TradiTional Knowledge and BiodiversiTy - UNU-IAS - United ...

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Monitoring, documentation, protection, and education
During the rehabilitation of the area, government agencies
were the primary actors. After rehabilitation, during the
stage when the park is contributing to education and
research as a learning centre on biodiversity and ESD,
many stakeholders, especially from the business sector and
local communities, joined forces.
Biodiversity Study at the Sirindhorn International
Environmental Park
The Biodiversity Study at SIEP is a collaborative project
of RCE Cha-am. The partners are the Department of
Environmental Quality Promotion (DEQP), Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environment, and the Faculty of
Forestry of Kasetsart University, which is the institution
that carried out a study on biodiversity in the park in
2007-2008. This was a seminal collaborative project in that
it served as a baseline for mapping a future strategy for
biodiversity conservation in the region.
Results revealed that the SIEP area covers three kinds of
forests: 1) mangrove forest 2) beach forest 3) successional
forest/secondary forest. There were 88 species of birds
found in the area. In 2010 there were more than 100
species found. These were a mix of vulnerable, near
threatened, least concern, resident, winter visitor, and
passage migrant species. In the past, there were nine fish
species found in the present park area, however the study
carried out in 2007-2008 revealed 66 species of fish, four of
which were found in the past and the rest, 62 species, were
newly found. Furthermore, there are 118 insect species
found in the park as well as some benthos.
Due to the richness in natural resources, flora and fauna
species of the park, SIEP provides RCE Cha-am with
facilities for ESD learning on biodiversity and an important
place to carry out research on biodiversity.
The ESD Centre
The aforementioned biodiversity project, where the park’s
current stocks and potentials for biodiversity preservation
were studied, was the impetus to expanding RCE Cha-am’s
education and research agenda.
The project to establish the ESD Centre (ESDC) was a
joint effort of SIEP, Toyota Motor Thailand (TMT), the
Department of Environmental Quality Promotion (DEQP)
of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and
the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), as well as the Border Patrol
Police Bureau, Mrigadayavan Foundation, and many other
sponsoring business organisations and foundations.
SIEP hosted the ESDC facility and made available its
nature laboratories. TMT not only provided the funds
but also shared its inspirational corporate vision and
strategy on sustainability – the vision was presented at
a UNU-IAS-organised side event at the tenth meeting
of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD COP 10) in Nagoya. WWF took the
responsibility of delivering the education and
training programmes, as well as managing the centre in
conjunction with SIEP. DEQP provided technical support
and linkages with other government partners. The
provincial local government encouraged the local people,
schools and communities to avail of the ESD facility utilised
by RCE Cha-am.
ESDC’s objective is to promote the conservation of
biodiversity and natural resources, and advocate
conservation and rehabilitation activities to all target
groups at both the national and international levels.
It provides services on environmental education curricula
for students and hosts a natural and environmental camp,
volunteer development camp and other camps especially
for school students and teachers.
Under the environmental education curricula, ESDC offers
study topics such as:
1. ESDC Biodiversity Study, which covers the biodiversity
of ecosystems, species, and genetic, food chain,
lifecycle and relationship of living species;
2. Mangroves Study, which deals with vegetation
structure, the adaptation of mangroves, photosynthesis,
the distribution zone, the impact and sustainable
utilisation of mangroves;
3. Bird Species Study, which deals with the evolution of
birds, physical characteristics, habitats, food, migration,
and the biodiversity of birds in the park, as well as the
environmental problems with the red list species and
the solution for balancing between humans and the
environment; and
4. Marine and Coastal, Sand Beach and Benthos Study,
which focuses on the ecosystem of marine and
coastal areas, sand beach, tidal effect, adaptation
and classifying of benthos, including environmental
problems and monitoring of the quality of mangroves
and beach forest.
The exhibition at ESDC presents the environmental
messages of His Majesty the King regarding mangroves
and types of beach. It also includes an ecosystem from
mountains to the sea, a map and many kinds of visiting
birds in the world. The Nature Theatre of ESDC shows
environmental documentaries and changes in nature and
the environment from around the world.
ESDC provides knowledge on environmental study to
all target groups through the process of environmental
education and immersion in the ecological community of
the park. Visitors can experience the different ecosystems
and the biodiversity of natural resources. ESDC also offers
biodiversity studies that cover biodiversity of ecosystems,
species, and genetic, food chain, lifecycle and relationship
of living species in the ecological community involving
mangrove, beach and mixed-deciduous and other kinds of
forest, aquatic animals, territorial animals, and more than
100 bird species.
The ESDC, as an RCE Cha-am facility, is a tool that can
help build the sustainable preservation and utilisation
of natural resources and sustainable development in the
region. It does this by bringing knowledge and a better
understanding of the environment and biodiversity to
people, teachers, students and the public at large.
The principal targets of the learning programmes of ESDC
include, but are not limited to, both primary and secondary
level schools. Thousands of school students benefit
from the facility every year, learning about biodiversity.
The programme curricula vary in content and duration
depending on the interests of students. The learning is not
just theoretical, but rather experiential. Learning principles
rely on a combination of general knowledge, as well as
local and traditional knowledge. Research is undertaken
by investigating the species and succession in the area, as
well as the new species that could be raised, and the kinds
of environmental conditions that are conducive to these
living species. The facility is a venue for many seminars and
workshops, both local and international.
Other Biodiversity and ESD Initiatives
The ‘Billion Tree Campaign’, which is under the auspices of
FGPE and UNEP in collaboration with DEQP in Thailand, is
a showcase in which local communities and the public at
large are participating to ‘save the planet’. Learning is done
on how indigenous plant species survive and the kinds of
conditions essential for survival. Aside from contributions
to generate more forests, the campaign provides members
of the RCE to learn the characteristics and usefulness of
plants as they grow.
The park also uses natural biodiversity classrooms for
learning by Boy Scouts across the country by way of
camping and learning the species’ natural habitat by being
immersed in the habitat themselves. This activity is in
collaboration with the Ministry of Education of Thailand.
The environmental curriculum based on the RCE Cha-am
experience is considered a good model for environmental
education that could be used or replicated nationally.
Conclusion
The contributions of RCE Cha-am in its ultimate objective
of the royal initiative to rehabilitate and restore the natural
environment of the region and as a learning centre on
energy, natural resources, environment, and biodiversity
are significant. The act of mobilising the RCE’s multiple
stakeholders to make contributions that are in line with
their respective mandates, makes the efforts all the more
effective. There is learning by all concerned, and through
knowledge learned and new research findings revealed,
RCE Cha-am offers more to biodiversity and ESD learning
with the participation of all partners.
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