doi: 10.3850/S179392402009000106

Human Security and Coping Brackish Environmental Hazards in Fishing Communities of Songkhla Lake, Thailand

Shimpei Iwasaki^a and Rajib Shaw^b Graduate School Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University,
Yoshida Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan. ^aiwasaki@lake.mbox.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp ^bshaw@global.mbox.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp

ABSTRACT

This article integrates three dimensions on people livelihoods and human security and environmental hazards. It seeks for identifying the vulnerability of brackish environmental hazards in a context of livelihood dimension. The perspective places high emphasis on illustrating the adaptation to these exposures in fishing communities, in order to address human security at the community level. On the basis of the above consideration, a detail case study was conducted in Songkhla Lake which is brackish and the largest lake in Thailand. The findings explain that brackish environmental hazards have been increasingly undermining fishing activities and as a result threatening human security. The degradation poses a challenge to the fishing communities and leads to various livelihood patterns according to the geographical difference and anthropogenic pressures in the lake. These identifications will be helpful in throwing some light on enhancing resilient community development for sustaining human security.

Keywords: Human security; Livelihood; Adaptation; Brackish environment; Songkhla Lake.

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