สำนักงานราชบัณทิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume IV - 2012 75  province. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources of the Ministry of Natural Resources has taken strong action for mangrove protection, the department has been providing training, running campaigns to bring awareness and participation, and has been disseminating knowledge about the importance and value of mangroves. Hope- fully with this level of assistance and effort, it is expected that mangrove forests in Thailand will be well protected. Sustainable mangrove resource utlization: Mangrove ecosystems comprise of valu- able varieties of fl ora and fauna. People use mangrove resources in many ways for both economic and ecological bene fi ts (as mentioned earlier). Although people have been using the mangrove ecosystem for generations to reap from their direct and indirect bene fi ts, they are inconsiderate of the long term bene fi ts. For this, the Suf fi ciency- economy approach is essential to educate the people. Based on this philosophy, it is necessary to bring a balance between the use of mangrove resources and the conser- vation and maintainance of its ecosystem. Achieving this will ensure the sustainable utilization of mangrove resources. Conclusion Mangroves are highly productive ecosystems that grow in coastal environments. They are a precious resource, a “Coastal Treasure” that plays a vital role in the lives of local people. They are also an ecologically signi fi cant habitat that support the growth and life cycle of various marine and terrestrial species. However, due to increased anthropogenic intervention arising from economic development, the mangrove forest ecosystem has been facing increasing pressure and threats. It is thus required for all stakeholders to effectively apply integrated sustainable management approaches for conserving the mangrove ecosystem through mangrove rehabilitation, mangrove protection and sustainable mangrove resource utilization. For this, the Sufficiency-economy approach should be essentially considered in managing mangrove ecosystems in a sustainable manner. Sanit Aksornkoae