GRANTEE: Pacific Environment and Resources Center
COUNTRY: Thailand
Trat Province's valuable marine habitats, home to endangered species like whale sharks, face escalating threats from overfishing and unregulated tourism, which risk endangering both marine life and local livelihoods.
The project addresses the need to solidify and scale successful local conservation models to a provincial level. The solution is to establish four co-managed Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) or Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), covering 52 hectares of coral reefs. This is achieved through participatory planning and intensive capacity building for local stakeholders, including women’s and youth groups.
Sustainability is built in by empowering the community to promote sustainable tourism and set up self-financing mechanisms that ensure the continuous management and protection of these vital habitats.
