การปรับตัวเพื่อการดำรงชีวิตบนพื้นที่น้ำท่วมซ้ำซากของเกษตรกรในชุมชนตำบลไทรงาม อำเภอบางเลน จังหวัดนครปฐม

The research entitled “Farmers' Adaptation to Livelihoods on Repetitive Flooded Areas in Sai Gam Sub-District Community, Bang Len District, Nakhon Pathom Province”, aimed to: (1) examine the impacts of recurrent flooding on farmers’ occupations and livelihoods; (2) design adaptive processes for sustaining life in flood-prone contexts; and (3) establish a learning network for adaptation at the subdistrict level. Employing participatory action research, the study engaged ๒๕ participants, including co-researchers and key informants, through in-depth interviews, community forums, field-based participatory activities, and collective reflection. Data were analyzed using content analysis in relation to contextual factors and storytelling in narrative and descriptive forms.

The findings revealed that:

Recurrent flooding negatively affected farmers’ economic conditions by limiting occupational opportunities, decreasing income, and increasing expenditures. It also created family-related stress, strained household relationships, and forced some members to seek external employment. In terms of health, flooding was associated with waterborne diseases, accidents, and depression, while in social dimensions, it generated neighborhood conflicts and reduced collective activities and cooperation. Community forums demonstrated local capacities and aspirations to adapt using indigenous knowledge, integrating a localized version of the “Khok Nong Na” model with community innovations such as raised-bed vegetable plots, floating chicken coops, flood-tolerant crops, and simple village-level water monitoring systems. A prototype area, the “Smiling Farmers” model at Wat Phai Sam Talueng, was established as a learning center linking temples, households, and schools. It operated under the principle of *public sharing*—joint work, shared use, and mutual benefits—fostering community resilience. Collaboration among farmer leaders, local monks, community members, and supporting agencies in knowledge and funding created mechanisms for income-generating activities. The “Smiling Farmers Learning Center” became a hub for collective learning, product exchange, and agricultural marketing. This initiative expanded to schools, enabling youth to benefit from agricultural products for school lunches and community markets, with farmer groups serving as mentors. The process culminated in the synthesis of the “Sai Ngam Smiling Farmers Network Model,” which serves as a practical framework for adaptive livelihood management in recurrently flooded areas.

The study underscores that adaptation for livelihood in flood-prone areas is not primarily dependent on technology or financial resources. Instead, it arises from local understanding, the integration of appropriate knowledge, active learning and practice, and the formation of strong community groups characterized by mutual support. The Sai Ngam Smiling Farmers Network Model demonstrates how crises can be transformed into opportunities through collaboration, shared learning, and the empowerment of community resilience.