Summer-Specific Recreational Spaces in Thailand: Community Innovation under a Changing Climate

Abstract

Thailand is currently experiencing prolonged and increasingly severe summer seasons due to climate change. This phenomenon significantly impacts public well-being, daily life, and the demand for recreational spaces, particularly in rural areas where recreational infrastructure remains largely inaccessible. Amidst these limitations, local communities have proactively initiated the development of "summer-specific recreational spaces," leveraging their natural and social capital, alongside local wisdom, to address pressing needs related to health, economic vitality, and social cohesion. This article aims to 1) review and synthesize conceptual frameworks on community recreation, climate change, and social innovation; 2) analyze the emergence of summer-specific recreational spaces in Thailand as a form of dynamic community innovation for climate adaptation; 3) examine the specific types of activities, their roles in promoting holistic well-being, and their contribution to local economies; and 4) propose sustainable approaches for their development and management. This study employs documentary analysis of relevant academic works, coupled with on-site observations of all four case studies.

The findings reveal that these summer-specific recreational spaces are dynamic community innovations playing a pivotal role in promoting holistic well-being, providing genuinely accessible and low-cost public spaces, stimulating grassroots economic activity, and preserving vibrant local cultural identity. Concurrently, they reflect the community's creative capacity to adapt to changing climatic conditions and contemporary lifestyles. However, the study also identifies persisting challenges concerning safety, effective resource management, and the crucial absence of long-term policy frameworks that could sustain their benefits. Consequently, this article proposes comprehensive development strategies that rigorously emphasize inclusiveness, ensure safety, promote environmental sustainability, and demonstrate strong alignment with broader national and local climate adaptation policies. The ultimate goal is to strategically position these valuable local spaces as indispensable mechanisms for genuinely enhancing the quality of life and fostering resilience among the population at the grassroots level.