Environmental research

Implementing NGO/CBO: Ethnic Group at the Golden Triangle (EGGT): Established on 19 September 2003 as a group and later registered as an NGO in Chiangrai Province, the group is permitted to work directly with ethnic groups by the governor. The development issues that the group is familiar with are community forest, research on sustainable land use in mountainous area, and northern river basin development. Location of project: 10 villages in forest-mountainous areas in Chiangrai Province s Chiangsaen and Muang District, containing forest reserve area and degraded area. The project is an ecological of the Greater Mekong Sub-basin. These villages, in spite of its 80-90 years old, do not have grid connection, since the utility considered that it would not be cost-effective to extend power line into the location. Target Population: 806 families in the project location where 302 directly participate in the project. Direct participating population primarily earn their living through agricultural practice planting native rice species. The secondary source of income is to provide general services. The per capita income of the population is THB: 32,000 ($ 1,022.70). Main Activities to be carried out: 1. Launching technical capacity building of targeted population through study tours and open forum 2. Building micro-hydro plants 3. Launching dissemination of project results 4. Launching participatory evaluation. Main Anticipated Results and indicators: 1. Increase technical capacity (renewable energy) of at least 30 members witnessed by ability to put into practice and use. 2. The electricity from the micro-hydro plants resulting in the followings: Avoidance of grid electricity thus CO2 emission by 6 tons/months (100 families) Reduction of fuel wood thus CO2 emission by 1.4 tons/day (100 families) Reduction of kerosene/diesel for lighting thus CO2 by 140 kg/day (100 families). 2. At least 400 members being educated and updated about globalization. 3. At least 3 women s group being able to extend their working hours into the nights thus possible income increase. 4. A watershed of about 48 ha being re-vegetate with 3,000 trees of native species.

Thailand