Ban (village) Laem Makham is situated in Sikao District , Trang Province. There are 120 families in the village who earn their livings by small-scale fishery using simple fishing equipment. In order to increase income for the community, the women?s group had launched and activity which turns fishes of low economical value into food product such as dried fish, salted fish, fermented shrimp etc.

In the process of turning fishes of low economical value into food product, heat from sunlight and fire-woods are required. However, heat from these two sources have some limitation i.e. the sunlight is not always in abundance (the southern region of Thailand is known as the land of ? eight rainy months and 4 sunny?), while fire-woods have become scarce to obtain. It has been estimated that 20-30 sticks of fire-woods (10 cm. dia and 1 m.long) were required to heat 10 kg. of fishes.

In order to cope with the limitation, the women?s group has initiated to increase the efficiency of sunlight by introducing solar heating process as well as to rehabilitate the surrounding mangrove forest so that it will supply fuel in term of fire-woods in a longer term.

Project goals or objectives (including GEF problem-area addressed by projects):

1.To identify appropriate technology sources to replace the burning of fire-woods alone
2.To rehabilitate and conserve mangrove forest
3.To build capacity of the women?s group in the development of occupation and environment

Activities to be carried out under project:

1.Conducting training and seminar for 50 members of the group on sustainable development, rehabilitation and conservation of coastal resources
2.Launching activity on reforestation ( approximately 8,000 trees)
3.Fabricating 20 small, simple solar ovens

Project participants and/or beneficiaries:

1.Ban Laem Ma Kham Mangrove Forest Committee
2.Khao Mai Kaew Tambol Administration Organization
3.Yard Fon Association
4.The Department of Energy Development and Promotion, Ministry of Science ,Technology and the Environment

Anticipated results of project:

1.There increase in additional income at Baht:50:/ family from food product
2.There are 20 solar ovens which will considerably reduce the rate of fire-woods consumption.
3.There are approximately 10,000 more trees in the surrounding mangrove forest.