“This temple used to be in the middle of the village,” he tells AFP in Samut Chin, about an hour south of Bangkok. Thailand lost almost one third of its vast coastal mangrove forests between 1961 and 2000, according to a report from the nation’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and the UN Environment Programme. Asian and Caspian coastlines are the two areas in the world most affected by coastal erosion, according to a study published last year in the scientific journal Nature. But the flooding has brought one unexpected advantage: dozens of tourists that flock to the so-called floating temple for Instagram-worthy selfies. “The fight against coastal erosion has brought fame,” village head Wisanu Kengsamut said.

Source: The Express Tribune April 08, 2019 06:11 UTC