“Please wait a moment, everyone. Stay still.” The boatman walked to the stern, grabbing a knife to skillfully cut away the plastic waste twisted around the propeller. Plastic pollution in the canal is a major hurdle for boatmen and passengers alike—turning a simple commute into an unwanted adventure along Bang Mot Canal.
I thought of the news I recently heard about “Marine Debris”—islands of trash the size of small provinces floating in the ocean. I pictured sea turtles mistaking plastic for food, and the haunting image of a straw being pulled from a turtle’s nostril…
Looking at the scene before me, I couldn’t help but think: “One day, the trash floating here in Bang Mot Canal will find its way to the sea.” Perhaps a filmmaker will create “Titanic 2,” where a massive ocean liner sinks not because of an iceberg, but because it struck a mountain of sea trash—a story of plastic destroying all romance.
I estimate that there might actually be more plastic in the water than there are living creatures. In the past, canalside residents didn’t need to go out and shop for everything; they used what they grew and harvested fresh from their local gardens. Containers and packaging were made from nature—using Prue (sedges), round reeds, nipa palm leaves, coconut leaves, or vines.
The Canalside community way of life might just be the key to restoring clear water for the fish, crabs, and aquatic plants. It could be the blueprint for a “Zero Waste” community that we need to reclaim. At the very least, it would ensure that “the water belongs to the fish, not to plastic waste.”
The lifestyle of people living along the canal—consuming local vegetables and aquatic animals—directly addresses several Sustainable Development Goals. I visualized a simple local menu from our Brackish Water Area:
Sour Curry with Shrimp and Seablite (Chakram)
Fiddlehead Fern Salad with River Shrimp
Snake Fruit Chili Paste (Nam Prik Rakum)
Grilled Nipa Palm Cake (Kanom Jark)
These simple dishes answer:
Goal 2: Zero Hunger
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Goal 9: Resilient Infrastructure and Green Innovation
All of this helps “reclaim clear water” and ensures the Bang Mot Canal community remains a resource that supports sustainable development for generations to come.
Finally… the propeller was freed from the plastic.
“We’re ready to move on” the boatman said.
His voice brought a sense of relief to the quiet passengers. Just then, the boat passed under a sign on a bridge: