Sambor, Cambodia: AIT
consultants directly consult with
locals (pictured above) on issues which impact the institute's
action researches and outreach activities.
Local Wetlands Alliance partners in Northeast of Thailand and coastal
Cambodia welcomed a team of faculty and consultants from AIT to further
expand and strengthen AIT’s engagement in sustainable local
development.
The field trip took place from 17th – 23rd of May, during which the
AIT-team visited Kampot and Kratie. Comprised of faculty
representatives from School of Environment, Resources and Development
(SERD) and School of Management (SOM), and led by the AIT-AOP
coordinator, Dr. Theo Ebbers, Wetlands Alliance Aqua Outreach
Coordinator, the group learned about local communities’ and government
agencies efforts in improving local livelihoods and responsible
wetlands management. Prof Andrei Barkovskii of the Department of
Biological and Environmental Sciences, Georgia College and State
University, USA joined the AIT faculty members with a view to
aligning his wetlands-related activities with those of WAP, as
well as establishing a summer school-based relationships with AIT
as a whole.
During the spirited discussions between faculty and Alliance partners,
several overarching themes emerged which can provide a framework for
joint research and capacity building efforts on the local level. These
include areas such as local business development, micro-finance and
eco-tourism, wetland rehabilitation and impact assessments of local
development projects and strengthened local community representation in
policy and decision-making processes on the national level.
Facilitated by regional Alliance partners Coastal Resources Institute
(CORIN) of the Prince Songkla University, WWF and WorldFish, the field
trip constitutes an important step towards greater regional cooperation
between all Wetlands Alliance partners. The AIT team identified various
opportunities for AIT faculty and students to directly engage with poor
and disadvantaged rural communities, such as the placement of student
volunteers with local communities and the promotion of action research
in theses research. Five specific theses research areas have been
identified, which will be further developed through a continued
dialogue with concerned local Alliance partners.
Local Alliance partners expressed their appreciation for AIT’s efforts
to link their respective local efforts in sustainable development with
capacity building and formal education by giving greater emphasis to
local change agents in AIT’s scholarship programmes.