Community Forest Management in Thailand: Current Situation and Dynamics in the Context of Sustainable Development

Community forest management (CFM) has received increasing worldwide attention from governments, researchers and educational institutions over the past two decades. Many governments, especially in developing countries, have prioritized CFM over traditional forest management systems. In Thailand, CFM is not recognized by the legal system; however, there are de facto CFM practices under common property resource regimes. CFM has in essence been practiced here for hundreds of years by local people, and represents an important aspect of Thai culture. This study aims at evaluating CFM in Thailand in the context of sustainable development. To meet the objective, the study gathered information through focus group discussions with various stakeholders: academics, Forest Department staff, and members of the Chang Tok Tay community forests. From the study, it emerged that forest resources are critical for the livelihoods and survival of rural people, and so they have protected forests to ensure sustainable livelihoods. This study identified that prospects for sustainable CFM in Thailand are bright because: (i) community members are highly motivated and are sufficiently interested to protect trees because they are well aware that their livelihoods are under threat from depleting forests; (ii) tradition and culture of rural people support their relation with nature; (iii) non-timber forest products (NTFPs) play a crucial role in local livelihoods for subsistence and necessitate protection of the forest watershed, which is vital to support their occupations; (iv) spiritual rituals such as those where Buddhist monks bind yellow cloth on trees play a vital role in protecting trees, something rare in other countries. The study further identified various hindrances to achieve sustainable CFM: (i) legal support for CFM is absent; (ii) the Royal Forest Department (RFD) cannot transfer appropriate technology to community people due to lack of legal support; (iii) scope for developing effective strategies for sustainable CFM by combining traditional knowledge with existing scientific knowledge is limited; (iv) a formal institutional arrangement for CFM does not exist; and (v) community members’ access to the hard technology of CFM is limited. Therefore, in addition to legalizing CFM, a formal institutional framework for elaboration, implementation and control of CFM is essential to achieve sustainable CFM in Thailand.     

Buffer Zones as a Conservation Strategy

Abstract

Buffer zones serve as zones outside a protected area from which people can derive material or economic benefit, but which also provide wildlife habitat and ecosystem services. “Integrated conservation and development programs” (ICDPs) established in buffer zone communities promote sustainable patterns of economic development. However, they have been widely criticized for poor implementation. In this paper, I examine Conservation International's AMISCONDE program in Costa Rica as a case study of the role of ICDPs in buffer zones. The study suggests that varying and poorly defined conceptions of buffer zones among ICDP workers and participants can contribute to the failure of ICDPs to implement effective buffer zone-based conservation strategies. Alternative approaches to buffer zone delineation are examined. Recommendations include the clarification of competing buffer zone definitions; construction of a buffer zone definition that can be shared by all conservation participants in the region; and systematic assessment of the conceptual linkages between ICDP activities and conservation goals.     

Conservation policy–people conflicts: a case study from Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (a World Heritage Site), India

Perceptions of local people towards conservation policy and related management interventions, nature and magnitude of policy–people conflicts and, possible options for conflict resolution were analysed in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site in Indian Himalaya. People's perceptions were discerned through participatory discussions covering 419 households distributed in 10 villages in the buffer zone. Traditional uncodified rights of local people were substantially reduced through policy interventions set in since 1860s. Local people as well as tourists were excluded from the core zone covering an area of 625 km² since 1982. Deterioration of rural economy due to damage to crop and livestock by wildlife and, termination of opportunities of income from wild medicinal plant resources and tourism in the core zone were the key negative impacts of conservation policy felt by more than 90% of respondents. Mean annual economic loss per household was estimated as Rs 1285, Rs 1195 and Rs 156 due to damage caused by wildlife to food crops, fruit trees and beehives, respectively, Rs 1587 due to ban on collection of wild medicinal plants for marketing and Rs 7904 due to ban on tourism in the core zone. Reserve authority granted compensation of livestock killed by wildlife but it was hardly 5% of the market value of killed livestock as assessed by the people. People did not appreciate much the present benefits from the reserve management in the form of wages for carrying out afforestation work, partial compensation of livestock depredation and availability of solar power devices, wool, and spinning devices. Approximately 95% respondents identified empowerment of local people in respect of realising income from timber from dead/diseased trees in community forests, income from medicinal plants in buffer zone and opening of core zone for tourism as potential development options. Improvement in rural economy, the prime concern of local people, has not received as much attention as legal enforcement of protection by the reserve management. There is a need for developing policies and management actions that serve the economic interests of local people together with enhancement of environmental conservation goal.     

黑龙江盘中自然保护区总体规划探讨

在黑龙江盘中自然保护区区位、用地和资源的现状分析基础上,对保护区进行类型划分,确定保护区主要保护对象和规划目标,划分出保护区的核心区、缓冲区、实验区三大功能区域的范围和面积,进而再对保护区的规划管理设施和规划管理措施进行总体探讨,从而保证黑龙江盘中自然保护区的可持续发展。     

云南省重点保护野生植物资源调查信息管理系统研建

为使云南省第二次重点保护野生植物资源调查数据得到系统科学的管理及应用,在全面分析调查数据管理应用需求基础上,设计开发了一个基于ASP.NET、B/S结构和Microsoft SQL Server2008的云南省重点保护野生植物资源调查信息管理系统,系统主要包括用户管理、系统管理、数据录入、数据检查、数据管理、数据查询、数据统计、报表输出等模块,以ASP.NET为系统平台,以Microsoft SQL Server 2008为数据库后台,采用B/S系统架构设计方法,构建起一个科学、高效的云南省重点保护野生植物资源调查信息管理系统。     

怒江州全国重点保护野生植物资源现状及其保护对策

怒江州野生植物种类繁多，是云南省野生植物保护和管理的重点地区之一。怒江州全国重点保护野生植物资源调查，对列入调查的20种目的物种进行全州范围内的实地蹯查，基本掌握其资源现状和地理分布情况，通过对资源现状和致危因子的分析，对如何有效保护管理野生植物资源提出了相关的建议。     

长青自然保护区社区现状与资源威胁调查

采用实地访问法,对长青保护区茅坪区域社区人员情况进行了调查,调查发现:社区村民现今的生活方式对自然资源依附性较大,近亲结婚现象使山区的人口素质下降;社区村民房前屋后普遍存在堆积薪柴现象,加之传统上坟烧纸的祭祀方式,对保护区日常管理和区内野生动植物资源安全造成极大的安全隐患。通过社区调查与GIS空间数据分析对存在问题提出解决方案:一是确定出资源重点管护与森林防火监控区域。二是建立重点监控人群数据库。三是开展专项的巡查工作。四是改变以往工作方式,缓和社区与保护区的矛盾关系。五是积极引进社区合作项目,促进社区经济发展。     

美国国家公园管理的成功经验及其对我国的借鉴作用

美国是世界上第1个建立国家公园的国家,经过100多年的发展与实践积累了丰富的管理经验,很好地实现了保护与利用的双重功能,成为世界各国学习的标杆。我国自2015年首次建立三江源试点国家公园以来,迄今已有10个试点国家公园,在管理体制和运营机制上进行了较多的探索和尝试,在一定程度上解决了原有保护地体系中所存在的多头碎片化管理和过度开发利用等问题,实现了对国家公园资源和环境的有效保护。然而,由于我国国家公园覆盖面积广阔、保护对象和所涵盖的原有保护地类型多样、涉及的利益相关者众多,因而在管理和保护上都将面临较大的挑战,急需借鉴美国等发达国家的先进经验并结合我国国情不断完善和改进管理机制,以便更好地实现国家公园有效保护与合理利用以及多利益相关者的协调。文中在总结美国国家公园在管理体系、法律、规划和解说、志愿服务体系以及公众参与机制5个方面成功经验的基础上,进一步分析了我国如何借鉴其成功经验建设有中国特色的国家公园管理机制,以确保其能够健康有序地发展。     

共建共享中缅边境的环境和资源

云南中缅边境生物资源十分丰富,是一条绿色安全带,因地质地貌和气象条件复杂多样,生态环境脆弱。在经济发展过程中,人为活动容易造成环境恶化、生物资源缺乏,引起地区贫困。只有两国政府友好合作,创建有效的管理体制,建立法规化的环境成本补偿机制,加强生态建设,使生产布局和种植结构合理,以独创品牌和新的农业形式、经营方式、结构组合等科技手段,结合新农村建设发展生态农业,并开发旅游资源,达到可持续经营,造福两国边境人民。     

Experiences from developing an integrated land-use planning approach for protected areas in the Lao PDR

While early efforts to establish protected areas often excluded local people, modern approaches in many countries now seek to involve local communities in ways that are appropriate to the objectives for the protected area. In the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), a protected area management system was established in 1993. In many cases, the new protected areas had land-use conflicts with inhabitants who depended on the areas for their living. This study was undertaken in a protected area in the northwest of the Lao PDR. The primary objective was to identify and gain experiences from a feasible approach for improvement and implementation of protected area management with a positive interaction between people and the natural environment. An integrated land-use planning approach was adopted. It included participatory methods for data capture and analysis, including the use of a simple simulation model, the ‘Area Production Model’ (APM) aiming at evaluating different options for land use and primary production. The outcome of the study was positive in the sense that this integrated land-use planning approach was found to be well adapted to the needs of the protected area management system.     

西双版纳自然保护区茶树生物防火隔离带建设及其效果分析

针对西双版纳国家级自然保护区防火工作现状,2008年在曼稿子保护区建立了一条以林下种植茶树为主的生物防火隔离带,并委托当地群众进行管理,茶叶收益归其所有.通过2年时间的检验,认为防火隔离带在有效阻隔外部火源进入保护区、控制当地群众蚕食保护区等方面取得了较好成效,并有助于增加群众收入,减少了每年防火经费的投入.     

泰国的森林旅游与森林保护

本文简要地介绍了泰国森林旅游业的情况。泰国经济由"替代进口型"转向"外向型"的过程中,成功地利用了本国的旅游资源优势,发展第三产业。在发展森林旅游业时,采取森林资源开发与森林保护并重,发展旅游与改善环境并重,提高人民素质与加强法治管理并重的方针,取得了比较好的生态、经济和社会效益。这些成功经验,对我国林业改革很有借鉴意义。     

Protected Area Management in the Tropics

SUMMARY

This paper provides a brief overview of some key experiences from protected area management projects in Africa and Asia, to help set the scene for the new generation of transboundary protected areas. Particular attention is given to projects attempting to support protected area management by improving the welfare of local people, a key component of many transboundary protected area initiatives.

During the 1990s the funding available to support protected areas in the tropics increased significantly, leading to a proliferation of Integrated Conservation and Development Projects (ICDPs) and similar approaches. But many of these attempts to broaden access to conservation benefits by establishing tangible links between protected area management and economic development among local communities have been based on unrealistic assumptions and have struggled to be effective. As a result, future international funding for similar initiatives may be at risk.     

基于GIS技术的长汀县森林资源分类经营管理

依据国家林业局颁发的《全国森林资源经营管理分区施策导则》所提供的森林资源分类分区指标,利用GIS空间分析技术,综合长汀县林业基本图层、遥感影像数据、基础地理数据等,对福建省长汀县的森林资源进行了有效的分区分类,将其分为严格保护类型组、重点保护类型组、保护经营类型组和集约经营类型组4个类型,对分区的结果进行分析,并提出了相应的经营管理对策,为森林资源的有效经营管理提供了决策支持。     

Evaluating the Impacts of Forest Management Policies and Community-Level Institutions in the Buffer Zone of Chitwan National Park,Nepal

A Master Plan for Nepal’s Forestry Sector (MPFS), enacted in 1989, and subsequent legislation laid the foundation for modern community-based forest management in Nepal. In 2014, the MPFS reached the end of its 25-yr lifespan, after successfully ushering in significant institutional changes that fundamentally transformed the management of Nepal’s forests, mostly through devolving management and benefits from the national level to local communities. Here, we use the 25-yr anniversary of the MPFS to explore forest cover trends in the buffer zone surrounding Chitwan National Park (CNP). Landsat imagery was used for the years 1989, 2005, and 2013 to compute a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to analyze trends in forest cover for 36 buffer zone village development committees (VDCs). The analysis, covering approximately 1,267 km², found that since the MPFS was enacted, there was first a continued decrease in forest cover, followed by a significant recovery. These data offer insight into the success of modern community-based forest management policies and supporting institutions, and provide a model for other efforts to conserve forest resources in Nepal and elsewhere.     

广东省水鹿的分布格局与保护对策*

水鹿（Cervus equinus）保护及其生境的规划需要明确其在不同空间尺度的分布格局而采取相对应的措施。该文基于实地调查和文献资料分析,研究了广东省水鹿在省级和保护区级两种空间尺度下不同生态功能区的分布格局。结果表明,在广东省,水鹿主要分布于南岭中亚热带常绿阔叶林生物多样性保护与水源涵养生态区,其分布区域属省级生态功能区,生境质量较好,保护地位重要;在车八岭国家级自然保护区,水鹿多活动于人为干扰大的缓冲区与实验区,保护程度有待提高。建议以自然保护区为节点基础,开展就地保护;在条件较好的保护区之间建设大型生态廊道,增加破碎化生境的连通性,加强水鹿个体交流;同时应在保护区实施“全区覆盖”式管理,特别是在缓冲区和实验区严格控制人为干扰,加强对水鹿及其生境的巡护管理。     

勐腊林区农民参与森林管理探讨

勐腊县在1980～1985年实行农民参与式森林代管.代管期间,全县乱砍滥伐、毁林开荒面积由1978年的2 973.3hm2下降到1985年的271.3hm2;森林火灾次数和受害面积降低,分别是实行代管前的11.9%和39.4%.农民的造林积极性提高,造林面积年平均为1110.7hm2,是代管前的2.72倍,集体或农户造林面积占96.3%;妇女从事林业生产活动时间增加,由1980年每人的40天增加到1985年的100天.农户采集和销售的非木质林产品数量增加,1984年全县干竹笋采集量为86t,分别是1978年的3.55倍和1988年的1.72倍,全县收购的紫胶、竹笋、木耳和藤篾分别是是代管前的1.86、2.67、2.21和2.85倍;销售森林产品和代管森林所获得的收入由1980年的110元增加到1985年的320元,提高291%.说明农民参与森林管理有利于森林资源的保护和农村经济的发展.以此对勐腊县森林管理实行农民代管的原因、方法及存在问题进行了总结.     

Protected area co-management and land use conflicts adjacent to Phu Kao – Phu Phan Kham National Park,Thailand

This study examined land use conflicts between three villages and Phu Kao – Phu Phan Kham National Park in northeast Thailand that resulted from its access and utilization during 2013–2015. The source of conflict is usufruct rights, a government entitlement program designed to honor villagers who lived on the land before it was established as a national park or forest reserve. Ironically, designation of protected areas is not a safeguard for biodiversity. A complex set of rules and regulations control access to resources, but compliance is subject to government oversight and economic pressure to improve quality of life. Granting usufruct rights may reduce certain land use conflicts, but they fail to address agricultural expansion inside park and forest boundaries. For example, agricultural encroachment in this protected area increased by 13.1% during the study period, mainly through cassava plantings. Cassava requires a small amount of maintenance and has a high market value since it is being promoted as an energy crop by the Thai government. A variety of management strategies are needed for sustainable forestry, such as regular forest patrols, reduction of agricultural-based income, and community-based initiatives.     

自然保护地管理有效性评估方法综述

自然保护地管理有效性评估已经成为提高生态系统保护和管理效果、减缓生物多样性丧失的关键过程。文中对自然保护地管理有效性评估的主要评估框架、评估指标和评价方法等进行了比较。其中,由于管理目标和国情的差异,不同管理有效性评估的评估框架和指标体系区别明显。管理有效性评价方法主要包括基于打分的评价法、基于证据的认证法。在多种管理目标的自然保护地体系下,提出我国应建立符合不同类型保护地管理目标的管理有效性评估框架和指标体系,并将管理有效性评价作为自然保护地过程管理、科学研究的重要内容,探索科学合理的评价方法。     

Participatory forest conservation in Southwest lowland rainforests of Sri Lanka

Natural forest in Sri Lanka has been decreased significantly in the last few decades. The remaining natural forests especially in floristic region seven have undergone less conservation efforts in the past. Considering the capacity of the government and dependence on forest resources by local villagers, the only way for conservation of these forests in the Southwest lowland is forest management through local participation. Management plans for community-based resource management have been completed. However promotion of such management requires integrated measures, which are beyond jurisdiction of Forest Department. A holistic approach with political commitment concerning buffer zone villages and economic incentives with income generation opportunities supported by external inputs are expected to be implemented as a matter of urgency.