tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7145117592063944458.post3817871828968867719..comments2023-11-02T03:40:09.064-07:00Comments on Human Perspective on Development and Environment: Slum Communities in Khon Kaen: Development and the Depletion of Natural ResourcesCIEE - Thailandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00702040572805817922noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7145117592063944458.post-50255741516284058222008-12-13T22:02:00.000-08:002008-12-13T22:02:00.000-08:00The development of rural cultures is a fascinating...The development of rural cultures is a fascinating phenomenon. While you point out how these “city dwellers” still pick vegetables, go fishing and scour the earth for delectable crab, one can’t help but assume that in some amount of time in the future these practices will be obsolete. <BR/><BR/>I agree with your contention that these semi-rural practices help sustain the livelihood of these urban communities. I also agree that it helps make attaining a decent standard of living possible. When these resources, for whichever reason, are destroyed, these families who already struggle to make ends meet will acquire this additional burden.<BR/><BR/>Sometimes it seems as if we are bearing witness to a great human travesty- we have literally sat and talked with the government agencies and corporations who have grand plans revolving around the continued development of the Northeast region of Isaan. I can’t help but wonder how “natural” this kind of development is and how the future of our world will be shaped by it.Dan Masciellohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16969781506261930421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7145117592063944458.post-50231862324416676802008-11-14T11:24:00.000-08:002008-11-14T11:24:00.000-08:00Your homestay experience sounds so rich and defini...Your homestay experience sounds so rich and definitely a learning experience about the way of life in Khon Kaen! Also, I think you pose a really interesting question at the end of your blog; the question of if it will be crucial in the future for those in slum communities to have to pick vegetables on the side of a highway, or if their lives will be so changed by urban development that they will no longer rely on natural resources. This is really interesting, but I think of the fact that though there has been substantial urban development thus far, there still exist those who rely on the land and the resources. Here in Morelos, Mexico, corn and land are two things that are crucially important to the rural people, and they will fight tooth and nail to protect both. It is indescribable how important these elements are to the lives of many Mexicans, and so in this sense, I wonder how important these natural resources are to the people of the slum communities on Khon Kaen. If the resources and way of life of the people there compares at all with the passion the Mexicans have for their land, I hope that even if there is more urban development, the people of Khon Kaen still get the right to fight for what is important in their lives; whether it be picking vegetables on the side of the road, or fishing in the permanently flooded rice field.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07393496489613140385noreply@blogger.com