Sunday Perspective:
How to protect dwindling Thai forests
 
By Tunya Sukpanich
 
EXTENSIVE land reform projects, commercial reafforestation
schemes, and the seemingly never-ending flow of illegal land
occupiers are destroying Thailand's forests.
Protected forests -- including wildlife sanctuaries, national
parks and watersheds -- with rigidly enforced prohibitions on
logging, mining, tree farming or development and resettlement
schemes, offer the only hope of preserving Thailand's ecological
balance.
Increasing the number of protected forests has long been a major
concern of the Forestry Department, but the protection of the
forests has never been successful despite the strict measures that
have been imposed.
Legislation to stop logging has only meant that logging continues
illegally because the department lacks the personnel, weapons and
cooperation from the surrounding communities to enforce it.
Many solutions have sparked much controversy. Local villagers
faced immense problems, for example, when forest zoning was
initiated and they were ordered to move out of protected forests.
Recently a private consultant, Midas Agronomics, completed a
pre-investment study advising the Forestry Department on improving
the management and protection of forests, and the development of
buffer zones.
Midas advocated setting up four forest complexes, each
incorporating several forests. The proposal is based on the
recognition that the ecosystems of adjacent forests are
interconnected, and that wild animals move freely among them.
Dr Lert Chantanaparp, a forest ecologist and lecturer at Kasetsart
University, believes the forest complex concept is very
significant. "We now have individual management plans for each of
the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Officials in each
area work on their own although they might be neighbours. Such
methods were proved to have failed long ago. Now they need to
change for the better," said Dr Lert, who leads a team that is
researching the plan.
Another significant difference with this proposal is the extent
that the activities invite the participation and collaboration of
local communities.
The forest complex concept is based on the fact that damage to the
ecology in the upper forest affects the lower area as well.
"There are ecological links between neighbouring forests, forests
and rivers, as well as the different minor ecosystems in the same
forest," the doctor said.
The study, "Conservation Forest Area Protection, Management and
Development Project", was funded by the Global Environment Fund,
which is managed by the World Bank.
The project will cost an estimated 2,080 million baht, of which
some 500 million baht will come from international sources working
on bio-diversity conservation. A 1,000-million-baht loan is
expected from the World Bank, while the remaining sum should be
allocated by the Thai Government.
Success of the Midas plan is not ensured since development
projects are still planned for several parks which will be part of
the forest complexes.
Project proposals include Mae Wong Dam in Mae Wong national park,
a reservoir in Khao Soi Doa wildlife sanctuary, Nam Chern dam in
Nam Nao national park, and many new roads in Phu Khieo wildlife
sanctuary and Kaeng Krachan national park.
The four forest complexes -- Kaeng Krachan, Khao Soi Dao, Phu
Khieo, Thung Yai-Huay Kha Khang -- represent different ecosystems.
They are also the most important forests in the Southeast Asian
region.
Management of the complex means a close relationship, not only
with the ecosystems and wild life, but also among the people
working in the protected areas.
"Officials and villagers need to work together to preserve the
whole complex, not individual forests. It is now rare for the
chief of one protected area to pay attention to another [protected
area]. They work within their own boundaries," he said.
Villagers' dependence upon the forest makes them familiar with the
different animal and plant species and their usefulness, much more
so than researchers from academic institutions. The villagers'
involvement would make the research on bio-diversity more
complete.
To protect the complex, a process of demarcation was suggested,
which needs the full involvement of the villagers.
"We still hear about villagers illegally occupying protected
forests because the boundaries are so ill-defined. This leads to
confrontation between officials and villagers. A mistake of one
centimetre on a map can create many problems," he said.
Previous attempts by the Forestry Department to stop illegal
occupation of forests through demarcation failed because they were
extremely costly and ran into "large geographical restraints".
"Midas proposed a five-year period, but that is not enough time to
do the work. Investment costs were estimated to be as high as
10,000 baht per kilometre," Dr Lert said.
Protected forest should only be demarcated in the most sensitive
areas, he said, such as those boundaries most vulnerable to
external and internal pressures.
"Another problem is that villagers who live in or close to the
area do not usually accept the idea, since they depend on the
forest for food, wood and other things. Before making any
demarcation, villagers in the area should be persuaded to accept
it so confrontation can be avoided," he said.
Suraphol Duangkhae, a representative of the Wildlife Fund
Thailand, said that demarcation of protected forests will benefit
the officials whose duty it is to prevent the encroachment.
He noted that every community is afraid of being relocated.
"If the Government assures the communities that they can continue
living in the area and ask the villagers to take care of the
forests, not only to help the Government but also themselves, I
believe forest protection will be effective," he said.
Another significant aspect of the Midas plan is the proposed
Buffer Zone Management Programme, under which local communities
will gain certain benefits. For example, these areas will become
community forests which the villagers can rely on for food or
timber for building and firewood.
The buffer zone concept was discussed years ago, but never became
official policy.
Suraphol said there are different opinions on buffer zones among
officials and non-government organisations (NGOs).
"To [NGOs], villages can be buffer zones for protected areas, as
they are the best and most efficient kind. But usually state
agencies look at the buffer zone as vacant land or forest reserves
adjacent to the protected area," he said.
In Huay Kha Khang wildlife sanctuary, some villages have been
relocated to at least five kilometres from the sanctuary.
"Villagers are again the victims since they were moved to
infertile land. They have been ignored by other state agencies
since the beginning of the project by the Forestry Department,"
said Suraphol, adding that the World Wildlife Fund (Thailand) is
working in the villages.
T he Midas plan also proposes a detailed study of the impact of
communities in the protected areas on the well-being of the
forests. There are hilltribe communities in Thung Yai Naresuan
wildlife sanctuary, Klong Wang Chao national park and Umphang
wildlife sanctuary. The Wildlife Fund Thailand will begin studying
the Karen settlements in Thung Yai Naresuan. This will help
decision-makers decide whether to move them out from the protected
areas.
If the Midas plan insists that all protected areas and buffer
zones be uninhabited, the confrontations between officials and
villagers will continue.
But, if as the plan points out, Thai forests continue to be
threatened by dam projects, uncontrolled tourism, and even some
rural development projects that cause villagers to lose their
land, they will be forced to retreat to the forest for survival.
Under these circumstances, there will be no advance in the
protection of the forests. Rather, we will once again be back at
square one.
 
*******
National parks have long existed in Thailand but intensive and
substantial research of their ecosystems has not been conducted
properly. Without appropriate research, much of Thailand's
wildlife could become extinct, and the Thai people would not even
notice. TUNYA SUKPANICH reports.
 
"RESEARCH of protected areas, particularly wild flora and fauna,
has been poorly conducted and on a much-too-limited scale," claims
Wildlife Fund Thailand official Suraphol Duangkhae, who directs
the fund's technical and conservation projects.
Thai researchers agree that if intensive research is not begun
immediately, the opportunity to study many species of flora and
fauna will be lost forever due to the effects of many development
projects in the country.
Thailand's first protected area, Khao Yai national park, was
established almost 30 years ago. The purpose of protecting this
land was to focus on the conservation of the forest, which is the
watershed for several rivers. Now the protected areas in Thailand
have grown to 77 national parks and 36 wildlife sanctuaries.
The concept of conservation of bio-diversity is much newer. The
importance of the diversity of life in these protected areas has
not yet been fully appreciated. As a consequence, the focus of
much of the research has been on specific species and numbers of
larger wild animals and plant life in these areas. "Small wild
animals, plants and other living organisms have rarely been
studies. Also, the relationship of wild animals to their
surroundings has not been given priority in research," added
Suraphol.
A new dimension is needed in forest research, he believes. It
should be more systematic, more cooperative and focus more on the
importance of the ecology of the areas.
Jarujin Nabhitabhata, a biologist and curator of amphibians and
reptiles at the Ecological Research Division of the Thailand
Institute of Scientific and Technological Research, agreed that
the studies of forested areas continues to be rather individual,
repetitive and shallow.
"We might even get several research teams working on the same
types of animal, while very few, if any, in other areas," he said.
The purpose of the research is also unclear. Most studies
concentrate on remaining numbers, or species.
Significant research should focus on the relationship between
wildlife and the ecosystem they live in, as well as their impact
on the ecology when they become extinct.
"We know very little about fish, particularly native fresh water
fish. It is regrettable that many species of fresh water fish have
disappeared because their habitats were destroyed," Jarujin said,
adding that the construction of dams has flooded river banks, the
natural breeding ground of the fish.
A similar thing is also happening with marine fish. "The Fisheries
Department has been very successful in breeding several types of
marine fish as well as fresh water fish, but this is for
commercial purposes. Many species have not been recognised since
they are of no commercial value," he said.
Jarujin also strongly criticised the construction of dams for
water storage. "Policy-makers who support dams as the only method
of water storage are ignorant. Without enough fresh water the sea
will die. The ecosystems of the estuaries will change, and the
natural breeding sites for marine fish and certain fresh water
fish will be destroyed," he said.
Compared to other animals, he believes, the knowledge gathered on
birds is much more detailed. There are many amateur bird watchers
as well as researchers who are willing to help record rare and
migrating species of birds. "But, as I said before, there is no
in-depth reporting or research on the relationships between birds
and other species in the ecosystem they live in," he said.
It is the same with amphibians. The studies concentrate on a
certain species but the biological knowledge is rather limited.
Also, the number of researchers working in this field is very low.
He said that Chulalongkorn University, for instance, has projects
on turtles and crabs.
"Under the project, new species of crabs and turtles are being
found. This proves that there are many new things we need to learn
about nature," he said.
As an example, he cited the information available on the small
cobra, a common snake in Thailand. "Recent findings show that
there are three types of small cobras," he said.
He also expressed concern about the lack of research in the
bio-diversity of northeastern Thailand.
"If we look at maps which present ecological factors and habitats
of wild animals we always find a blank space in the Northeast, not
because there are no natural resources, but because there is so
little knowledge or research on this region," he said.
If action is not taken soon, the opportunity for such research
will be lost forever, due to development projects being undertaken
in the region, including the gigantic Khong-Chi-Mool water
diversion project. This dam will change the entire region's
ecosystem.
He has conducted research on reptiles in the Northeast and even
discovered a new species in the forests of Nong Khai province. He
expressed hope that a new map of the Northeast will be completed
soon.
Studies of many insects, including butterflies and mosquitoes,
have recently been completed. The research teams discovered 1,112
species of butterflies and more than 600 species of mosquitoes.
"Thanks to a large number of amateurs who are always seeking new
species, some of the finds have been given to the scientists and
biologists for further study. If there were only scientists and
biologists doing the work, they would not be successful," he said.
Scientists and biologists always work in the laboratory and have
no time to seek new species in the wild. Amateurs help by
collecting new or unfamiliar species and sending them to
scientists for identification.
He said he has no objection to the trade in some pretty insects
because they have a high breeding capacity. Collecting and trading
them will not endanger them, he said.
"I do not think that [amateurs] threaten the insects with
extinction. Insects can breed rapidly and easily in nature. Forest
destruction is the main cause of the rapid disappearance of
insects from nature," he said.
He said a rare butterfly on Doi Chiang Dao had disappeared
following a forest fire that destroyed the trees that were its
food source.
T o cope with the lack of systematic research on wildlife, he
said, the Sueb Foundation and other non-governmental organisations
working on conservation have held several meetings for wildlife
research scientists.
First it is necessary to know what topic they are researching and
to encourage cooperation among them, he said.
The need for more work is urgent, as well as the need for more
research on ecological relationships. Detailed studies of the
effects and usefulness of medicines and pesticides must be
included.
"Only 20 per cent of our local flora is reportedly known in any
depth, while another 80 per cent might be known by genus or
species, but their significance to pharmacology has not yet been
identified," he said, adding that all local wildlife is part of
the country's natural wealth.
Besides knowing the scientific and ecological value of wild flora
and fauna, it is necessary to learn and appreciate their economic
value as well.