TRAT - Residents of a seaside village in tambon Lam Klad of Muang district on Sunday expressed concern over the increased threat of coastal erosion that has already left their homes closer to the sea.
Pradit Kloomchon, chairman of Lam Klad Tambon Administration Organisation (TAO), said Moo 5 village was the area most affected by sea erosion on tambon Lam Klad’s 30-40 kilometre long beach.
He said Lam Klad was losing 100 rai of land to coastal erosion and rising sea levels each year. About one or two metres of coastline were eaten away by the sea.
Moo 5 village headman Boonnote Phummanee said the situation had worsened after about a dozen pine trees, which served as a buffer zone between sea and land, on the village’s shoreline had been uprooted by strong waves since late last month. This allowed seawater to destroy the beach and gush into a nearby fresh water pond.
Worse still, sand deposits, brought in by the seawater, blocked the sea-mouth of a local canal and made it shallower. As a result, local fishermen faced difficulties in taking their boats out to sea, Mr Boonnote said.
“I have two houses and they were previously situated about 5-6 metres from the coastline. But the houses now are only 1-2 metres [from the sea],” the village chief said.
Mr Pradit said Lam Klad TAO officials had previously discussed ways to solve the problem with concerned agencies but a conclusion had not yet been drawn.
Now, a group of experts on coastal erosion from Burapha University in Chon Buri province was studying the problem. They were expected to introduce measures to stop or mitigate the erosion soon, Mr Pradit added.
Photos by Jakkrit Waewkraihong