The tsunami of 26 December, 2005, caused by an undersea earthquake of the magnitude 9.0 in the Ritcher Scale near the island of Sumatra, caused unprecedented damage to life, ecosystems and properties in South and Southeast Asia. About 200,000 persons died, and several millions were displaced and livelihoods lost. In the main, a very large population of fishers lost their main livelihood.
In Thailand, the south-western Andaman coastal areas were severely affected. Aside from the loss of lives and livelihoods of fishers and poor communities, a large number of tourists in the coastal areas and island resorts in the Andaman seas had perished. A number of tourist resorts was completed annihilated, and a significant proportion of the local communities who were directly and indirectly dependent on tourism lost their livelihood.
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) agreed with the Royal Thai Government to reconstruct three fishing villages in the islands of Koh Phra Thong (Pak Chok and Thung Dap villages) Koh Kho Khao (Muang Mai village). IUCN was involved as a partner.
Objectives of IUCN's involvement in the project were:
Environmental concerns in the SDC development project were addressed, and project implementation facilitated.
The project had two main purposes:
(a) Provide day-to-day facilitation and two-way liaison support between state agencies, local government authorities and SDC in project implementation aspects. This ensured that SDC was effectively represented in local level discussions and meetings, and that pertinent information was fed back to the SDC for effective implementation of project activities. Furthermore, IUCN provided linkages with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) and other Bangkok-based state agencies.
(b) Provide environmental perspectives into the development activities of the SDC project. These aspects ensured that SDC was apprised of the environmental effects in the ongoing reconstruction activities and that the environmental concerns were taken into consideration in implementing other proposed activities.
Emergency Rehabilitation of Koh Phra Thong and Koh Khao Islands
Background and Goals
Geographic coverage
Koh Phatong, Kuraburi District, Phang Nga Province (Southern Thailand)
Duration
2006-2007
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Somsak Soonthornnawaphat and Petchrung Sukpong |
