Conservation with Economic Development in Sub Tai village, Thailand
Case Study C0027
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| Date | 2002 |
| Agency | Population and Community Development association (PDA), an NGO |
| Donor/support agency | Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand Royal forestry Department Thai Environment Institute |
| Project type | Implemented by agency |
| Context(s) | Protected area |
| Geographic coverage | Thailand |
| Locality | Pak Chong district |
| Biodiversity focus | Ecosystem/Landscape |
| Development focus | Sub Tai village |
| Conservation goals | Conservation of biodiversity of Khao Yai National Park |
| Poverty reduction goals | Making community self reliant through a better use of financial resources |
Summary
Sub Tai is a small village in the Pak Chong district of northeastern Thailand. It is adjacent to Khao Yai National Park, which is home to 153 animal species and is a unique tropical system. Agricultural households are characterised by extreme poverty, low education and lack of farm management skills. Access to services such as medical care, education, training and credit is limited, so people often borrow from moneylenders at 120-240% of interest rates. People resoredt to illegal logging, hunting endangered species and unsustainable farming methods to escape the cycle of debt. This has resulted in extreme pressure on the park. In the year 1985, Population and Community Development Association (PDA), a well-known NGO of Thailand established a Community Based Integrated Rural Development Centre (CBIRD). CBIRD set up a group called the Environmental Protection Society (EPS) for managing the debts and conservation of biodiversity. EPS started loans to members at a rate of 12 percent for cash crops and 9 percent for the activities that were ecologically beneficial. In return, members agreed to stop cutting trees and poaching in the national park. Community was trained in reforestation, irrigation and sustainable agriculture with the help of government agencies. A carbon fund has been established to provide financial incentives to the community to replant trees and rehabilitate forests on public lands and in degraded areas. Under this scheme, villagers are now reforesting plots of public lands, which were earlier being used for growing cash crops. Under agriculture improvement, mini farm and vegetable bank schemes have been introduced. In mini farm scheme, a mixture of crops with high market value such as mushrooms, field crabs, chicken, ducks and frogs are raised on small plots of land. In vegetable bank scheme, irrigation systems are installed for collective cultivation of vegetables. The villagers pay installation costs over the years. CBIRD has also facilitated community's access to markets. All these efforts have nearly doubled the income of the community and many members are free of debt now. Due to the improvement of livelihoods, migration to cities has been checked. Community participation has led to a decline in Illegal logging in the park by 75% and many rare species of the park, including elephant and tiger, are now more secure.
Conservation impact
Community participation has led to a decline in Illegal logging in the park by 75% and many rare species of the park, including elephant and tiger, are now more secure. People are reforesting plots of public lands, which were earlier being used for growing cash crops.
Strategy for Conservation/Poverty Linkages
Payments for conservation services
Provision of alternative livelihoods
Reference 1
http://www.undp.org/equatorinitiative/secondary/equator_prize2002.htm#thailand
Reference 2
http://www.tve.org/ho/doc.cfm?aid=1325