Water resources policy and administrative management

The project area is situated in the ecological system of the Mekhong river. It is a part of the wetland area of Songkhram River, one of the main tributary of the Mekhong in northeast Thailand. The current agricultural practices focusing on mono-crop has rendered the once-intact forest a degraded one. Moreover, the practices has prompted vast-scale burning of rice-fields and unregulated application of chemical substance to maximize the yield thus making the land more degraded A grass-rooted , farmer organization, Ban Kham Bok Farmers Group has discussed amongst its 86 members to reverse the unfavourable agricultural practices and adopt new approaches which are more environmentally-friendly and consistent with livelihood security. The approaches , when implemented in wider communities throughout the dry northeast region, will reclaim the degrading ecology and simultaneously provide food security for the population in the region. Project goals or objectives (including GEF problem-area addressed by projects): 1.To build up learning process of farmers to be more environmentally-friendly in production process. 2.To create models for farmers and disseminate to other communities Activities to be carried out under project: 1.Conducting training on environmentally-friendly followed by study tours to areas which were successful in the approaches 2.Conducting mobile meeting to plots of members to provide moral support and share lessons learnt 3.Establishing a rotating fund to provide financial support for members 4.Producing organic fertilizer and feed for consumption in the communities 5.Launching among wider audience campaigns on No Rice-field Burning , No Forest Burning Project participants and/or beneficiaries: 1.Phonsoong Tambol Adminsitrtative Orgainization 2.The Sawang Daen Din District Agricultural Office Anticipated results of project: 1.There emerge 18 farmers who are pioneers and models for others after the first year 2.There are more of 200 trees / farmers / years 3.There is a rotating fund of Baht:300,000: for the group 4.The group acquires skill in producing organic fertilizer and feed 5.The target population and other interested groups establish regulation for No Field Burning, No Forest burning

Thailand