CU Social Engagement in Nan

Chemical-free farming and preservation of historic old own in the spotlight

The province of Nan in northern Thailand is geographically important because it is the origin of the Nan River. At 740 kilometers, it is the longest of the four tributaries of the Chao Phraya River and contributes 40 percent of the water to Thailand’s most important river.

If something happens to the Nan River, it will inevitably affect the Chao Phraya as a whole. If chemicals contaminate the Nan River, they will eventually find their way into the Chao Phraya and contaminate much of the Central Plains.

For this reason, Nan has been chosen as one of three major areas of focus for the CU Social Engagement Project. The other two are Saraburi province and Si Chang Island. The project aims to help uplift Thai society and create a society of wisdom.

The project is an avenue through which Chulalongkorn University conducts itself as “society’s university”, serving as a center of information and contributing to sustainable development.

According to Prof Dr Narin Hiransuthikul, MD, Vice President for Strategy, Planning and Budgeting, the CU Social Engagement Project has four objectives:

1. To enter into a partnership with society to find appropriate solutions to pressing problems;
2. To ensure mutual benefits for society and communities as well as the university;
3. To exchange knowledge with the communities it engages with; and
4. To create positive and measurable impacts for the communities.

In Nan, the project focuses on tackling the problem of chemical contamination from farming, on preserving the old town and preventing disasters.

“We want to raise awareness of farmers in Nan regarding chemical-dependent farming and promote interest in organic farming,” says Dr Narin.

“We want to show people of the province the perils of chemicals in the environment. For example, field crabs have been contaminated with paraquat at a level hundreds of times higher than normal. If nothing is done, this will contaminate the Nan River.”

Under the project, a network of farmers’ groups has been formed, with members spreading out across the province. Support from the public and private sectors has helped the network to sustain its operations to promote chemical-free farming. It has initiated five projects in cooperation with Chulalongkorn University. They are:

• Restoration and Development of Nan Agriculture, a prototype project in cooperation with the School of Agricultural Resources;
• Nutritional Systems and Changes in the Way of Life, in cooperation with the Social Research Institute;
• Health Risk Assessment of Nan Farmers who Use Pesticides, in cooperation with the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences;
• Study and Assessment of Agricultural Chemical Contamination, in cooperation with the School of Agricultural Resources;
• Study of Herbicide Residues in Field Crabs and Local Food Made from Field Crabs, in cooperation with the Faculty of Science.

On the urban front, Nan municipality has won praise for its “Living Old Town”. The CU Social Engagement Project aims to help preserve and develop the town through four projects: Disaster Management Process Promotion; the New Identity of Nan; Nan Old Town Landscape Preservation; and Preservation of Nan through Languages.

“For the (disaster management) project with cooperation from the Environmental Research Institute, we taught residents how to be prepared to handle floods, which occur every year in Nan, and to draw maps to identify risk areas,” says Dr Narin.

The New Identity of Nan project, in which the Faculty of Architecture is involved, emphasizes preservation of historical sites as well as the creation of a new town plan to ensure tourism can be managed in a way that is harmonious with the old town.

“These projects will draw more visitors, which will lead to more hotels and resorts being built. So Chulalongkorn has to help set up a management system to ensure the environment and local culture are not adversely affected,” explains Dr Narin.

Meanwhile, other social issues have not been addressed, such as inequality in education. For its part, the university has been trying to help local people have better access to education opportunities.

At the same time, the university has conducted assessment studies to determine what impacts its projects have on local communities and agencies, as well as Chulalongkorn students involved in the projects.

In addition to Nan, the CU Social Engagement Project is operating in two other areas with contrasting environments. It is involved in industrial development in Saraburi and in fishery development on Koh Si Chang, an island off the coast of Chon Buri. This involvement has broadened and diversified the knowledge base of the participants, which benefits communities and the school alike.

“The important point to take away is that the impacts and lessons from the projects will lead to the improvement of development and learning processes,” says Dr Narin.

“This is not just to afford our students different learning experiences. But we are also looking for positive changes to our students’ learning processes through first-hand experience working with communities, as well as the well-being of local people and their environment.

“All this is intended to yield sustainable benefits for everyone involved.”

This article was originally published in CU Around December 2018, Vol.61, Issue 12, Page 11, available at https://www.chula.ac.th/magazine/15240/