Questions/Answers

Presently, Thailand has the total forest area of 163,200 sq.km. or 102,000,000 rai. To protect forest area, plentiful forest area has been declared as 154 National Parks with an area of 67,859.79 square kilometers or 45,126760.16 rai. Announced as national park in 1972, Doi Inthanon covers an area of 481.89 km2 or 301,184.05 rai, located in northern Thailand, situated on Thanon Thong Chai Range, soars to 400-2,565.3341 meters above sea level. Although it is a thick forest, uncomfortable transportation and cold, 152 Pagageryor traditional hill tribes, 35 households have still lived in Ban San Din Daeng, Doi Inthanon and used the area for agriculture and inherited culture related to forest and water for a long time. However, as a watershed area, it affects the quality of water in the creek and many important rivers in the country, therefore; it is necessary to initiate a suitable model for people and forest to live together without destroying nature. Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) signed MOU with Thai Rak Pa Foundation, a civil society organization, intended to conserve forest resources to be abundant from 1993 - 2016 in 1st Phase and 2017 - 2021 in Phase 2nd. Besides, DNP has implemented Project on Cooperation for Natural Resources Conservation in Protected Areas : Doi Inthanon, Chiangmai Province. DNP has established forest conservation network, created secondary career by weaving and dyeing of bark from nature and developed quality of life by building a small hydroelectricity power plant for energy security. DNP has also studied and understand Pagageryor’s way of life, raised awareness of people to conserve forest and strengthen people’s knowledge through the platform under key idea of changing people’s behavior from "invaders to guardian” and "hunter to teller" so that they can live with the forest sustainably.

The main objectives of the project are to support natural resources and environment conservation in Thailand to be sustainable based on the principles of good governance and all sectors’ participation, which provides opportunities for stakeholders in public and private sectors, people, and communities in the area to take part in natural resource management by appointing National Park Advisory Board as a key mechanism for brainstorming and supporting various aspects/operations of the National Park in terms of budget, equipments, knowledge, and career promotion to reduce people’s dependency on natural resources under the key idea of "people exist, forest exist" It also promotes and develops people in the conservative forest to depend on themselves. Besides, they shall have knowledge, comprehend and consciousness in caring of natural resource in their own region as well as change from “invaders to guardian”. People’s quality of life has been developed to be able to depend on themselves. The project also builds stabilities of economic and society by promoting the natural weaving and dyeing industry. Besides, it supports technology by building small hydroelectricity power plants so that it achieves the goal of sustainable deforestation solution, which can be developed and expanded to other conservation forest areas.

Project on Cooperation for Natural Resources Conservation in Protected Areas : Doi Inthanon derived from the cooperation of many sectors ,such as; Thai Rak Pa Foundation, Baan San Din Daeng community and several basin network, etc. to conserve natural resource in Thailand to be sustainable. The project is the integration implementation by giving the opportunity for organizations to participate in the decision-making process. Those organization can access and verify project implementation to build the capacity of public sector in both country and local level based on morality. It also give stakeholders a chance to participate and also listen to the community’s opinion in public affair equally and support participatory through network creation mechanism and ready to give services completely to gain efficient administration and continually in accordance with principle of rewards receiving in the field of “Marking institutions inclusive and ensuring Participation in decision-making”

Guideline for sustainable development; DNP achieves 10 goals of Sustainable Development Goals: SDGs Goal No. as follows. 3. Ensure that villagers are healthy and promote welfare for villagers in all age. 4. Insure that all villagers have equal quality of education and opportunity to learn for their whole life. 5. Achieve gender equality and empowers all women and girls. 6. Ensure that water and sanitation are provided for everyone and to have sustainable management. 7. Ensure that all people can access modern energy at affordable prices, trustworthy and sustainable. 8. Promotes continued sustainable economic growth. Full employment and efficiency, and appropriate job are available for everyone. 9. Create infrastructure, promote entire sustainable industrial development, and promote innovations by developing small hydroelectricity. 10. Reduce inequalities in domestic and international, protected Area Committee was appointed from community leaders and government agencies in the area. 11. Make city and human settlements cover, secure, immunity, and sustainable. Community can preserve its unique local culture under the concept of “people exist, forest exist” without forest encroachment. 15. Protect, rehabilitate and support the sustainable use of land ecosystems, sustainable forest management, fight to desertification, stop land degradation and rehabilitation and cease of loosing biodiversity.

Ban San Din Daeng is a community of Pagageryor, who want to live their way of live with the forest since their ancestors. As the government deeply understands hill tribe, they can live together. In addition, there is no electricity in Ban San Din Daeng village, government agencies then explore resource potential and draft a project development model, consists of external agencies. For example, private agencies share knowledge with community in a sample area such as, project on hydroelectric plant at Ban San Din Daeng, is a small headwater electric plant. This project was extended since Thai Rak Pa Foundation entered to help villagers to have a sustainable career. This village has an important headwater source; the villagers have forest conservation but have no electricity. Therefore, the electric plant project took place so that the village have electricity to use in the meantime they can also maintain the forest.

Pagageryor community live in Ban San Din Daeng village located in headwater forest area in Doi Inthanon National Park. The village has valuable natural resources both plants and wildlife. It is an important headwater area of the Ping River, originating many rivers and creeks e.g. Mae Wang River, Mae Klang River, Mae Ya River, Mae Hoi River, Mae Chaem River and Mae Tia River. These rivers provided nourishment for people lived in Chom Thong sub-district, Chiang Mai province. The Ping River still has been an important river of the country and it is one of the two rivers that meet to be the Chao Praya River. The way that community has participated in headwater forest conservation is compared as taking care of a natural reservoir that is constantly releasing water for the whole year. It makes a community in the midstream and downstream use water for consumption including control of soil scour and erosion, help reduce heat from the sun and help absorbs carbon dioxide, which is a kind of greenhouse gas that affects global warming which impact on the overall climate of the country.

Regarding the project implementation through the folk meeting forum process, it brings about new idea in creating understanding for Ban San Din Daeng community by taking weir and small hydroelectric generators as connected equipment to show that water is valuable. It makes people in community have better quality of life. Electric power causes the community's livelihood after the sunset has shifted in a better way, because people can weave cloths and do other useful activities. The community then sees the benefits of headwater forest and water that must be remained persistently. PES principles have also been adopted in this process by resource users, who are the people in community need to pay ecological compensation in the term of electricity bills, which identified by the community committee. Funds will be used to maintain the electrical system. However, because electric power has been used in weaving and rice mills, which generates income, the revenue has then been returned to support the maintenance of forests and water resources. In addition, water source is the fish conservation source for the community; the whole process is then an innovation that can be used to expand the results certainly in both the country and the region.

It is the original concept which, the community collaborated with government officials in the form of committees to oversee the headwater forest in order to have water all year round. The water is also used to produce electricity for using in the community. This community activity brought about raising awareness for the community to maintain the forest for their livelihood. Furthermore, The PES principle has been applied for conservation. That is, the resource consumers shall pat for the services to the resource keepers in terms of electric bills so that they can gather the fund for monitor and pay for maintenance of the electric generator and look after the forest. Besides, there are 23,000 rai of patrols to prevent forest destruction.

Finance: The project have received financial support by Thai Rak Pa Foundation to implement in other aspects including the procurement of equipment, making the understanding process and creating cooperation through the platforms in both within the community and the government agencies. Human Resources : Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and Doi Inthanon National Park, Ban San Din Daeng Community, Watershed networks, clergy and government officials. Materials Electric generator, including Global Positioning System (GPS) Knowledge : rules, regulations, and study on a model of water use to gain maximum interests in energy aspects, everyday life, agriculture, etc. as follows 1) Community rules and regulations: Ban San Din Daeng, Village No. 15 and Resource Management Section series (a) Natural Resources Management Regulations 2) Rules on Forest area management. (Forest conservation zone, Forest utilization zone) 3) Rules on Water and Aquatic Resources Management. Section (b). Roles in community, governance and development of Baan San Din Daeng. (as the attachment)

Yes

Regarding the successful implementation, the project hence was proposed as a candidate for reward on the contest of the Office of Public Sector Development (OPDC) and received an excellent level reward, which can be further applied as a model for the neighborhood or other areas. This prestigious award was given to government section in department level equivalent and the province continuously, organized by OPDC. The award given to the organization, intend to operate and concentrate on the importance of promoting public participation in public administration and cooperate their work with various sectors related to partnerships, or networking partners. Baan San Din Daeng, a prototype village, has been expanded to 7 other villages, namely Baan Pa Tueng, Baan Klang, Baan Huai Wok, Baan Huai Luang, Baan Hakkia, Ban Soap Mae Pha Pu and Baan Soap Mae Raum. It may extend to villages in other national parks in the country as well. Moreover, it can be collect additional information infinitely and also can bring the exchanging knowledge and learning back to develop their own villages to be more abundant. Besides, This is a morale boost for community , networks, as well as the staffs, who works until they have received awards.

This project can develop the headwater community in conservation forest. The cooperation project includes participatory management of National Park officials, Thai Rak Pa Foundation, Mae Ya - Mae Pon Watershed Network and Ban San Din Daeng community in preserving and improving the quality of life of Pagageryor who live in Baan San Din Daeng, a model village. - Social dimension Ban San Din Dang community still preserves traditional culture in terms of wisdom, community, culture, traditions and beliefs. The community can also preserve the unique of Pagageryor hill tribe dress, tribal native instruments, songs, plays and performances. Although the economic and social changes widespread, but Baan San Din Daeng still preserves these cultural identities beautifully. - Economic dimension: Thai Rak Pa Foundation supports career, teaches techniques how to weave clothes, create new patterns of clothes, find the market for sale the woven fabrics products. Moreover, it supported infrastructure, electricity and water to improve the villagers’ quality of life. It also promotes self-reliance on food by growing plants under sufficiency economy notion. If crops left over from household consumption, they can still be sold to be income for the family under the concept of "people exist, forest exist ". - Environmental dimension Villagers set community rules and regulations to share forest resources. They collaborated with Inthanon National Park and Thai Rak Pa Foundation to make boundary line to classify farmland by developing GIS database, caused strengthen in community; no conservation forest encroachment. Pagageryor believes in sacred ritual on the ordination of forest, fish and water. Small check dams were also built to store water for consumption, using for sufficient agriculture, produce electricity and conserve various species of fish. Ban San Din Dang therefore; is a prototype community that conserves the forest watershed of Doi Inthanon.

The community manages forest area, farmland, and water source by itself in terms of board. They issue regulations, design national resources maintenance, and specify penalties. Electric management committee oversees power plant maintenance and controls electricity used by community itself. Working with other agencies; community collaborated on analyzing lesson learned and disseminated to other villages in Inthanon Mountain range, such as Ban Pong Sayan, etc. - Guidelines for sustainable development: Forest and Wildlife Resources To care for forest and wildlife resources, the model of development should be developed to increase more effectively by training people about smart patrol. Water conservation For Baan San Din Daeng, villagers can use the water in many activities, for instance; consumption, electricity production, agriculture. In the dry season, the water in the creek will be just little, so it needs to have careful management of water, otherwise there is no sufficient water for electricity production and other activities. Soil conservation Due to the highland, villagers need to do terraced rice farming to conserve soil surface and promote organic farming since it is the headwater area. The community grows rotation crops so, it is necessary to study the appropriate patterns for soil surface conservation. Monoculture must be strictly regulated to be allowed not more than 2 rai / household. Main Career The community focuses on sufficient agriculture, an appropriate farming model, which shall proceed and disseminate. Like local rice, other local economic plant was push forwarded to conserved. Secondary Career Villagers’ secondary career is a natural weaving, which needs to find knowledge person to suggest for providing quality products, while government shall find market to elevate income for the community. When villagers have income, they will not invade the forest. Hydropower Utilization Weir and electric plant shall be designed to fit in other areas to increase effectiveness.

Yes

The project was used to be evaluated in a formal format and rated excellence in Public Administration Excellence Award in the year 2017 in the category of Outstanding Public Sector Development Award. The project operation can help develop and upgrade the quality of life of Baan San Din Daeng villagers in from hill tribe villages living in the highland in wilderness area, no access facilities, no electricity and water supply. At present, the community has a better quality of life. They can use electricity from hydropower, administrated by community. At night, a group of folks gathers to do activities together. For example, the group of youth read books and study together. Villagers get news and entertainment from television media. There is a gathering of people to give advice, group of dance, play music as a tribal culture. After finishing of farming, villagers still have spare time remaining for weaving natural dye. Electricity causes refrigerator used for preserve food and having more effective. Moreover, there is also a community rice mill that facilitates and reduces rice milling time. With the fact that the community and staff are loving, harmony and well-supported nicely, the care of the watershed forest area is smooth.

The project achievement brings about exchanging knowledge, learning process, innovative ideas, local wisdom, a village model, benefit for villagers and lower basin people. The results can be summarized as follows. 1. Maintain abundance of forest area over 23,000 rai. Many wildlife species were found such as pheasant, jungle flow, etc. 2. Mae Pond River flows throughout the year. So, Ministry of Energy and EGCO supported community to develop electricity hydropower. 3. Villagers have stability and plentiful food. Rice from rotation farming can feed people in community sufficiently. More than 30 species of wild plants can be collected for sale as supplement income. 4. People network are strong and have potential to take care themselves. They established rules for forest utilization, land management, and governance. 5. Villagers have sustainable living and self-reliant such as, having community rice mills, a secondary career. 6. Prototype village existed for natural resources conservation and expanded in other areas. 7. Villagers understand and aware of forest conservation, based on the principle of "people exist; forest exist", "from invaders to guardian" and "hunter to teller", led to land utilization resolution sustainably. 8. Community was strengthen and improved the quality of life led to sustainable development.

Indicators of the success of the Conservation Collaborative Program in Forest Conservation 1. Forest area has been conserved sustainably thus the village became a prototype community. 2. Conservation Collaboration Network has arisen within the community meanwhile; Ban San Din Daeng community is a prototype community. There are rules of conservation of the community. Consequently, the community has a better quality of life. Land use registration record has been established by participation of people in community. Likewise, there are the development of a small hydroelectricity power plant within community, and surveillance of the farmland expansion by network.

The project, a multi – sectional collaboration, has accomplished and can be model for applying to use in other areas. Collaborative integration. Inthanon National Parks integrated with community to participate in exchange views, and decision-making to find a way to live together. SAO gives advice about village governance rule. Community development agency and Sustainable Development Foundation promote career development. Government agencies, watershed network and Ministry of Energy mutually collaborate on land use, fish conservation, and constructing electronic plants. The equality of all sectors : Working in form of board, the watershed committee, Village Council, National Park Advisory Board consist of ;Doi Inthanon National Park, Government agency, SAO, local leaders, community leaders, religious leaders, local philosophers, knowledgeable people participate in consultation meeting to find an appropriate agreement to perform various activities and collaborative planning. All organizations have opportunity to share opinions and decision-making equally. Roles and responsibilities National Park Advisory Board appointed by DNP functioned as the middleman to coordinate Doi Inthanon National Park and all sectors. The responsibilities includes giving the advise, support and solve problems for National Parks. Thai Rak Thai Foundation, civil society organization, cooperated with DNP to implement project by supporting operational budget, materials, learning process creation, and collaboration through a learning platform for soil, water and forest resources conservation, initiating project “ One Headwater One Power Generation” Mae Ya-MaePont Watershed Network has a role of land use monitoring, helps to patrol abundant forest area, connected with other watershed networks, provide map. Government agencies such as Ban Luang subdistrict, SAO acted as National Park Advisory Board, Watershed network committee supports highland farming academic and control farmland not to expand the area into the conservation forest. Ministry of Energy assists to design and maintain weir as a source of hydropower for electricity generation.

DNP’s missions related to conservation, preservation, protection, restoration, promotion and resources maintenance and sustainable use of natural resources. To achieve the mission, DNP set up a Protected Area Committee (PAC) as mechanism for all parties to participate in natural resources management, which has Doi Inthanon National Park as a model. DNP also implemented project to solve the natural resources and environment problem to make people in community live with forest sustainably. The success of the project resulted from the collaboration DNP, Thai Rak Pa Foundation and Baan San Din Daeng community result in establishing Mae Ya - Mae Pond watershed network, consists of several network partners in government sector, independent organization, and foundations, etc. to take care of headwater forest area and water resources as well as control farmland, not to be expanded into conservation forest area., therefore; “people exist, forest exist”. Also, people in community change their behavior from “invader to guardian” The protected area has been developed to be a natural tourist attraction that can secure income so that hill tribe community’s way of life was turned from “hunter to teller” leading to the solution of forest destruction in the area of Doi Inthanon National Park sustainably.