Environmental policy and administrative management

An expanse of paddy field between the Banthad Range to the west and the Songkhla Lagoon/Gulf of Thailand to the east is the location where the majority of target communities earn their living by paddy plantation, with two crops a years. The current practice of plantation,however, stresses on production for cash prompting the intensive use of chemical substance to unnaturally boost the production. Nevertheless, the target population remains one of low-income groups in the Thai society with per capita income of Baht: 20,000: As the area is the circulation path of natural water from the Banthad Range down to the Lagoon/Gulf of Thailand, excessive chemical run-off will find its way to these natural water bodies. Moreover, post-harvest field burning as well as burning of other biomass in the area has become a common practice unnecessary adding greenhouse gas to the world atmosphere and resulting in land degradation. Having coordinated the effort of 132 organizations active in Phatthalung Province, the centre has,at provincial level, presented the situation of target communities for solution and come up with the proposal. Project participants and/or beneficiaries: 1.Nursery Centre No.13 2.Temples and schools in the project area 3.Provincial Industrial Office 4.Women s Weaver Group of Ban Phraegha 5.Centre for Non-formal Education of Phatthalung 6.Community Organization Development Institute and the Bank for Agriculture an Agricultural Cooperatives 7.Radio Thailand Phatthalung Province Activities to be carried out under project: 1.Launching seminars and study tours on rehabilitation and conservation of land and forest resources 2.Putting into practice what would be learnt: reforestation and maintenance of 48 ha of community forest and marginal public lands 3.Demonstrating chemical-free farming for one and a half ha 4.Demonstrating production of organic compost 5.Producing charcoal from rice husk 6.Using solar energy for food processing Anticipated Results /Immediate outputs of Project: 1.Emergence of at least three volunteer groups, with 15 members each, overseeing the reforested area 2.At least 3,000 trees in addition 3.Resource mobilization at least once with expected amount of Bath: 100,000 mobilized 4.Emergence of one research work on conservation and rehabilitation of land and forest resource 5.At least 48 ha of paddy field are free from chemical substance but applied with organic fertilizer 6.At least 300 families earn additional income from food processing by solar energy and from biomass charcoal 7.At least 8,000 tracts for dissemination

Thailand