Fa Likitswat

Nature-based Solution (NbS) designs increasingly are being implemented to reduce environmental impacts of urban development and enhance community resiliency to disruptions ranging from floods to climate change to Covid-19. But, the question remains, how do we assess the ecosystem service benefits provided by competing NbS designs in order to optimize such benefits? As such, the objective of this study was to develop and trial an assessment approach for the valuation of ecosystem services in a peri-urban area of Bangkok, Thailand. In our evaluations we considered the ecosystem service benefits of: i) water yield; ii) sediment yield; iii) nutrient yield; iv) carbon sequestration; v) urban heat island mitigation; vi) crop production; vii) habitat quality; and viii) aesthetics. Our ecosystem services valuation approach was tested using three case studies in peri-urban Bangkok, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani: i) an existing new single detached housing development in the area; ii) an area in ...

Over the past decades, Bangkok peri-urban has been transformed from agricultural villages to urban development communities. Within the flat terrain and poor drainage characteristic of Chao Phraya Lower Floodplain, peri-urban agricultures are considered to be one of landscape patches and areas that creating and adding ecosystem services and values for mega urban areas. The significant loss of agricultural landscape of Bangkok peri-urban means that the loss of seasonal water retention areas, productive landscapes, as well as habitat for urban wildlife. This research classifies and analyzes landscape transformations especially agricultural landscape structures and functions of eight selective sites surrounded by the urban fringe of Bangkok. By tracing over the landscape change patterns backs form 1952 to 2018, the study areas include; 1) Rangsit Klong Sam and Klong Si, Pathumthani 2) Bang Kradi, Patumthani, 3) Lum Lukka Klong Hok Wa, Patumthani, 4) Klong Chorakea Noi and Klong Lat Krab...

A “Smart City” framework was used to investigate and develop visions of alternative futures for a peri-urban superblock north of Bangkok, Thailand. The Smart City framework considers seven smart pillars: environment, economy, energy, mobility, people, living, and governance, with a focus on community wellbeing that is supported by information and communication technology (ICT). A mixed-method approach that included: community and industry surveys, both online and face-to-face (total n = 770); in depth, semi-structured, stakeholder interviews; passive participant observation; and photo-documentation was used to inform and organize the project visions and designs. Several themes emerged from the community surveys and key stakeholder interviews: (i) connected green space is highly valued and effectively links multiple smart pillars, enhancing community wellbeing and resiliency to flooding; (ii) superblock mobility, connectivity, and sustainable development could be achieved through a s...

Growing food in a city is quite challenging but possible around the globe. Urban farming practices require specific knowledge depending on the location and the limitation of the land or space availability in a city. Under tropical climate conditions, even though the growing season is extensive, there are investment and business models on greenhouse urban farming within a city boundary. This paper highlights the greenhouse urban farm location and focuses on the commercial perspective of producing crops in Bangkok Metro Region (BMR). The paper focuses on reviewing and analysing greenhouse urban farm opportunities and challenges. There are two objectives of the study to understand landscape patterns and analyse the challenges and opportunities of greenhouse farming within BMR: 1) understand the landscape pattern of greenhouse farming with BMR and 2) analyse the challenges and opportunities of urban farming in BMR. The results are discussed with respect to specific topics including gree...

Using a case study approach from past projects in Singapore, Australia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, we examine the benefits, but also some of the challenges, to implementing green space in urban design. Green space can have multiple physical and psychological wellbeing benefits, as well as environmental benefits, including urban runoff quantity and quality management, urban heat island abatement, air quality improvement, and noise reduction. Water sensitive urban design (WSUD) can be an important element of green space design and here we explore how modeling of ecosystem services and dynamic modeling of WSUD can help to facilitate sound planning and management decision making in support of green space implementation. As we illustrate with examples for Australia, Singapore and Cambodia, we believe that application of an urban ecosystem services modeling approach can elucidate environmental benefits of urban green space that otherwise may not be considered. Engineers may include d...