Environmental research

The project area , Baan (village) Mae La-oop , is situated in a basin between Chiangmai and Mae Hong sorn Province, with several creeks draining into the Mae La-oop River. Each creek forms a part of intact watershed full of forest and mountains after mountains. Target population, mostly of a cultural group Kareni, earn their living through paddy farming , rotating cultivation and husbandry. There are 120 families with 781 people. The daily energy is derived from fire-woods, oil and electricity. Early 2003, the committee of the organization had taken a study tour to a year-3 GEF/SGP- supported project , THA-01-12 (Rice Milling by Water Power) in Chomthong District, Chiangmai Province. The project had successfully demonstrated milling rice by natural waterfall reflecting the potential of an existing natural energy and simultaneous conservation of environment, especially atmosphere and forest. Apart from realizing the use of waterfall to move milling machine, the committee perceived a maximum utilization of waterfall available in their locality. Not only would the waterfall be used for rice milling, but for other energy-consuming equipment also, such as an equipment to produce construction materials. As the target population is a forest area, and while the demand for wood for construction is ever-increasing, the committee had come to an agreement that the existing waterfall in the village would be used to produce soil-cement blocks for construction and a few other construction materials , in addition to milling rice. The project would contribute to reducing the use of diesel oil for the engine-driven rice mills in the village. At the same time, the construction blocks produced would replace wood in building process thus contribute to slow down deforestation and maintain some carbon sink. Actually, the project contributes to avoiding greenhouse gas emission and conserving biological diversity and land and water. Project participants and/or beneficiaries: 1. Jaem Luang Tambol Administrative Organization financial contribution 2. Mae La-oop Church providing preexisting facilities 3. Rak Thai Foundation capacity building and financial contribution Activities to be carried out under project: 1. Building a water-powered rice mill 2. Producing soil-cement bricks for construction using water powered moulds. 3. Conducting seminars and training 4. Producing media and materials Anticipated Results of Projects: - 80% of community members using the services of water-powered rice mill avoiding diesel oil used in the current mills @ 150 litres/month - 300 soil-cement blocks being produced daily (40 such blocks equivalent to a tree of one-foot diameter and 26 m. high required for construction - Community members in four villages demonstrating increased capacity on renewable energy - 40 community representatives from four villages gaining insight on renewable energy and being capable of retraining - Emergence of precise plan for management of natural resources and renewable energy - Continuous dissemination of materials - Emergence of a saving group

Thailand