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This study was conducted within the EU MANGOVE project in the spring of 2009. The aim of this report was to uncover the effects, both physical and social, of mangrove plantations in Pak Phanang Bay, South East Thailand. Another aim was to identifying important organisations and groups active in the process. The information presented in this report is based on interviews, GIS remote sensing, literary study and field observations. Extra focus was put on three coastal communities that are dependent on mangrove recourses.

The study showed that the increased focus, since the mid 1990’s, on mangrove and its positive effects has led to a number of mangrove plantation programmes in Pak Phanang Bay. Areas that have been planted are abandoned shrimp ponds, riversides and previously unvegetated mudflats in the delta. This has resulted in an increased mangrove area in Pak Phanang Bay during the same period. Plantations have been performed with one or few species of mangrove.  This has likely induced a shift in mangrove species composition on a local scale. Plantations have also likely changed the inner coastline morphology of the bay. The water mangrove edge on the western side of Pak Phanang Peninsular has gone from a rugged coastline to more smooth, as a result of mangrove plantations.

A number of organisations have been active in mangrove plantations in the study area.  Organisations active in plantations differed between the three communities. The awareness of the benefits with mangrove was rather unanimous amongst people and participating in mangrove plantations on all levels. For local communities these were mostly secondary benefits. Products associated with mangrove, for local villagers, are increased area for finding shrimp, crabs and fish. There was no possibility for communities in Pak Phanang to legally cut mangrove as a sustainable resource of wood.  According to this study the way mangrove plantation projects were performed was found to be similar regardless of the intention or goal of the project.