Typologies, layering, and eco-integration : interpreting coastal adaptation system in Samut Sakhon | |
| Author | Ababil, Md Saify |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.UI-25-04 |
| Subject(s) | Ecosystem management--Thailand--Samut Sakhon (Province) Coastal zone management--Thailand--Samut Sakhon (Province) |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Urban Innovation and Sustainability |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Coastal settlements in Thailand’s Upper Gulf have long coexisted with dynamic deltaic environments, and saw a range of institutional and indigenous measures being implemented. But their interaction as multi-layered systems across physical, ecological, and governance dimensions remains under-documented. This thesis examines how coastal adaptation measures in Samut Sakhon Province are structured and function as a system, identifying patterns of typological differentiation, spatial layering, and ecological integration at the community scale. Using a typology-based lens, adaptation measures are classified into grey, green, hybrid, and vernacular types and linked to protect, accommodate, retreat, and advance functions and governance roles. A qualitative multiple-case study was conducted across five coastal villages through field observation, transect walks, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions. Data were analyzed using content and thematic analysis, followed by cross-case synthesis. Findings show a dominant reliance on grey protective structures, with green and hybrid measures appearing selectively, while vernacular adjustments provide fine grained accommodative functions that remain largely unrecognized in formal planning. Spatial and governance layering generates limited and uneven hybridity: recurrent but discontinuous sequences of breakwaters or revetments, mangrove belts, stilted settlements, and canal–drainage systems provide local robustness but leave gaps in protection and ecological continuity. Ecological functions are strongest in mangrove belts and canal corridors and only conditionally supported by front-edge structures, resulting in a transitional eco-adaptation regime where ecological elements are important but not yet central. The study contributes a system-level reading of coastal adaptation in a subsiding delta context and offers evidence-based insights to inform more coordinated, ecologically integrated planning and design for coastal communities in the Upper Gulf of Thailand. |
| Year | 2025 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Urban Innovation and Sustainability (UIS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Pramanik, Malay; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Vilas Nitivattananon;Shrestha, Rajendra P.; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | AIT scholarship;ReTrEAT cities Project Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2025 |