelopment, damage to city infrastructure and the related public health risks, loss of home and the creation of a refugee group, etc. Essentially, he demonstrated that coastal cities stand to receive a lion's share of damage due to the effects of Climate Change.

Further research into the case of storm damage and flooding in coastal Asian cities has shown that another piece of the puzzle may be the existence of a plant species called Mangrove. [2] It turns out that naturally, this twisted, stunted tree species normally provides a great many services to coastal ecosystems, by providing a nursery for young aquatic species, by sinking a great deal of atmospheric Carbon through its growth, and by its function as a coastal buffer against storm surges. [3] Mangroves naturally grow in thick belts along tropical Asian coastlines; they thrive in shallow saline water environments, and historically provided a kind of shield along most Asian coasts. However, human activity such as aquaculture, shrimp farming and the development of coastal cities has led to the destruction of many Mangrove populations, and this is certainly linked to the devastation of storm water surges, flooding, and the phenomenon of rising ocean water levels.

Fortunately, attention to the possible solution of Mangrove reforestation has led to a number of ongoing projects of this type in India, Indonesia, and Thailand, among other places. This has created a good amount of publicity and has led to several thorough reports detailing the effectiveness of these projects. One such document, produced by Oxfam, can be read here. [4] It shows that Mangrove remediation serves as a realistic tool in combating the effects of Climate Change in this region.

The combination of good documentation of the effectiveness of mangrove reforestation in S.E. Asia, as well as the specific vulnerability of coastal Asian cities due to rising ocean levels, led to the decision to focus on this region as a case study.

Authors' perspectives

My professional perspective for the case study of mangrove remediation in coastal S.E.Asia is largely as an academic researcher, but also as a first hand witness. Having spent several months in travel and on-site research in the region, I have a great deal of interest and empathy for the plight of this region, due to its specific vulnerability to disastrous Climate Change effects. I saw a great amount of foreign investment into the commercial realm of the area, much of which was concentrated along coastlines for the obvious tourism market, and as a result there should be a synonymous investment into infrastructure and defense. Mangrove reforestation is one such example that is simultaneously low-cost, natural and local. Also, in attendance of the COP 15, I heard representatives from several Asian nations site the threat of rising ocean levels as grounds for special attention to be given to their nations, as this phenomenon is going to make a strong effect, and soon. While we should certainly try to take simultaneous action all over the world, if there is a finite amount of funds or support from international protection organisations then perhaps the case could be made to priorities based on time and urgency.

Landscape and/or urban context

The landscape and urban context of coastal Thailand varies depending on region, but there has historically always been a strong affinity in the Thai culture for coastal residence. And while rising oceanic levels and subsequent intensifying storm surges can have potentially devastating impact to human life and built structure, it depends on the site impacted. It is a phenomenon of human empathy and emotion that we view natural destruction as negative or unnatural when it impacts the human species, but not the natural wild. Yes, there is also the fact that storms may be intensifying largely due to human-created factors (CO2 leading to rising global temperatures leading to rising sea levels), but in on a larger context of time, bad storms occur naturally. An uninhabited coastline in Asia will receive a flood or killer wave and process it naturally, indeed, it may be a necessary part of that region's ecological cycle,its biogeography. An analogy would be uncontrolled brush or forest fires in the American Midwest, where some pine species actually rely upon sudden fires for their natural queues for reproduction; human intervention to control these "unwanted" fires may be negatively affecting the propagation of these pine species. That is why the redevelopment of the natural mangrove forests is a desirable solution; these forests were here before humanity removed them in commercial expansion. The mangroves grew in these sites naturally, they are a part of the very ecosystem that simultaneously exists and regulates itself, storms and all. Biomimicry is a solid foundation for interpreting adaptive landscape architecture solutions to Climate Change.

With human expansion, land use patterns have grown up around coastal areas for a great many reasons, and usually the most insightful manner of examining this question is through an old journalism mantra: Follow the Money. Coastal cities benefit financially through easy access to trade, to coastal rich fisheries, through nutrient rich coastal agricultural lands, and most recently through touristic attraction. These factors will always lead to concentrations of built human structure and infrastructure along coastal lines. As these cities (and the citizens that populate them) realize their profitability, they will trend towards growth. In other words, the trend is towards increasing built up areas, decreasing green/blue areas. Take into consideration that many people with little or no money for self-preservation, insurance or sound housing will also seek work in these coastal cities, and you can then understand why coastal storm surges have such devastating potential. Makeshift houses made of plywood or bamboo may not tolerate a rushing wall of water.

Historically, we can look at the Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake and subsequent Tsunami of 2004 as a case study. This unprecedented shock and flood resulted in damage on a scale never before seen in that area in recorded history. While there was a great deal of money and resources invested in that region, not enough of it was in the sector of natural defense or catastrophe prevention, which is what we now look to correct. Countries like the Netherlands may have resources, politics and foresight enough to build defensive dikes, but in the case of developing Thailand, we must look for more realistic adaptation strategies. Que, Mangroves.

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Cultural/social/political context

The kingdom of Thailand is located in the heart of Southeast Asia, neighbouring the countries of Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. Thailand has a population of 65 million people. Striking is that the majority of the population is living in rural agricultural areas and not in the major cities like the country’s capital Bangkok. Thailand stretches from the mountains and forests up north to the tropical islands and peninsula in the south, with large important rice field plains in the centre. Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of rice and therefore the agricultural business is of great importance for the country’s economy. Apart from agriculture and rice cultivation, tourism and fishing are also very important economic drivers; both abound on Thailand’s 3,200 kilometres of coastline. Significantly, Thailand and especially Bangkok is an important political and social centre, for the greater Mekong region and as a global city.

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Local Climate

Thailand’s climate is tropical and humid during most of the year and for the majority of the country. In general, two or three seasons can be distinguished, depending on the region. In the north of the country, the climate from March to May is hot and rather dry. The period from June to September is very rainy, because of the southwest monsoon domination, with plenty of sunshine. October to February is rather cool and dry. In the southern region, two seasons can be distinguished: dry or wet. The southwest monsoon brings rain an heavy storms from April to October (on the west coast) or from September to December (on the east coast). Each year, the country gets up to 2,400 millimetres of rain, often causing major flooding in the north, north eastern and central regions.

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Analysis of vulnerability

Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of rice and thus rice cultivation is a very important economic activity. Next to agriculture, trade and tourism are the major sectors of Thailand’s economy. However, all three of these pillars are threatened by climate change. Consequences of climate change such as increasing surface temperatures, floods, droughts, severe storms and sea level rise, threaten the annual rice crops, as well as the submergence of Bangkok within a reasonable time. A few centimetres of sea level rice are enough for flooding the capital and for damaging the important coastal tourism. Thailand’s economy will be serious under threat due to climate change. According to IPCC-projections, the combined GDP of Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam may shrink by 6,7% by 2100 because of climate change-related risks.(D’Agostino et al, 2012) However, apart from economical damage, Thailand’s inhabitants, local communities and the precious ecology will inevitable be affected as well.

Thailand has a delicate coastal zone of over 3,200 kilometres. Uncontrollable natural disasters such as the 2004 tsunami already showed the extreme vulnerability of Southeast Asian’s coast regions. Because of poor environmental management, the disaster’s effects were aggravated and the consequences were huge. For example, in absence of natural protective barriers like mangrove forests or coral reefs, the giant killer wave carried its energy all the way to the shore, devastating a huge area. In other places, where the barriers were present, the wave’s energy was diminished and the causing far less damage. Coastal erosion, mangrove loss and coral reef destruction due to human activities keep magnifying the vulnerability of those coastal regions. And in the future, additional threats due to anthropogenic climate change, will threat this region even more, further increasing its vulnerability.

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D’Agostino, A., Meenawat, H., Rawlani, A., Sovacool, B.K., 2012. Improving climate change adaptation in least developed Asia. Environmental Science & Policy 21, 112-125.

Proposals for Climate Change Adaption

• How could your case study area become more resilient to climate change?
• Which measures would need to be taken to adapt to the new situation?
• How could you assure sustainability of these measures?
• Please describe 2-3 measures

Proposals for Climate Change Mitigation

• Which measures would need to be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other drivers of climate change within your case study area?
• How could you assure sustainability of these measures?
• Please describe 2-3 measures

Your scenario

• How will this area look like in 2060?
• Please forecast one potential future development taking climate change into account

Illustration: Map/diagram/sketches photos and background notes

What can be generalized from this case study?

• Are there any important theoretical insights?
• Which research questions does it generate?
• Short statement plus background notes

Presentation Slides

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  Slide Three

Image Gallery

Coastal geography at Ton Sai beach, rural southern Thailand adjacent to the case study area of Krabi