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Krabi Town Municipality
Krabi Town Municipality Mueang District, Krabi Province
Vision: Livable city, happy people, a service hub and gateway to ecotourism, history, art and culture, and the future quality city (Q-City) by 2026 Population: 32,673 (July 2020) Number of communities: 14 Area: 19.0 square kilometers
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Despite its century-long history, Krabi’s first urban development experience took place only a few decades ago. Initially, the development was clustered around the province’s famous islands while there were only a few tourists who traveled to Krabi’s city center. The urban reorganization and improvement of Krabi’s town area and landscape architecture have taken place with a proper environmental management system implemented to accommodate urban growth for downtown Krabi to serve as the province’s living room.
Environmentally Sustainable City Management Model
Key of Success
The successful conservation of local wisdom and natural resources leads to a genuinely sustainable urban development.
By initiating community participation as a part of natural resource conservation, people’s quality of life has improved alongside a well-balanced ecological system. Locals can see how the preservation of nature can bring both financial stability and a happier life.
Incorporating collaborations from outside organizations, both Thai and international, to truly enable sustainable development.
From community ecotourism to sustainable natural resource and environmental management
Krabi Municipality’s great asset is its abundant natural resources. All have the potential to become the province’s traveling destinations that can generate substantial income for the city and local communities. Due to the lack of proper development and management in the past, these places have faced rising environmental issues from exploitative fishery and mangrove forest invasion coastal erosion to shallow water channels, which collectively directly affected people’s way of living and quality of life.
Krabi Municipality, therefore, has organized community-operated programs in the area along Krabi River. Created as a result, is a community ecotourism development project that aims for Krabi to achieve sustainable resource management. Ecotourism routes are created, connecting cultural and art destinations with different activities curated to elevate visitors’ travel experiences, such as the development of a mangrove walkway and the establishment of a community crab bank in Na Muang Community, which also functions as a crab breeding center.
These community-run operations have created new jobs and generated income to local households while effectively strengthening the locals’ awareness in natural resource conservation, such as natural methods employed to crab farming. This collective ecotourism initiative has led to the average 2,000 THB increase of the monthly income of 42 households, subsequently contributing to the community’s economic strength. In the meantime, community members work together to closely monitor and prevent illegal fishery from exploiting local natural resources and environment.
Learning Center for Environmental Management
Learning Center # 1 Mangrove Forest Resource Management Center of Krabi Province
This learning center operates to promote the conservation of local green spaces, which serve as a part of the lungs of the Krabi and a classroom where one can explore and study a comprehensive mangrove ecosystem, from species of plants to life cycles of marine creatures, soil and air quality.
Learning Center # 2 Khu Mueang Community
This learning center provides information about natural black crabs farming, which operates alongside the conservation of local mangrove forest. The parallel approach contributes to the soil’s high quality, which is the primary food source for marine animals. Also, the area is an ideal learning ground and a recreational space that appeals to the general public. Khu Mueng Community is responsible for the management and conservation of this local mangrove forest.
Learning Center # 3 Hin Kwang Market
The development of the landscape around the mangrove forest near Krabi River includes additional green spaces designed to serve as a recreational public ground that welcomes locals and visitors. The area is connected to Hin Khwang pier and operated as a learning center of local history and culture. Further developments take place in the form of community-based tourism that values environmentally friendly production and consumption.
