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Koh Kha Subdistrict Municipality
Koh Kha Subdistrict Municipality Koh Kha District, Lampang
Vision: Koh Kha: A livable town with a good quality of life, a strong economy, convenient transport, transparent administration, care for the environment, preparedness to become a learning society, strong and compassionate community. Population: 4,687 (2018) Number of communities: 3 Area: 4.47 square kilometers
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It is hard to believe that a little over ten years ago, a small community such as Koh Kha where rice fields and orchards make up the majority of the geographical landscape, was once left to deal with environmental issues caused by poor waste management. A large amount of waste was transported directly to the landfill without proper sorting, which later resulted in many pollution and health problems. The estimation of the then condition revealed that within 7-10 years, without any adequate management, the local landfill wouldn’t be able to accommodate the accumulating amount of waste. In the meantime, the community was also facing the problematic use of chemical products in local agriculture, while people failed to realize the importance of problem-solving through collective intelligence.
Koh Kha Subdistrict Municipality’s approach to the issues aimed to promote awareness among the locals to develop a sense of community ownership.
Environmentally Sustainable City Management Model
Key of Success
Khuang Paya Ground is the platform that gathers opinions of people within the community. It serves as an essential mechanism for urban development. It allows every member of the community to express their ideas, and develop a sense of ownership, which motivates them to be protective of, and more participative in the management and development of their community with a public mind.
Managing the source
Back in 2006, this small subdistrict was producing 10 tons worth of waste daily. Today, the area can reduce its waste production down to 2.68 tons using the 3Rs principles, which minimize the amount of waste produced from the source and, consequently, throughout the mid-way process and the destination. The methods include waste sorting, recycling, and monetizing the sorted and recycled wastes. Organic wastes are turned into fertilizers, worm food, and bio-gas, whereas recycled wastes are sold to waste banks or go into upcycle processes. Foam and plastic wastes are categorized as RDF or Refuse Derived Fuel, while general wastes receive proper disposal methods. The community is informed about specific areas where hazardous and infectious wastes can be disposed with Wednesdays being the day of the week when infectious wastes are collected and transported to Lampang Provincial Administrative Organization’s Waste Management Center.
Sustaining food security
From managing sources of wastes to the aspect of green areas for food security and food safety and people’s well-being, the town adopts the concept where people learn to become their own food providers. ‘Refrigerator Garden for SelfSufficiency’ is the concept realized for every household within the community to have sufficient, chemical-free food. Koh Kha Municipality announces the Health Declaration, which encourages local families to grow a chemical-free vegetable garden for domestic consumption and bather between community members. Excess produce is sold to generate income, while household expenses reduce simultaneously.
Learning Center for Environmental Management
Learning Center # 1 Earthworms for a better earth
A learning center educates people about organic waste management with the help of earthworms. The use of worms as the manager of organic waste ends up creating a biofertilizer with affluent microorganisms and essential nutrients for plants. A part of the product is distributed to community members for organic farming. At the same time, the sale of surplus helps generate income for the group’s members, with some of the money given to the community welfare fund.
Learning Center # 2 Waste Bank
To encourage and educate community members about waste sorting the concept of a waste bank where they can trade recycled waste with a variety of products. Recyclable wastes are sorted, weighed, and calculated into values that can be used as cash at the waste bank as community members realize the commercial value of recyclable trash and unused items.
Learning Center # 3 Model households in waste management
A model household in waste management categorizes types of wastes into organic wastes, general wastes, sellable wastes, and hazardous wastes. The method has succeeded in reducing the number of produced wastes from 250-300 kilograms per day (2009) to 80 kilograms per day (present).
Learning Center # 4 Sufficient Home and Refrigerator in the Garden
Promote farming according to seasons and the use of natural controls to rely less on chemicals. Each household is encouraged to plant at least seven types of vegetables for domestic consumption, and the excess produce can be exchanged among community members or sold. The idea hopes to create a subdistrict of well-being, strengthen a local way of life and sufficiency economy following King Rama 9’s initiative, as people learn to be self-dependent and self-sufficient. The idea has been pushed forward into a public policy known as a community health declaration.
Learning Center # 5 Beautiful homes
Encourage community members to improve the landscape of their own homes and the community to be more pleasant and hygienic. Environmental and public healthcare criteria are developed to evaluate the living standard of local households while community members are in charge of the brainstorming, practice, observation, and evaluation. The approach helps provide a systematic solution to the area’s waste pollution problems through a community-derived process.
Learning Center # 6 Community forest by the people
The community’s management of riverside public space creates a learning center and a ‘community food bank’, which invites the nearby local community to plant different types of trees and herbs, as well as rare species of plants. The area is under the supervision of the tree carers who work in shifts and as a team. Activities are initiated, such as the Tree Donation project, which enables an expanding collection of rare species of trees through community participation. Community members who own rare trees and plants are encouraged to inform the municipality. The plants will be collected, nurtured, bred, and distributed to community members and public spaces.
