Public forums held to target coastal erosion
The Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning (DPT) has held two public meetings seeking feedback and suggestions from local residents regarding coastal erosion.
The first public meeting was held in Mai Khao on Jan 9, to address coastal erosion at Sai Kaew Beach, and the second public meeting was held at Patong Municipality School on Jan 10, this time concerning coastal erosion at Kalim Beach, north of Patong.
The meeting in Patong was presided over by Phuket Vice Governor Sattha Thongkam and organised in collaboration with consulting firms Makro Consultants Co Ltd. and Boonpanya Technology Co Ltd.
Also joining the event were DPT officials Surat Phongsanit and Jaruwit Satianrangsarit as well as Patong Mayor Chalermsak Maneesri.
The event was designed to foster community engagement and involve stakeholders in the decision-making process related to the DPT project to stave off coastal erosion in key areas along the Andaman coast.
Organisers highlighted the importance of collaboration with the community, emphasising the need for public input on the proposed feasibility study and detailed design aimed at systematically resolving coastal erosion issues in the identified areas.
The project, spanning the upper Andaman Sea main beach group system, is set to address the challenges faced by the Kalim Beach coastal area.
Two meetings were scheduled in order to provide the community comprehensive information about the project to combat coastal erosion, its objectives, historical context and the steps involved. Additionally, the sessions aimed to serve as a platform for gathering opinions, concerns and suggestions from the public, said an official report of the meeting.
Vice Governor Mr Sattha stressed the importance of the meeting, emphasising a focus on participatory processes to foster mutual understanding between agencies and stakeholders. He expressed optimism that this collaborative effort would lead to a well-informed and inclusive solution for the coastal erosion issues at Kalim Beach, said the report.
The key objectives of the meeting included disseminating information about the project, discussing the necessity and history, outlining the project’s essence and operation details, and presenting various options, complete with their advantages and disadvantages. The scope and guidelines of the study, along with measures to prevent and correct environmental impacts, were also discussed.
Participants were encouraged to share their opinions and suggestions during the meeting, with an overarching goal of creating a unified and efficient strategy to systematically address coastal erosion in the identified areas.
The authorities remain committed to actively involving the community in the decision-making process to ensure the project’s success and benefit the local population, the official report concluded.