Corporate Social Responsibility Project

The Forest Restoration for Eco-learning at Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park Project

Natural classroom "Save nature before it's lost forever"

Khung Bang Kachao is in Phra Pradaeng district, Samut Prakan, just 20 kilometres from the delta where the Chao Phraya meets the Gulf of Thailand. It is influenced by high and low tides and salinity levels due to its proximity to the sea. The area has a unique character and a great diversity of flora and fauna.

This 11,000-rai green area was lauded by Time magazine in 2006 as "The Best Urban Oasis of Asia" — the key word is "oasis", the "lungs" that produce oxygen for the city of seven million people for nine months in a year thanks to seasonal winds.

But our natural lungs have deteriorated due to the torrents of change pressing in around them.

The project was initiated in 2013 to restore a 40-rai forest in botanical garden and to renovate the park into an eco-learning site in the style of natural classroom. The site has become a popular recreational ground, nicknamed "the Lung of Bangkok".

After studying the terrain, the water channels and the plants, the 40-rai plot is divided into three restoration areas. The project requires planting new species in the existing areas, monitoring their natural growth until they fit into the structure of biodiversity and finding an equilibrium within one another.

Results of the continuous monitoring by Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University in the last 4 years demonstrate that biodiversity in these 3 forests has increased i.e. the average biomass of mangrove forest increased to 16.14 tons per rai or 57.2% increase, the average biomass of freshwater swamp forest increased to 11.83 tons per rai or 21.7% increase and the average biomass of rainforest increased to 11.53 tons per rai or 20.6% increase. As per the monitoring results, the number of plant species increased from 90 in 2014 to 118 species in 2017 or 31.1% increase.

At least 101 species of native wildlife have been identified. Birds in the area are both native species and migratory birds. Sri Nakhon Khuean Kan Park is an important location for bird watching.

The wetlands in Bang Kachao is one of the three ecological systems that has been preserved in sri nakhon khuean khan park.

View from the top of the bird watching tower in Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park reveals a lush natural canopy that inspires visiyors to appreciate the value of the place.

The bike trail around the park is good for light exercise and educational purposes. The path serves not only able-bodied persons. Disabled and elderly visitors on wheelchairs can also enjoy a new, 500-meter nature trail with over 10 highlights along the way, such as copper pod trees, banyan trees, caryta mitis trees and a shaded rest area by the pond. Because of the pleasant landscape near the body of water, the spot is popular among wheelchair-bound visitors as well as families with children.

These trails were supported by PTTEP, under the Forest Restoration for Eco-learning at Suan Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park Project including landscape renovation of the botanical park that covers an area of 100 rai at the front and another 40 rai of reforestation

The bike and the wheel trails amid the tranquil atmosphere in Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park have been improved for exercising and relaxing.

In addition, PTTEP continues to organize "Youth Guide Training", a training course for students in the area to build up network and raise awareness of the value of "Bang Kachao, Forest in the City". So far, over 500 students have been trained under this program. Each year more than 300,000 visitors visit Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park.

The Forest Restoration for Eco-learning at Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park Project received many international awards such as Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards 2021 (The United States of America), Asia’s Best CSR Practice 2021 (India), International Business Excellence Awards 2020 (The United Arab Emirates), Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards 2020 (Taiwan)

PTTEP has carried out analysis on Social Return on Investment (SROI) of this project by measuring the social impact of the program with the financial quantification calculation (monetization). This method is intended to measure the value of the financial impact of the program that compared to the value of the impact to the cost of the program that has been invested into. It appears that the value of the SROI ratio is 4.49:1.