Water resources are important to living things in the ecosystem and are important for human consumption. They are also the origin of traditions and cultures that people in the community have interacted with for a long time, such as “Khlong Kanom Jeen” in Ayutthaya Province, which is both a transportation route, a food source, a local market, and the main waterway where the community organizes traditional events on various occasions. Therefore, the implementation of the project focuses on conservation that is not only about developing water quality and restoring the ecosystem but also preserving traditions and cultures that help promote community more.
In the first 5 years of the Youth Water Protection Project, the focus was on building relationships with people in the community and government agencies in 8 pilot communities through the communication of information and knowledge by students and relevant agencies to raise awareness of the problem, understand the causes of the issue, and lead to cooperation in jointly managing the problem. The urgent actions to be taken include waste management, the removal of water hyacinths without using chemicals, the development of canals around the school, and solving the issue of opening and closing water gates to enable the reuse of water for purposes such as rice farming, raising snails, and making fish cages. Improving water quality around Saklee Wittaya School led to an expansion of the number of communities jointly developing canals, increasing from 8 to 12 communities, covering the entire length of Khlong Kanom Jeen. Additionally, the focus is on creating a sustainable water quality management mechanism to restore Khlong Kanom Jeen as an important food source and maximize its benefits for the community.
The project supports youths in learning about water resources through educational camps to provide knowledge and organize water conservation project competitions as a platform to reflect the youths’ intentions. In addition, the project is aware of the current water crisis and situation, so it has established the “Youth Water Guardian Learning Center” at Saklee Wittaya School in Sena District, which is the first water resource learning center in Ayutthaya Province. Student leaders facilitate and conduct activities at various learning stations for those who are interested.
The project also raised awareness among youth networks in 16 other areas in Ayutthaya Province and conducted research in collaboration with educational agencies, such as Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya Rajabhat University, to convert scientific data into content for designing learning processes for students and community members living along the 21- kilometer route.
Up until today, the success of the Youth Water Guardians Project reflects the commitment of the work throughout the period. The project has inspired the youth to be aware and be a part of the conservation of water resources in their own communities. As a result, the quality of water resources in the community has gradually improved. There are natural indicators such as an increase in the number of aquatic animals, such as small shrimp, clams, or snails. Another important indicator of water quality is ‘fireflies’, which are starting to appear more than in the past.
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