SUSTAINABLE SYNERGIES: EVALUATING ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND ECOCOMMUNITY PRACTICES IN NORTHERN THAILAND

Abstract

This research aims to study 1) environmental management characteristics and the framework of ecocommunity concepts, 2) the relevance of community activities and operations to environmental management characteristics and the goals of ecocommunity concepts, and 3) to propose ways to carry out activities that will achieve both sustainable environmental management and ecocommunity development, as well as prepare for adaptability to changes and crises. The scope of the study included the communities that have been succeeded in environmental management in the northern region. A purposive sampling was conducted. Three communities with different environmental and cultural characteristics were selected, namely: Bunrueang Community in Chiang Khong District, Chiang Rai Province; Ban Ngam Mueang Community, Khun Tan District, Chiang Rai Province and Ban Tor Phae Community, Khun Yuam District, Mae Hong Son Province. The data from relevant documents were gathered and analyzed to find the relationships between community activities, environmental management characteristics and goals of the ecocommunity concepts. The results indicated that the community activities are linked to all three environmental management characteristics and the four goals of ecocommunity concepts. It recommends activities for other similar communities aiming to achieve sustainable environmental management and ecocommunity development, such as creating management plans and utilization plans for forest resources and water bodies, establishing wildfire and smog watch centers, creating wildlife and aquatic animal conservation areas, restoring forest, forming community committees to manage forests and water, setting joint regulations, using traditions and beliefs to care for and control the use of forests and water, using forest areas to enhance life quality and economy, and practicing sufficiency economy and organic farming. These are intended to prepare communities to cope with and recover from current and future changes and crises.