Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
and animals to reside in the uplands. The role of forests and trees in maintaining
agricultural production and ensuring the availability of firewood and construction
material was highlighted as being essential for living in uplands. These aspects
formed the foundation for local forest management objectives and priorities.
It can be asked whether the current system of forest conservation is sufficient to
meet people's needs for forest products and services in the long run. Building up a
management system on traditional practices has proved advantageous, and the vil-
lagers expressed their contentment with the current system. For example, efficient
fire management in which villagers actively participated basically achieved positive
results in the increased number of forest products and a larger area of forest intact
after fire. The present results implied that community forestry is a viable option for
forest conservation and rehabilitation, if its political and legal bases will be improved.
Enhancement of the prevailing situation is necessary as co-management processes
were insufficient, distrust between authorities and local people existed, and negative
drivers such as fear of losing land, prevailed in management. In addition, increasing
rivalry over land and forest resources posed a threat to the sustainability of manage-
ment systems and to adequate local access to the future forest-provided benefits.
Community forestry law is one step towards ensuring local people's rights to the
natural resources they are managing. The decentralization process has since the
1990s transferred power in natural resource management to the subdistrict level, but
still local people's participation in all forest management activities, particularly at
the community level, needs to be improved. This could also provide a further incen-
tive to conservation and sustainable management for local people. Moreover, it is
important to take into account the various interests, social and economic stratifica-
tion, gender issues, and heterogeneity of ethnic groups in planning activities.
Improved negotiation processes and increased dialogue between the authorities and
locals would increase the sustainability of management systems.
References
Badenoch NA (2006) Social networks in natural resource governance in a multi-ethnic watershed
of northern Thailand. Dissertation, Kyoto University
CARE (2001) Collaborative Natural Resource Management in Mae Chaem District Project.
Project document, in Thai. CARE International in Thailand
Darlington SM (1998) The ordination of a tree - the Buddhist ecology movement in Thailand.
Ethnology 37:8-22
Douglas I (2006) The local drivers of land degradation in South-East Asia. Geographical Research
44:123-134
Ekasingh B, Ekasingh M (2001) Diversity for development: options for land use change. Paper
presented at the international symposium on LUCC contribution to Asian environmental prob-
lems, Tokyo, 13-14 December 2001
Elliott S, Navakitbumrung P, Kuarak C, Zangkum S, Anusarnsunthorn V, Blakesley D (2003)
Selecting framework tree species for restoring seasonally dry tropical forests in northern
Thailand based on field performance. Ecological Management 184:177-191
FAO (1996) Asia-Pacific agroforestry profiles. Second Edition. APAN Field Document No. 4,
RAP Publication 1996/20, Asia-Pacific Agroforestry Network, Bogor, Indonesia/Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Bangkok
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