Khun Samut Chin is a delightful fishing village just 50 kilometers southwest of Bangkok, Thailand. Today, it is unfortunately being confronted with the cruel realities of climate change. Erosion and land subsidence are steadily eating the village, impelling its residents to reckon with an unknown fate. Residents at Khun Samut Chin are very concerned about the extreme erosion that consumes three to five meters of land each year. They’re seeing a concerning annual subsidence of one to two centimeters. Ever since the 1990s, the marine world has hardly spared the effort in invading upon the terrestrial. As a consequence, we have already lost nearly 4,000 rai (6.4 km²) of precious land.
Wisanu, the village head, manages five homestays as well. These warm homestays invite visitors who are ready to explore the back-in-time beauty of Khun Samut Chin. Hotel rooms, with accommodation costs from 600 to 700 Baht (£13–£16) for standard 3 star hotels. Each night, 50 Baht of your fare is invested straight back into a community fund for erosion mitigation projects. Here too many of the younger villagers have moved to Bangkok, looking for work in construction and factories. This historical change has displaced a once-thriving population from their home city.
The Struggles of a Small Community
That local school in Khun Samut Chin underscores the village’s plight. With only four students, it lays claim to being the smallest school in all of Thailand! This decrease is indicative of larger demographic trends as families continue to migrate away in search of peace and a future. As they are pushed out of their ancestral home, the villagers not only experience the loss of their physical home but the loss of their community and culture.
Residents—and even some developers—are frustrated. Most importantly, they view the federal government’s inability to kickstart major new projects as perpetuating their struggle to adapt to a changing climate. In the last two decades, officials have consulted and surveyed villagers to death. These coordinated efforts have yielded scarce real dollars or real solutions. Wisanu explains that Thai politicians have a tendency to focus on urban and industrial constituents. These areas offer higher electoral leverage and economic impact, putting rural communities such as Khun Samut Chin at a disadvantage.
The village’s struggle is not unique. It’s a microcosm of a larger, worldwide phenomenon. Over 410 million people around the world—59% of them living in tropical Asia—face these kinds of climate change-related struggles today. The situation in Khun Samut Chin underscores the urgent need for attention and resources directed toward vulnerable communities facing existential threats.
The Impact of Human Activity
This further deepens the environmental destruction plaguing Khun Samut Chin. This loss of sediment has left the land vulnerable, increasing its exposure to erosion and subsidence. The villagers know that these outside influences will have a powerful effect on their futures and the future of their children.
The transportation landscape is rapidly evolving. Khun Samut Chin has seen where his community used to live mostly consumed by the ocean. Only a solitary Buddhist temple remains on a small patch of land, symbolizing both the resilience and fragility of the village’s heritage. This temple is now a main focal point for the few remaining residents, as they come to terms with their shrinking landscape.
Faced with these overwhelming issues, Wisanu and his fellow village members are not without hope. Through it all, they continue to engage in grassroots, community-based efforts to save what little is left of their cherished hometown. Their bravery demonstrates the power of a fierce collective spirit. They are willing to be nimble and persevere through challenges, hoping for stronger leadership from public servants and elected leaders.
A Call for Action
The plight of Khun Samut Chin serves as a poignant reminder of the immediate need for action against climate change. Villagers know that if more people were aware of their plight, and supported them, they could make the changes needed to adjust policy and resource allocation. They urge local and national governments to prioritize environmentally sustainable practices that can help mitigate the effects of rising seas and erosion.
Wisanu, as well as the other community leaders, are still pushing for more comprehensive government action and investment in adaptation strategies. They call for infrastructure improvements, better management of water resources, and educational programs to equip future generations with tools to combat climate-related challenges.