Explaining success in community based mangrove management: Four coastal communities along the Andaman Sea, Thailand

• Published in: Ocean & coastal management 2019-08, Vol.178, p.104822, Article 104822
• Main Authors: Kongkeaw, Chaturong, Kittitornkool, Jawanit, Vandergeest, Peter, Kittiwatanawong, Kongkiat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coastal communities; Community-based mangrove management; Thailand; The Andaman sea
• ISSN: 0964-5691; 1873-524X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2019.104822

Community-based mangrove management (CBMM) in Thailand has been uniquely successful, so that efforts to promote CBMM elsewhere can potentially learn from the Thai experience. This qualitative research identifies factors contributing to success of community-based mangrove management in four coastal communities along the Andaman Sea during 1980–2017. The emergence and consolidation of community-mangrove management took place in distinct phases including collective action with support by NGOs to address a degradation crises; a shift to cooperation with government; and the stabilization and enhancement of sustainable management. Factors explaining the emergence of successful community mangrove management include those internal to the community, such as leadership, occupational change, experience, and capacity to organize into groups; and those that are external to the community including NGO support in the initial phases, and increasing government support and recognition in subsequent phases. The factors that help explain success have changed over time, indicating the flexibility in what might facilitate successful CBMM elsewhere. •Community Management of Mangroves in Thailand has been successful.•We identify factors leading to success in four communities.•Internal factors include leadership, livelihood change, and capacity to organize.•External factors include NGO support and exclusion from conservation zones.•Factors explaining success changed over time so there is no one model.