Pomelo Wisdom Management in the Nakhon Chai Si River Basin: Learning and Self-Management in accordance with the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy

Abstract

The way of life of Pomelo Farmers in the Nakhon Chai Si River Basin is a wisdom that has been accumulated for a long time. There are the process of learning and inherit from generation to generation for living. Pomelo is also an important and famous geographical indicative plant of Nakhon Pathom Province. The impact from the growth of infrastructure, including the continuous natural disaster crisis has affected the lifestyle of the pomelo farmers in the Nakhon Chai Si River Basin.                The aims of the study on the integration of self-management by using local wisdom, and learning about the sufficiency economy philosophy for empowering the community has the following aims: 1) to study and synthesize knowledge, learning and self-management according to the sufficiency economy philosophy; 2) to study and analyze the synthesis of self-management and sufficiency economy appropriate to the context of Pomelo wisdom in the Nakhon Chai Si River Basin and; 3) to analyze values and practices based on the sufficiency economy philosophy that are suitable for development and learning by the public

            The study revealed the following results: 1) The dominant aspect of the learning and studying of Pomelo wisdom in the Nakhon Chai Si River Basin is the wisdom and knowledge management related to the local and unique natural eco-phenomenon. This especially concerns the tidal system, which is the natural ecological path of the area and includes the self-management of communities based on ecological-based calendars. 2) Self-management according to the sufficiency economy philosophy emphasizes the level of self-management that is linked to family and relatives, as well as group level management which comprises groups of gardeners, both of which formally support local area networks. Furthermore, network level management coordination was found in the form of cooperation to support the management of wisdom. Both the public and private sectors can survive in the midst of natural phenomena, and social and cultural factors that are constantly changing. 3) Values and guidelines based on the sufficiency economy philosophy consist of three main factor; namely, moderation, reasonableness, and self-immunity, alongside knowledge condition and moral condition, which are important elements of the sufficiency economy philosophy.