The Integrating Spirits of Place and Sustainable Development Goals with The Management of Spatial Benefits for Conservation and Tourism: A Case Study of the Mangrove Palm forest of Sai Thong Community, Mai Kaen District, Pattani Province

Abstract

This research aims to propose analyze the spirit of place for integration into the management of watershed environment factors in southern border provinces and to propose an integrated approach to the spirit of place for managing environmental factors in watersheds in the Southern (Thailand) border provinces, within the context of social ecological change, using the Sai Thong Community as a case study. The method of studying social sciences and anthropology was qualitative research by collecting main data from semi-structured interviews, focus group discussion, including documentary research, and field observation for lead all informations to content analysis.

The study results indicate that the spirit of place of the Sai Thong community consists of two elements: 1) the bond between people and places, where forests are a shared consciousness of the community, and 2) the sense of place that creates an awareness of identity both, inside and outside the community. The study analyzes four types of capital - natural, social, cultural, and local economic – in conjunction with the Sustainable Development Goals' economic, social, environmental, and development partner dimensions. These can be used as an integrated approach to the spirit of place for managing environmental factors in watersheds, as described in the article. The article proposes a model of spatial benefit management for the conservation of the Sai Thong community and spatial benefit management with tourism integration.