Questions/Answers

Air pollution problem in Chiang Mai province was the results of burning in forest area which accounted for 93.87%, 4.48% in agricultural area, 1.65% in open space, and forest fire from neighbouring countries in Mekong river basin. In addition, the topography of Chiang Mai province that was surrounded by mountains has caused the ventilation of particulate matter difficult, leading to the accumulation of large number of small dust and impact to the health of the population. People couldn't spend time outdoor as usual, loss of income from the decreasing number of tourists, and ecological system had been destroyed by forest fire.Therefore, in order to solve the haze problem from its causes, aiming for PM2.5 reduction without affecting way of lives of farmers that had to burn agricultural waste in order to prepare land for cultivation (mostly rural farmers, and on the highlands that were poor). But it should not increase the level of PM2.5 and affect health of poulation, nor tourism economy, maintain the importance tourist attractions, maintain forest area from having severe forest fire. Because hotspots were mostly found in conservation forest area which is a steep mountain and difficult to access. So, fire couldn't be stopped completely, and with the dried climate, and large number of fuel which caused severe fire, easily spread, and difficult to control. Previously, the zero burning act wasn't successful so the approach has to be changed to the integration of fuel management. Therefore, it needs to have tools and data by integrating data from every organization to a database system, to support management decision to reduce PM2.5 through cooperation between government organization, private sector, and civil society to solve up-to-date problems with efficiency, transparency, verifiability for the quality of life of population, in the dimension of socio-economic, environmental, and health.

The initiative has aligned with the second category, to promote the efficiency of government organization to achieve sustainable development agenda, as it increased the efficiency of local organization management by integrating real time information data from related organization to make decision on controlling PM2.5 not to exceed the standard level, by focusing on working mechanism of organization and network which increase transparency and responsibility in accordance to the national agenda on "dust pollution control" that focus on open data and decision-making participation.

This innovation aimed for the emergency control on PM 2.5 that was above standard level, reduction of unnecessary burning, reduction of waste release to the climate (12), efficiency forest fire management, sustainable forest restoration, end deforestation(15) save the water ecological systemกษา (6) reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help climate change by adopting national-level policy (13) reduce the number of mortality and morbidity by warning alert of dangerous area (3) for all gender, age, and disability (5) living in a good environment (8) live in safe and secure settlement (11) zero-burning agriculture to preserve ecological system, and adapt to the changing climate and severe disaster (2) high value and safe agriculture, to reduce poverty (1) sustainable eco-tourism, creating jobs, and promoting culture and local products (8) support PM 2.5 knowledge for the understanding among youth in order to adapt, live in a sustainable way of life with cultural diversity, with human rights and gender equality (4) This has been put into practice by building cooperation networks of government organization, private sectors, communities, and the state (17) cooperate fuel management, and everyone can access to data at every stage (16) give knowledge, support budget, and personals.

From the initiative in Chiang Mai province, it is sustained in the following dimensions: Social: it maintains community identity, knowledge transfers through operation manual, people's participates in every process by using digital technology, integrates among networks Economics: positive impact on tourism and service business which is main income of Chiang Mai province, community has income from service and selling products Environment: Buring area decreased by 44.63%, hot spots decreased by 62.76%, highest level of PM2.5 decreased from 360 μg/m3 to 169 μg/m3 , the average PM2.5 for all season decreased Health: the number of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients decreased by 26.29%

The innovation has increased the efficiency of network association working process, visible approval management which increased the efficiency of local organization management, by integrating data from related organization for decision-making to efficiently manage and control PM2.5 from burning, and sustained the decrease of haze impact, efficiently decreased burning incident events without an impact on tourism economy, and maintained forest area not to have severe forest fire, and maintained farmers' way of lives which have to burn agricultural waste to prepare land for cultivation but did not increase PM2.5, and did not affect every group of the population, i.g. children, youth, disabled people, the elderly, and ethnic groups. Previously, there was data but couldn't be used to make decision in time, the Project on Developing Database System and Website Reporting on PM2.5 Situation aimed to increase efficiency of working process of network association, and public service to mitigate the impact on economic, social, and environment by people-centered approach.

Chiang Mai province has a population of 1,629,434, in which 784,437 are male, and 844,997 are female. It can be seen that the female population outnumbered male. Currently, female has equal rights in terms of employment, either as a housewife or entrepreneur where most of them are female. This innovation has protected women's health and welfare from PM2.5 problems, and get protection equally with other population, all gender and age, both male and female, including ethnic groups, and villagers, without leaving anyone behind, and results in positive impact on social, economic, and environment.

The target groups of this project are: - population in Chiang Mai province, to be safe from PM2.5 problems after we've solved the problems, the climate has been improved - farmers have been protected. They can burn agricultural waste to prepare for cultivation without increasing PM2.5, reducing cost and increase income - the Department of Forestry and the Department of National Parks have been protected in dimension of ability to work under their responsibilities, manage fuel in forest area to reduce hotspots in forest area, and reduce the severity of forest fire - tourism business has been indirectly protected from innovation. The business profits didn't reduced from pollution problem, with early warning, tourists were confident to visit Chiang Mai province with safety - government organization is part of working process to help general population, farmers, tourism business, getting data as a tool to work together with network association for fuel management decision-making. In addition, it reduced the lost of lives of forest fire controlling staff, reduced the lost natural resources, maintained tourist attractions and forest areas - society has become peaceful, no division, morbidity has been reduced, and focusing on network participation with responsibility, transparency in fuel management allowance, people can access the data equally

From the PM 2.5 problems, the Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organization has created a tool to solve the problem by consulting experts from Chiang Mai University and result in the development of database system and website reporting on PM2.5 situation. It was the proactive management that focused on in-advanced prevention and mitigation by setting up the provincial level command center to operate the control of haze problem with unity, and was supported by relating organization, and changed from "zero burning" to "fire management", with the following procedures: Component structure of biomass fuel management 1.organize events to find solutions between government, private sectors and the general population 2.organize meetings to inform village and sub-district head, and local administrative organization's representatives 3.the community set up community burning plan, and submit to sub-district level center staff for consideration with district level center, to fill in the form for fuel management in FireD application 4.government organization, Department of Forestry, Department of National Parks fill in the form for fuel management in FireD application 5.FireD application send data to the provincial level command center 6.provincial level command center working team grant a permission by using data from http://cmdss.chiangmaipao.go.th to increase the working efficiency of government, private sector, and the general population network association 7.evaluate permitted areas by village, sub-district, district committee, policemen and soldiers for transparency and examination Structure of data components the data analysis and report on PM 2.5 situation were from measurement, forecasting, and satellite data as tools for real-time operation. To promote for the general population/communities participation, together with building community awareness and consciousness, and to access data, and prepare for the situation by meeting, traning, talking, and publicity through Line, Zoom, and voice line announcement.

Problems and obstacles in the operation were in building up understand in cooperative procedures to solve problems among the government officers, private sectors, and the general population, and integrated cooperation to work on their duties; problem solving guidelines by organize meetings to inform village, sub-district heads, and trained the local administrative organization staff to use PM 2.5 database system, and FireD Application; the cooperation via Line, Zoom, radio, and voice line announcement. Moreover, the application of VDO conference as the command center to solve the provincial-level problems.

It is the integration of using information data from every organization and set up database system and website reporting PM 2.5 situation, to help up-to-date decision-making and control PM 2.5 not to exceed the standard level. By data integration, and network integration to do their duties have decreased forest fire incidence effectively, did not affect tourism economy, and maintain forest areas as well as granting permission for effective forest burning in order to reduce impact on way of lives of farmers, under the operation of forest fire and PM 2.5 prevention and control command center.

PM2.5, law enforcement that was contrary to farmers' way of lives, affected quality of life, tourism economy, lose of forest area from forest fire, Topography of Chiang Mai that was surrounded by mountains has caused ventilation difficult, leading to accumulation of large number of small dust. In order to solve these problems quickly and up-to-date by using digital system and reducing working procedures, were used for decision-making and solving PM2.5 problems not to exceed standard which are reliable, up-to-date for government and network association to participate in effective decision-making, with transparency, equally access by general population.

Initiative has integrated and collected PM2.5 measurement data in Chiang Mai area with meteorology, geographic, forecasting, satellite data, and climate science knowledge in website http://cmdss.chiangmaipao.go.th to be used for decision-making in PM2.5 control not to exceed standard level, and integrated with biomass fuel management supporting system in order to solve PM2.5 problems, reducing network association working procedures for quick, up-to-date, and warning management if dust level above standard level. If there were hotspots in forest, location can be traced before access to control fire quickly&safely. Technologies can be used easily through mobile phones and computers.

The initiative has been transferred to practice in society concretely. These include the establishment of local curriculum in schools under the Local Administrative Organization affiliation, and Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), and application development to use as tools and publicly practice. In addition, there was also system guideline manual, digital video via online channel for the general population, and publicize to other organization in the purpose of learning and practice at provincial, regional, national, and, in the future, international levels. The initiative was a prototype in which many organization came to visit and study to learn and use as an example, for instance, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Army War College, National Research Council, Third Army Area Command, Mae Hong Son province, and Chiang Rai province. Moreover, there was an interest in the innovation by the French Development Agency, that 7 people came to study via Zoom between 2.30-3.30 pm on 18th May, 2021, to adapt for air quality improvement in Southeast Asian countries, and to have MOU for working integration with provincial administrative organization networks all over Thailand, for the application and utilization of this innovation as the same pattern throughout the country.

The Chiang Mai Provincial PM 2.5 Prevention and Control Command Center has staff and resources for training, for knowledge, technology, and innovation transferring for interested institution and organization, In addition, it is also the learning center. Previously, it had group of visitors that interest to visit and study. It is also aimed for prototype, process guidelines in the form of local learning curriculum, application, online database system. Moreover, there are guideline manual, digital video for the general population and publicized. More importantly, this innovation is an international system that all network association can apply and adapt for their own areas as appropriate. At the same time, it can also link with other contexts such as rubber leaves, palm tree, sugar cane farm, rice straws, corn, tree branches burning in neighboring countries, in every dimension, for a diversified and sustainable PM 2.5 reduction in the globalization and digital eras of the new global context.

This initiative used budget of 3,500,000 THB which include 2,200,000 THB for development of data linkages and collection, 300,000 THB for improvement of CCTV laboratory, to develop PM2.5 prevention and control command center for working cooperation of government, private sectors and civil society by participatory, transparency, verifiability process. Budget for public relations and knowledge transfer to village, sub-district heads, farmers, local administrative organization representatives, working team, etc. and building for understanding among general population through media such as video, online database operation manual, local curriculum for learning was 500,000 THB, budget of 500,000 THB for evaluation.

This initiative is sustainable because it involved people's participation response to operating system which have to be under working cooperation that people have clean air. Several organization have participated in decision-making with transparency and verifiability. All of these were putting under the Chiang Mai's announcement on "Measurement of open space and agricultural area burning prevention", October, 2021 which has promoted none discrimination policy and law enforcement. This participatory data and working process have been widely accepted by government organization, general population, farmers, tourism business sector, have been expanded to Northern provincial group that have similar topography.

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Evaluation was divided into internal evaluation, by Strategy Division, to evaluate each project quarterly, evaluate results according to annual development strategy. For external evaluation, higher education institutes had taken responsibility in evaluating project. In addition, there was also efficiency evaluation on the local administrative organization which is called Local Performance Assessment by the Department of Local Government Promotion, the Integrity and Transparency Assessment of the government organization by the National Anti-corruption Commission, the evaluation on good performance of local administrative organization, both by Decentralization to the Local Government Organization Committee, and Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.

Indicators for PM 2.5 prevention and control action consist of central data statistics in air pollution management of the province. In addition, the Local Performance Assessment (LPA) by the Department of Local Government Promotion, the Integrity and Transparency Assessment (ITA) of the government organization by the National Anti-corruption Commission, and the evaluation on good performance of local administrative organization, both by the Decentralization to the Local Government Organization Committee, and Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, have used national standard indicators to evaluate the empirical performances, questionnaires, interview guidelines, self assessment, and satisfactory assessment, in accordance with academic standards.

Total score of LPA was 92.14, ITA of the government organization was 66.92, and total score of public service was 100 full score. Results from internal evaluation by self, using questionnaires to evaluate overall satisfactory of the population to innovation project which consist of civil society, related organization and government organization, found that in high satisfactory. For external evaluation, from Mae Jo University, found that project was very useful for people in areas because of ability to manage biomass fuel, with permission of community leaders, and to have climate data in order to work and do outdoor activities which lead to good health of population, under highest participatory process, with transparency and good cooperation within community, and all sectors can access information data equally. Results from PM2.5 prevention and control were that people were able to live outdoor as normal, lost of tourism income has been decreased, maintaining community's way of life, burning areas have been decreased by 44.63%, hot spots have been decreased by 62.76%, highest level of PM2.5 has been decreased from 360 μg/m3 to 169 μg/m3 , and number of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients has been decreased by 26.29%.

The establishment of Chiang Mai Provincial PM2.5 Prevention and Control Command Center has used the biomass fuel management system as follows: 1) Receiving burning permission petition for agricultural areas from farmers, and forest areas burning permission petition (for fire barrier by the Department of Forestry) 2) Checking location of burning areas by using PM2.5 data from CMDSS system to make decision. PM2.5 density level should not exceed 50 µg/m3, and forecasting ventilation indicator should be at a good level on the day that need permission, the burning permission petition would be granted. Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organization made decision with other government organization such as Provincial Office of Natural Resources and Environment Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office, Provincial Police Region 5, Armed Forces Development Command, Royal Thai Air Force, Northern Royal Rainmaking Operations Centre, Chiang Mai Provincial Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Chiang Mai University, and Civil Society (Chiang Mai Breath Council and Tourism Business Association and The Federation of Thai Industries). Duties were divided into fire surveillance from permitted burning areas, plan for advance fire control, control burning areas without permission, provide assistance to people suffered from forest fire, and PM2.5 health problems.

Government sector under the PM 2.5 Prevention and Control Command Center, Chiang Mai Province, in 2021, via http://cmdss.chiangmaipao.go.th by Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organization provides location, budget, and staff in directing, preventing, mitigating, and supporting people who suffer from forest fire, and the above standard PM 2.5, by divided duties as follows: 1. Collect data for analysis, evaluate forest fire situation, climate quality data, and provide data, and academic advice. The stakeholders are the Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organization, and the Provincial Office of Natural Resources and Environment Chiang Mai. 2. Evaluate risk sources, surveillance, and plan for prevention and control. The stakeholders are Chiang Mai Provincial Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Provincial Police Region 5, Soldiers from Chiang Mai Wing Division 41, Chiang Mai Provincial Agricultural Extension Office, and village and sub-district heads. 3. Fill in fuel management form via FireD application. The stakeholders are Local Administrative Organization, Protected Areas Regional Office 16 Chiang Mai, and Forest Resource Management Bureau 1st (Chiang Mai). Private sector Tourism Business Association and The Federation of Thai Industries help to support tourism economy, and cooperate in finding safety zone.

Lesson learned from the operation of forest fire prevention and control in Chiang Mai province area has led to the change in working process of government sector from passive to proactive strategy, and prevention, by changing regulations from zero-burning restriction to participatory fuel management, by establish roles and responsibilities, and strengthening network association, in order to maintain traditional agricultural way of life, develop potential and learning among farmers, general population, government sector about fuel management. Also, to support the adding values to agricultural waste, build confidence to the working committee to make decision in burning permission, and use data from the innovation for warning when PM2.5 is at a danger level or affect health of the population. Currently, database system is in the website form, and can not evaluate the movement of air mass from fuel management areas. Therefore, plan for this fiscal year is to develop this innovation into mobile application which will be more convenient, and able to evaluate the movement of air mass from fuel management areas