Resilient communities on the waterfront, bangkok

In the outskirts of Bangkok, where canals once wove through the city like veins, lies Bang Mot—an area with a rich, centuries-old connection to the waterways. This multicultural, traditional community, living along the 16 km-long Bang Mot canal, has long thrived by farming, fishing, and preserving its heritage. For over a century, Bang Mot was known for producing the beloved Bang Mot tangerine, one of Thailand’s most iconic fruits. But the tides of change have not been kind, and the canal that once sustained the community now posed significant challenges.

The Struggle: Water Pollution and Environmental Degradation

In recent decades, a combination of pollution, flooding, and salinization rendered the land less fertile and the canal less navigable. Agriculture, once the lifeblood of the community, became untenable. The transformation of the once thriving agricultural hub into a region struggling with environmental decline hit Bang Mot hard. Yet, in 2017, with the support of King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), the community took its first steps toward renewal.

In an ambitious attempt to reframe their economic and environmental future, Bang Mot launched two local companies focused on sustainable economic growth, environmental protection, and the preservation of their cultural identity. The community opened a market, launched an annual cultural festival, and began offering tours, from canal cruises to local handicraft workshops. Local roads were improved to better connect the community, turning them into vibrant pedestrian and cycling paths. This resurgence of activity breathed new life into Bang Mot, but the global pandemic brought everything to a halt.

As the COVID-19 crisis spread, many families saw their livelihoods evaporate, and once again, resilience was tested. The vision they had fought for was hanging by a thread.

Bangkok’s Solution: A Vision for Sustainability

In January 2021, Thailand’s Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG) policy provided a glimmer of hope, outlining a path for sustainable development and post-pandemic recovery. This holistic policy emphasized technology, innovation, and circular economy principles aimed at reducing waste and creating new business opportunities.

Within this framework, eco-tourism emerged as a key solution to revitalize communities like Bang Mot. By promoting sustainable tourism and local participation, the BCG model became a powerful tool for improving both environmental and economic resilience. With the support of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Resilient Cities Network’s Catalyzing City Resilience Solutions (CCRS) program, the community had a unique opportunity to harness this vision.

Together, they identified three pilot initiatives to fuel the community’s recovery:

1. A Digital Platform – A community website designed to showcase local products and services to visitors, building an online presence.
2. A Tourism Standard – A community-based tourism certification program to measure businesses’ environmental impacts, including their carbon footprint and energy use.
3. Community Engagement – A forum to facilitate conversations between residents and city officials, addressing issues like waste management, water pollution, and infrastructure improvements along the canal.

These efforts were designed not only to foster economic recovery but to position Bang Mot as a beacon of sustainable tourism—a model for other waterfront communities to follow.

Our Impact: From Struggling to Thriving

By mid-2023, the first signs of success began to emerge. The “Green Blue Rest Bangkok” website successfully attracted tourists to the area, introducing them to the unique offerings of Bang Mot, from traditional boat tours to visits to the community’s preserved organic farms and fruit orchards. Although large-scale farming has been replaced by eco-tourism, the community still keeps small, historic orchards alive for educational purposes and to highlight the area’s agricultural legacy.

In total, the project attracted 140 new visitors and engaged 12 small local businesses in tourism and hospitality. These outcomes were significant not only for the local economy but also for building a sense of ownership and pride in preserving Bang Mot’s cultural identity.

But this is just the beginning. As part of the CCRS program, Bang Mot is evolving into a creative district supported by BMA, with additional funding to further develop the blue-green economy. KMUTT and BMA are also collaborating on a broader plan to develop a resilient blue-green economy for all of Bangkok’s canal communities, with the potential for the model to expand across Thailand’s waterfront regions.

A Vision for the Future: Resilience Through Sustainability

Bang Mot’s transformation from a struggling community to an emerging eco-tourism hub is a powerful example of how resilience can be built by embracing sustainability and community-driven innovation. The collaborative efforts of local residents, government agencies, and academic institutions have turned a crisis into an opportunity, blending traditional culture with modern environmental solutions.

As Bangkok’s canals continue to evolve, Bang Mot stands as a testament to what can be achieved when communities, cities, and governments come together with a shared vision for a sustainable and resilient future. This model not only provides a blueprint for other waterfront communities but also shows the world that resilience is not just about surviving but thriving in the face of adversity.

source :

https://resilientcitiesnetwork.org/resilient-communities-on-the-waterfront-bangkok