Environmental policy and administrative management

Harn Arng Thong is a water body integrated with the Songkhla Lagoon and Gulf of Thailand / South China Sea. Apart from supplying water for agriculture, the 2000-ha wetland is a habitat for water species. Currently, the ecosystems of this wetland is being degraded due to sedimentation, deforestation from encroachment, drain-off of chemicals from both agricultural practice and household. Added to this is the rice-field burning after harvest practiced by the majority ,resulting in degradation of land and affecting water flow regimes. The participatory community plan of Tambol Don Pradu comprises 32 projects under 12 programmes where the project to conserve and rehabilitate of Harn Arng Thong is a component of the development of water management system for agriculture. Instilling conservation awareness, reducing application rate of chemicals and disseminating project result to wider audiences are virtually contributing to reversing degradation of the Harn Arng Thong and the Gulf of Thailand. Project goals or objectives (including GEF problem-area addressed by projects): 1.To instill environment conservation awareness 2.To reduce the use of chemicals in agricultural practices and in household consumption 3.To reduce rice-field burning to protect the soil and stabilize the emission of green house gas Activities to be carried out under project: 1.Building capacity of target population through survey related data & information, training camp for students and study tours 2.Conducting skill training on production of compost, organic fertilizer and non-chemical kitchen & toilet stuff 3.Practicing what are learnt in 1 and 2 Project participants and/or beneficiaries: 1.Park Phayoon Witthayakarn School authorizing students to be trained and practice what are learnt 2.Taksin University participating capacity-building activities: training, aerial mapping and formaulation of educational media 3.Park Phayoon District office of Agriculture participating in training of compost making Anticipated results of project: 1.Emergence of -300 sets of educational media of Harn Arng Thong -120 trained students ready for collaboration to rehabilitate and improve Harn Arng Thong 2.More than 250 families using produced non-chemical kitchen & toilet staff 3.About 75 families using compost and organic fertilizer in agricultural practice 4.About 180 ha of rice field free from burning

Thailand