A thesis submitted in partial fulfillm ent of the requirem ents for the Degree of Master of Science in Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management, School of Environment, Resources and Development

Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2008

This res earch presen ts a descrip tion and m apping of changes in land use/land cover and the people{u2019}s livelihood in Tha Kha m sub- district, Bang Khunthi an district, Bangkok province in Thailand during 1952 and 2002. This study used the aerial photographs from 1952 to 2002 to detect the changes in land us e/land cover patterns. ENVI and Ar cview program s were used for geom etric correction and classification. Key inform ants were interviewed to gather infor mation on the changes in livelihood from 1952 to 2002. The results showed that land use/land cover cha nged a lot form 1952 to 1967 and people moved to th is area for shrim p farm ing and salt farm ing, resu lting in land u se/land cover change. After 1967, there were not so m uch changes in land use/land cover; local peop le still cultured shrimp but together with fish a nd m ollusk in the sam e pond. In 1973, salt farm s disappeared and area for shrim p farm ing in creased. M angrove fores ts along the coastal zone have changed to shrim p farm s leading to coastal erosion. Moreover, sea level increased and further caused coas tal eros ion which also affected the local people{u2019}s livelihood and resulted in the loss of houses and shrim p far ms in the coastal zone.