Water resources policy and administrative management

Target population earn their living through farming , especially rice , and for many, off-season migratory labour in cities. Within the last five years and under the promotion of sugar industries in the locality, many marginal areas of paddy field have been turned into sugar cane fields. Sugarcane fields are expanding and encroaching paddy fields as well as community forest. In order to secure the yield of sugar cane, pre-selected chemical fertilizer and fungicide/pesticide have been used at a progressive rate. Apart from these , wildfire is common in dry season. Consequently, the areas of two community forests in the community continuously providing food and fuels for community are decreasing and prompting further land degradation. The goal of this project is to build capacity of communities on community forest rehabilitation and conservation and to carry out income generating activities to lessen the imminent threat on the forest. Project participants and/or beneficiaries: Apart from members of target villages, the following projects/organizations participate in the activities. 1.Kudkuang Tambol Administration 2.Nong Rua District Agricultural Office 3.Nong Rua District Forestry Office 4.Nong Rua District Community Development Office Activities to be carried out under project: 1.Organizing training/seminars/study tours and putting into practices on wild fire prevention, nursery and reforestation in degraded land and marginal paddy fields 2.Organizing training/seminars/study tours and putting into practices on integrated farming- producing organic compost, chemical-free vegetable and agro-product processing 3.Organizing meeting among community leaders/committee members to evaluate lessons learnt and formulating workplan Anticipated results /Immediate outputs of project: -approximately 50 ha of the two community forests under constant guard by community -Agreement and regulation for the use and protection of community forest -Decreased rate of wildfire -Re-vegetation from at least 1,000 new trees in marginal paddy fields and additional wooded area for community consumption -30 families practicing integrated farming -Reduced expense on chemical substance by Baht:520/rai/family -20 housewives earning more income form agro-product processing by Baht: 5,000/year/person -20 families carrying out chemical-free vegetable planting -Collaborative effort to protect the forest by five target villages -Local authorities lending respective supports to activities initiated by CBOs

Thailand