Choking Rivers: The Water Hyacinths

In Suphan Buri, Thailand, the overgrowth of the invasive species commonly known as “water hyacinths” is altering the river conditions that locals are reliant on: traveling by boat through the hyacinth-covered water surface is increasingly difficult, and the resulting blocked sunlight and depleted dissolved oxygen concentrations are causing large amounts of fish to die. To combat this issue, the “Choking Rivers” project aims to produce animal feed from the plant. This would give more value to the water hyacinths, thereby providing an incentive for volunteers, government officials (currently unwilling to use available machinery), and locals to contribute to efforts to remove excess water hyacinths from the river.

We hope to scale up this student-led project and enable opportunities to host “volunteer days” and discussion panels on the issue, especially with the networking that has been done (with UNICEF Thailand, etc.). This project will improve the river water quality and stabilize the river ecosystem. In turn, this would enable fishermen/women to have more stable jobs to provide for their families. It addresses multiple SDGs, including goal 14 life below water, and ensures the resilience of a core aspect of Thai culture.

Find out more here:

https://sites.google.com/rism.ac.th/choking-rivers-initiative?usp=sharing