The oceans around Thailand are home to some of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world.
Stunning coral reefs, charismatic species including turtles, whales and dolphins and lush beach forests can all still be observed in magnificent splendor in this beautiful country. But all is not well.
Over the past four decades, Thailand’s rapid economic development has led to a rise in environmental issues including water pollution, loss of biodiversity and loss of coastal habitats including mangrove forests, seagrass beds and coral reefs.
Tourism, community settlement and port activities have lead to the heavy destruction and loss of mangrove forests and beaches.
Mangrove and beach forests protect coastal habitats from rising sea levels, and without them flooding, coastal erosion and salinization of ground and surface waters occur at a far greater frequency.
Turtles only spawn on the same beach where they hatched, resulting on successive generations relying on the same spawning ground. The loss of such spawning grounds has led to a dramatic decline in their numbers.
Pollution caused by shrimp farming sewage as well as net fishing and trawling and residues from estuaries, means that over half of seagrass beds and corals still remaining in Thailand are now classified as in poor condition.
Without conscious and deliberate intervention by humans, it is entirely possible that we could lose many, if not all, of the marine and coastal ecosystems within Thailand in less than fifty years.
The time to act is now. Here’s what you can do to help preserve Thailand’s marine communities for generations. to come: