NO FOREST - NO FUTURE

The impact of the Thailand Government's drive for export earnings is obvious. This is particularly visible in Trang Province, on the South-West Coast. The mangrove forests, where fishing villagers live, are rich with natural resources but they are being destroyed for commercial exploitation for charcoal shrimp farming and tourist development. Pisit Chansnoh, founder and leader of the Yad Fon Association, says "community development is human development". Yad Fon is trying to strengthen people's ability to provide for themselves using local resources, and to organise villagers to protect their environment which has traditionally been their economic base. A crucial part of Yad Fon's approach is to work through existing traditional structures, and to involve Government officials, academics, businessmen and schools in environmental protection.