Suchergebnisse

Understanding how indigenous people manage their natural resources can provide a basis for formulating appropriate policies for natural resources management that benefits them while preserving their cultural beliefs. The objective of this study is to investigate the factors that influence the management of natural resources and the conservation of river ecology by the indigenous people in the Nongchaiwan wetland. We conducted in-depth interviews with 5 key informants and quantitative surveys with 158 households in two phases over a period of 3 years. Ancestral spiritual beliefs that are still salient in the Lower Songkhram River Basin influence natural resources management because they traditionally link people and natural resources. Such spiritual beliefs in the Lower Songkhram River Basin supported the indigenous people to continue conserving the natural resources in their territory. In addition, property rights granted to indigenous people also contribute to the conservation of natural resources. Our findings suggest that policy makers should engage with local beliefs in order to achieve sustainable resource management and, therefore, such practices should be recognized and included in the government&rsquo ; s policies on natural resources management in locations, where indigenous people live for generations.

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food producing industries in the world. Aquaculture effluent contains high concentrations of inorganic nutrients. Reduction of these inorganic nutrients in aquaculture effluent is crucial for fulfilling the effluent standards or reuse of aquaculture effluent. This study investigated the effective use of green macroalga Caulerpa lentillifera as a bioremediatory species for nutrient removal from aquaculture effluent by conducting an on-station experiment and measurements. The effluent of a fish culture unit was circulated through a macroalgal culture unit every four days for a total of 60 days, allowing 15 circulations. Concentrations of inorganic nutrients (NO2&minus ; -N, NO3&minus ; -N, NH3-N, and PO43&minus ; ) were measured in the integrated system consisting of a fish unit, settling unit, macroalgal unit and extra tank for water circulation in triplicates. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the application of the bioremediation system led to a significant reduction in nutrient concentrations within one day, and slightly further in the following two days. On average over the 15 circulations, the first one day of application decreased the concentrations of NO2&minus ; -N, NO3&minus ; -N, NH3-N, and PO43&minus ; by 0.247 mg/L, 81.6 mg/L, 0.682 mg/L, and 0.352 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, the C:N ratio of macroalgae decreased during the 60-day application period, providing evidence of the nutrient uptake by macroalgae. Based on the European Union (EU) standard and quality criteria of France and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee (JFWEC), the macroalgae grown in the integrated system were at the safe level for human consumption in terms of contents of Cd, Pb, and As. The results of our study imply that recirculating aquaculture systems utilizing C. lentillifera for biofiltration have the potential for effective treatment of aquaculture effluent integrating fish and macroalgae production.

AbstractMany agricultural cooperatives in Thailand do not conduct agribusiness and face declining profits. Therefore, this study examined the factors influencing their profit and agribusiness choices. The results reveal that operating capital, the presence of a trading business and average payback positively affect profit. In contrast, the number of cooperative members and the number of staff members have a negative effect on profit. In addition, the number of members, the presence of a manager, the presence of a cooperative office and the ability to raise funds have a significant positive impact on the likelihood of conducting trading and compilation businesses.