Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
19.1 Introduction
Deforestation is still considered a serious problem in Thailand, although the rate
has significantly slowed down during recent decades. The most rapid deforestation
rates occurred from the 1960s until the early 1980s. A total logging ban in all natu-
ral forests was enacted in 1989, which shifted the focus from forest policy and
management to conservation. The national forest policy approved in 1985 already
emphasized forest protection and reforestation. During the 1990s, the annual forest
loss was −0.7 percent and between 2000 and 2005 it dropped to −0.4 percent, while
from 1990 to 2005 the area covered by forest plantations increased by almost half
a million hectares (459,000 ha). Forest cover in 2005 was estimated to be 28 percent
of the land area (FAO 2006).
All forest land in Thailand belongs by law to the state. The Royal Forest
Department (RFD) was responsible for the forests and their management since its
establishment in 1896 until 2002, when forest administration was reorganized.
Since 2002, production and community forest management have been the respon-
sibility of the RFD, whereas conservation forests are administered by the
Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and mangrove for-
ests by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources. Furthermore, the TAO
(Tambon Administration Organization) Act of 1994 and the Decentralization Act
of 1999 have transferred the rights and responsibilities of natural resource manage-
ment to the subdistrict ( tambon ) level. Moreover, the logging ban has increased the
significance of local communities in forest management (Poffenberger 2000). After
17 years waiting, the Community Forest Bill was passed in the National Legislative
Assembly on 21 November 2007, and it is waiting for the royal assent to take
effect. Before, community forestry could be legally practised only in production
forests, but after enacting the new law, community forest rights can be given to
communities fulfilling certain conditions in protected areas.
This chapter examines local perceptions on the role of trees and forests in envi-
ronmental conservation among ethnic minority groups in the forested uplands of
northern Thailand. In addition, local views on reforestation and tree planting are
discussed, including existing agroforestry practices, current constraints and needs
for future development. Important questions are raised regarding the ability of cur-
rent activities to ensure future levels of forest products and services, but also con-
cerning policy and its implications regarding forest conservation, landscape
rehabilitation and reforestation. Results are based on fieldwork conducted within the
framework of the author's doctoral dissertation in 2002 and 2004 (Hares 2006).
19.2 StudyArea
Forests cover more than half the land area of northern Thailand (RFD 2005). The
main forest types are dry dipterocarp, mixed deciduous and evergreen forests.
A tropical monsoonal climate prevails with a distinct dry season from November to May.
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