Water resources policy and administrative management

This is a co-financing project with SGP-PTF. The project contains two focus- areas, which are AoYai Sub-district; 6 Villages, and Huang Nam Kao Sub-district; 3 Villages. The GEF/SGP will finance the activities of 3 Villages of Huang Nam Kao Sub-district.The SGP PTF will finance the activities of 6 villages of Ao Yai Sub-district, including the monitoring and evaluation activities. Covering two ecosystems i.e. inland tropical forest and mangrove, the project area was known as one of the richest location of both marine and forest species and had integrated local livelihood and ecosystems harmoniously. The development process encouraged during the four decades ago has continuously turned the project area in to orchards and shrimp farms where harmful chemical substances are applied and mangrove area gradually encroached and eventually degraded. The process has caused serious problems on occupation of target communities, as well as problems on local and global environment. The main cause of the problems lies in the type of community carefree activities. Stressing on short term benefits, natural resources and ecosystems are carelessly exploited without adequate concern for future and other members of the world communities. Therefore, these problems need to be addressed urgently through building collective concern and undertaking reversing measures. Project participants and/or beneficiaries: 1. Community members of the nine target villages are primary beneficiaries and project participants. 2. Other participating organizations: - Provincial Natural Resources and Environmental Office of Trad - Muang District Office - Provincial Fishery Office of Trad - Community Radio of Huang Nam Khao - Huang Nam Khao Temple Activities to be carried out under project: 1. Building relevant environment capacity of target population through workshops, youth camps ,training and study tours 2. Building nursery and raising facilities for coastal and marine species 3. Conducing resources inventories 4. Launching reforestation of mangrove 5. Building nine units of solar heaters and putting into use Anticipated results/Immediate Outputs of project: 1. Emergence of the followings: - Resources database for further planning - Regulations for managing natural resources - One central CBO coordinating follow-up and monitoring of activities - Local curriculum for reference - Relief maps of both locations - Nine environmental development plans 2. Reduction of chemical applying areas by eight ha per villages ( 72 ha in total) 3. Increased mangrove areas by eight ha per village per year 4. Evinced increased capacity of 380 members of youth and women s group through active participation 5. Added value of local product and increase of income by 20 % per families

Thailand