4 minute read
Renu Nakhon Subdistrict Municipality
Renu Nakhon Subdistrict Municipality Renu Nakhon District, Nakhon Phanom Province
Vision: Pollution-free, cultural city and happy people Population: 4,675 (2018) Number of communities: 9 Area: 2.40 square kilometers
Advertisement
Renu Nakhon’s strength lies in its distinctive cultural assets. The long-standing traditions and culture exist alongside the simple way of life where people live close to nature. Culture contributes significantly to creating a sense of belonging and solidity within the community, turning Renu Nakhon into a strong, caring community, enabling urban management to take place successfully through a participatory approach. By including people and local networks, urban developments can take place as a sustainable process. It takes into account the importance of the environment and people’s happiness along with cultural values from which the community’s identity originated, evolved, and intertwined.
Environmentally Sustainable City Management Model
Key of Success
Reinforce the community’s strength through a sense of belonging and a close-knit, family-like connection of the member, enabling people’s participation in community development. At the same time, traditions and cultures help propel sustainable economic and social progress.
Despite its small size, the municipality once produced a large amount of waste daily, and waste disposal became one of the municipalities’ most significant problems. In 2010, the daily waste production was 6 tons, and gradually the local landfill was reaching its maximal capacity, causing the amount of undisposed waste to accumulate. The municipality has come up with different activities designed to help reduce the amount of waste generated within the community, such as a campaign initiated to encourage community members to effectively sort wastes at the source,
the provision of garbage bins in public spaces for different types of garbage. The municipality also offers training on how to create products from waste materials. The establishment of the ‘Funeral Assisting Fund from Recycled Wastes” operates by setting up a temporary waste shop in the community once a month to buy household wastes, which are thoroughly sorted and sold. These activities have collectively caused the amount of produced wastes to reduce to only 3.5 tons per day.
Learning Center for Environmental Management
Learning Center # 1 Conservation of Trees in Municipality
Tree conservation campaign encourages community members to plant more trees to increase urban green spaces and develop collective awareness about the importance of trees. It also highlights the role of the public sector in the global warming crisis solution, emphasizing the participation from all individuals, sectors and industries. Tree planting activities have been regularly organized on special days and occasions in 9 different areas such as schools, public parks, empty spaces.
At Renu Nakhon Wittayanukul School, the science subject group incorporates the growing of local herbs such as turmeric, citronella, sugar cane, Pa Plai, Yanang Daeng, Pao, Sap Sua, etc. as an attempt preserve the local wisdom and promote the use of local herbs in medical treatment. The conservation also extends to other types of trees. The social studies, religion, and culture subject group teach students the use of herbal compress balls and encourage them to use the tool to relieve muscle pain older members of the family as a part of the family’s quality time on weekends. The student volunteer group offers massage services for tourists who visit Wat Phra That Renu Temple.
At Renu Nakhon Wittayanukul School, the science subject group incorporates the growing of local herbs such as turmeric, citronella, sugar cane, Pa Plai, Yanang Daeng, Pao, Sap Sua, etc. as an attempt preserve the local wisdom and promote the use of local herbs in medical treatment. The conservation also extends to other types of trees. The social studies, religion, and culture subject group teach students the use of herbal compress balls and encourage them to use the tool to relieve muscle pain older members of the family as a part of the family’s quality time on weekends. The student volunteer group offers massage services for tourists who visit Wat Phra That Renu Temple.
Learning Center # 4 Community environmental management and participation of the public sector
Model communities are operated under efficient environmental management, with campaigns such as bin-free roads, household source separation, encouraging community members to deposit to money from the sale of recycled wastes to the welfare fund. If a member of a family dies, the municipality will buy recycled wastes from the members of the Funeral Fund from Recycled Wastes. The money from the sales will be divided into two parts. One will be given to a participated household while the other part will go into the fund and be given to a family whose member passes away. Organic wastes become an ingredient for compost and bio-fermented water used in household organic vegetable gardens. A share farming method is also employed where landowners are encouraged to spare an area in their land for interested individuals to grow vegetables, generate extra income, and exchange the produce between community members.
