Baan Sang Subdistrict Municipality

Baan Sang Subdistrict Municipality Muang Payao District, Payao

Vision: Great environment, quality citizens, morally driven administration for Baan Sang sustainable livability Population: 4,224 (2018) Number of communities: 9 Area: 23.80 square kilometers

Thanks to the province’s abundant resources from rice fields and water resources to rich forests, the people of Baan Sang subdistrict municipality make their living from a variety of occupations, from agriculture to craft making and cottage industry. Most trades are rooted in the area’s local resources, although partial reliance on outside resources is unadvisable. The community’s renowned craft products such as stone mortars, weaving products made of water hyacinth, and the signature fermented sour fish have created considerable job opportunities and incomes for the locals.

Environmentally Sustainable City Management Model

Key of Success

By adopting the Royal initiatives into a part of the way of life, with a collective understanding and participation, community members can be a part of the development from the conceptualization process, execution, and results. People learn to incorporate and adapt ideas from the philosophy to their lives and culture without causing any damage to natural resources and the local environment.

Baan Mon Kaew Community Forest Conservation

Baan Mon Kaew is a village that home to freshwater water sources and mountain water supply systems for Baan Sang Community. This once degraded forestland, a devastating result of illegal logging, has gone through a gradual revitalization thanks to the local community’s earnest attempt to preserve the forest of the land they call home. The successful forestation leads to the registration of 319-acre forestland into a

community forest with continued activities to protect and expand the local woodland. The creation of reconnaissance routes aims to help preserve the local forestland. At the same time, conservation activities happen throughout the year, from tree ordination ritual, reforestation, indigenous plant survey, creation of firebreaks, and community forest plotting to locate tree density and indigenous plants for long-term conservation. The community also installs air quality monitor, which ultimately contributes to the reduction of the town’s greenhouse gas emission.

Clean water for the community

Baan Mon Kaew community once faced a clean water crisis. The geographical condition of the area, comprised mostly of slopes, prevented the construction of shallow wells. Community leaders suggested the building of a weir to bring in water from Mae Pad creek. Community members help with the weir and pipeline system construction, which enables water to flow from the higher source to lower ground. Created is a mountain water supply system that provides fresh water for the village with a newly installed 4” steel pipes to replace the old PVC pipes. With the helping hands of community leaders and members, the people in the nine villages of Baan Sang nearby areas now have fresh water throughout the year.

A war against wastes

Baan Sang subdistrict doesn’t have any garbage truck or a proper space for waste disposal. With the main source of freshwater located up in the mountainous area, the middle ground occupied by local households and agricultural lands, while the lowest plain situated next to Gwan Payao Lake, the municipality recognizes the importance of household waste management. Community members are knowledgeable about waste management at the initial stage of waste production. They learn to sort wastes into organic wastes, general wastes, recycled wastes, and hazardous wastes. The locals are encouraged to build a ‘Sa wein’, an apparatus made of woven bamboo striped used to wrap around the base of a tree to accommodate food waste, which will eventually decompose and become fertilizer. A team of volunteers is assigned to monitor illegal littering, which comes with THB 2,000-5,000 fine.

Learning Center for Environmental Management

Learning Center # 1 Baan Mon Kaew Community, Moo 9

This model village set an example as a green city with sustainable environmental management. The execution encompasses five learning stations: 1. Water management 2. Integrated waste management 3. Energy management 4. Bamboo weaving and 5. Nature trail for exploration and study of the local ecosystem. The five stations serve collectively as a learning center, which also exemplifies an application of sufficiency economy to people’s contemporary everyday life with great consideration in local tradition, identity and wisdom. Another nature trail is also open for visitors to walk through a recreational and educational route with a beautiful waterfall being one of the destinations.

Learning Center # 2 Wastewater treatment project of Moo 3 community: Treating wastewater from fermented sour fish production

The production process of fermented sour fish, one of Payao’s renowned local products, was once a significant cause of polluted water with a high density of micro organisms. Following a royal initiative, a wastewater treatment technology is employed with the help of natural mechanism. The method includes the use of coarse and fine filters, a gas trap, an anaerobic filtration tank, a shallow retention pond, and a constructed wetland system designed to work with the physical properties of the area’s wastewater and Socio –Geographic conditions. Additionally, the leftover sludge is converted into solid fuel, while the treated water is used to water a household’s kitchen garden.

Learning Center # 3 Female Agriculturist Club of Baan San Bua Bok, Moo 8

As an environmental conservation attempt, the Female Agriculturist Club of Baan San Bua Bok has been creating beautiful craft products from water hyacinth growing inside Gwan Payao Lake. Using local weaving techniques, these skillful weavers have been the minds and labors behind a growing collection of crafts products from handbags, trays to baskets, and shoes created with unique weaving patterns and intricate details. The group is managed under a participatory approach with a committee made up of female members of the local community adequately selected to oversee the operation. Currently, the group has seen increasing orders from both domestic and international buyers.

- 14 Green Cities -

Central Region

Takhli Municipality

Pichit Town Municipality