An exceptional natural environment to protect
Thailand has 127 national parks throughout the country, as well as marine parks. These natural spaces of all beauty shelter an extremely rich fauna and flora and to realize it, it is necessary to describe some of the most beautiful national parks of the country. Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, located in Chiang Mai Province, is full of hiking trails. There are nearly 2,000 species of plants and ferns, 50 species of mammals and 300 species of birds. In Phu Kradong National Park, one of the most beautiful in the country, it is pleasant to hike and climb to over 1,200 m above sea level to enjoy the breathtaking views of the abundant forests, including coniferous forests, and the relief on the horizon. There are also numerous waterfalls and as far as wildlife is concerned, jackals, monkeys and even tigers have made their home here. Such biodiversity also perfectly qualifies the Khao Sok National Park. Here, the jungle mixes with the sea, which is the terrain for the boats of the natives and tourists who come to enjoy the beauty of the place. Among the most incredible marine parks is Moo Kho. It is an archipelago of 42 islands that extend over 102 km2. Excursions often offer island to island sailing and include swimming and scuba diving in its clear turquoise waters. East of Bangkok, Khao Yai National Park covers 2,200 square kilometres. In the forests and mountains live a multitude of animals: wild elephants, macaques, as well as increasingly rare species such as tigers, sambas and black panthers. To thewest of the Thai capital this time, the Erawan National Park is the favourite terrain for sportsmen and women and is home to the most beautiful waterfalls in the country: the Erawan Falls. Tourism as well as the irresponsible behaviour of many people threaten the natural splendours and the richness of the fauna, mentioned above, and the creation of national parks is an insufficient response to preserve this varied environment. While it is felt that the Thai authorities still have much work to do to protect their unique landscapes, some measures have been taken, such as the fairly recent announcement by the Thai Ministry of National Parks to temporarily close tourism in national parks during the rainy season. These closures, which run from May to September or October depending on the region, are intended to restore nature in the protected areas, in addition to contributing to the safety of visitors, since conditions are often rainy and stormy during this season.Numerous environmental problems in the challenge
The country has been facing various environmental problems for many years. Starting with deforestation: in 1961, 53% of the territory was covered by jungles and forests, in 1998, they represent only 25%. The causes are multiple: first of all, there is urbanization and the development of large industries, but we should also mention the clearing of wooded areas for agricultural exploitation (sugar cane, rice fields...) or traditional slash-and-burn agriculture. On average, the country loses 5,000 km² of forest area per year! If the pace continues at this rate, Thailand could lose another third of its tropical forests over the next twenty years. Awareness of this scourge is quite recent for the country. In 2012, the King of Thailand intervened to demand sanctions against officials who are victims of corruption and who prefer to turn a blind eye to deforestation, following a World Bank report on illegal logging.
Another problem in the city, especially in the capital Bangkok, is air pollution. In a megalopolis with a population of almost 12 million and 10 million cars circulating throughout the city, many of which are diesel-powered, the level of fine particles harmful to health is alarming, and during certain pollution peaks, the authorities no longer hesitate to close schools. Poor air quality is also a consequence of the use of coal in power stations around the city and the presence of numerous construction sites. Scientists and ecologists are calling on the public authorities to provide better supervision of construction sites and to develop public transport.Water, at the heart of various issues
The Gulf of Thailand was overfished for many years, with ignorance of the regulated areas and trawling by pirate vessels. In total, entire species of fish have been decimated, posing a very serious threat to the marine ecosystem. Although Europe is the world's largest importer of fish, it is also the European Union that has denounced this disastrous phenomenon by threatening to ban Thai imports. After working hand in hand with the Thai authorities, a number of measures have emerged, aimed at improving fleet management, satellite tracking and intercepting suspicious vessels. The sea, which is the delight of many foreign tourists who come to enjoy the heavenly beaches and mild temperatures in southern Thailand, is also home to more than 70 species of coral, extremely threatened by mass tourism, fishing and global warming, as is the case in Phuket. To prevent Thai sea corals from becoming extinct, the Department of Marine Sciences at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Science has proposed a project to freeze coral sperm for future artificial insemination to ensure their survival. How also not to talk about the island of Koh Phi Phi Leh, made famous by the famous film The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Since the release of the film, the paradisiacal beach of Maya Bay has welcomed up to 5,000 visitors a day, with the effect of severe coral erosion due to pollution from the engines of the boats chartered by the many tour operators in the region. Fortunately, the site is now closed to the public until 2021 and the Department of National Parks has announced that when it reopens, the number of visitors will be limited and boats will be prohibited from parking.
The sea, the water, is certainly Thailand's biggest environmental problem. In the northeast of the country, drought situations are very regular. In 2002, the central region of the country had the lowest per capita water supply in Asia, and a third of this water was considered unfit for consumption, due to domestic and industrial waste being discharged into rivers. On the coasts, there were also the disastrous effects of mass tourism and the habits of the inhabitants on the amount of plastic and waste found in the sea. Thailand is the world's sixth largest contributor to ocean pollution. To combat this pollution, the authorities have announced measures to invest in sewage treatment plants, tighten legislation around environmental standards and even declared an end to single-use bags by 2022. However, it is too early to say at this stage whether these measures will be sufficient to eradicate this major threat to the territory.The consequences of climate change on Thailand
While the effects of climate change affect all regions of the world, Thailand must be prepared to deal with important factors that have already begun: severe droughts on the one hand, and heavy rainfall during the rainy season, causing severe flooding on the other. In fact, Bangkok has already suffered severe flooding in 2011 and some experts believe that part of the city could be under water by 2050. This is due to overdevelopment of the city and the construction of many high-rise buildings, which contribute to the city being submerged in the ground and, of course, also to the rising waters in the Gulf of Thailand. The country's capital is not the only one to suffer from climate change, since in other regions it penalizes ecosystems and essential economic activities such as agriculture, fishing and tourism.
A population not sufficiently concerned by ecology
The people of Thailand have not yet fully realized the dangers of global warming for their territory. They are not sufficiently informed and therefore do not change their behaviour accordingly. They are even among the worst ocean polluters in the world. They use an average of eight plastic bags a day, most of which end up in the sea. The government does take some measures to raise awareness, such as public education programmes on the benefits of forest conservation or banning mass tourism from certain sea areas to allow biodiversity to recover. But it is certain that the ecological upsurge in the country has not taken place and it seems essential that the authorities set up prevention and awareness-raising campaigns so that the younger generations grow up aware of the dangers of climate change. If the government has to take the gravity of the situation into account, perhaps figures like Lilly, a 12-year-old Thai girl inspired by the struggle of Greta Thunberg, can help to raise awareness and change mentalities. At present, she has already convinced several major distribution groups to stop giving out single-use plastic bags once a week. An encouraging step.
