A HISTORICAL-PERSPECTIVE OF THE RESOURCES AND ISSUES OF PAK-PHANANG BAY, SOUTHERN THAILAND

The Coastal Resources Institute (CORIN) at Prince of Songkla Universit y worked with local communities to understand coastal issues and oppor tunities of the Pak Phanang Bay in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Southern Thail and. Historically, the area has been an important agricultural field a nd trading town but now it is characterized by slow population growth due to out migration and a decreased economic base. Residents have not ed major environmental degradation within their lifetimes. Through the 'Ecological History', which means a history of the way people and nat ure have interacted over time, an initial identification and assessmen t of the key environmental problems were made with the participation a nd support of the people of Pak Phanang. The approach is based on the belief that for successful resources management, it needs action by lo cal people, supported by the government, that will safeguard and resto re local ecosystems.