The Before

When I first came to the Suphan Buri province, I was so excited to live along the Tha Chin River and learn all about the environment. Constantly, I’d explore the different plants and animals; I must’ve sat with my legs dangling into the water for hours, just looking at the different things that would float by with the ceaseless current.

But recently, the glistening water and ripples from swimming fish have been replaced. All I see are piles upon piles of water hyacinths, clumped together like floating islands, and clusters of lifeless fish. When the boat oar is dipped into the water, it's instantly tangled in the roots and strong stem of the water hyacinths. Early in the morning, we wake up to the appalling amount of dead fish on their backs on the water's edge and under the bridge. My neighbor sits waiting for the water's current to turn in their favor and take the largest clumps of hyacinths far enough for his boat to get break the water and get fish for his family.

The Inspiration

I was first introduced to this issue while talking to my neighbor, a long-time Suphan Buri local living along the river. I asked him why I haven't been seeing him going out to fish recently. As Mr.Nop points out, it’s clear that the livelihoods of the community surrounding this river are at stake. He himself faces a dilemma: as a fisherman, he is unable to catch fish and shrimp from the river that runs in front of his home for food and an income for his family. There’s simply very few fish left alive in the depleting conditions. If he goes upstream to fish, it would be more costly–assuming he’s even able to make it far enough. The water is sometimes close to being completely covered in water hyacinths, which gets caught in the boats that the villagers have always relied on. This narrative is true not just for Mr.Nop but also for many others who have depended on the river for years. Government officials do have some machinery that can remove large amounts of these plants but are unwilling to utilize them and use up oil.

Life persisting near and in the water has long since been a core part of Thai culture. We’re taught to respect and give back to the environment. The image to the bottom left above pictures my older sister and me holding traditional "krathong" for the annual Loy Krathong Festival in Thailand. It's a photograph from years ago. These krathongs are made from folded banana leaves and are floated along the river to give thanks to the water for sustaining our communities throughout the year, as per cultural tradition since the Sukhothai kingdom period around the 14th century. Because of these memories and cultural values taken as a core consideration for our initiative, the solution formed is one that sees water hyacinths not as an enemy or useless plant, but rather treats it as a gift that we can utilize.

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