RATCH & RFD jointly empower community to develop forest areas for CO2 capture and storage combating climate change
Bangkok – The Royal Forest Department (RFD) in collaboration with RATCH Group Public Company Limited (RATCH) under the Love the Forest and Community program finalized the country’s best community forests. The awardees have recognized as the best example of collective forest management and development proven by forestry abundance and biodiversity, as well as sustainable consumption of forest products. In 2022, Khok Pa Si community forest located at Nong Hang subdistrict, Kuchinarai district, Kalasin province is the winner of the National Community Forest Model Award who entitled to receive the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Siridhorn’s Trophy.
Mr. Surachai Achalaboon, Director-General of the Royal Forest Department said that according to Mr. Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment’s policy on building cooperation and network with the people, RFD has been assigned to promote communities to join with the government in managing forest nearby their location for sustainability. To date, Thailand has registered over 12,000 community forests with the total area of more than 6.6 million rai. RFD expected target of 15,000 community forests where people have engaged in conserving forest and gaining advantages of forest products.
“The Community Forest Act B.E. 2562 is a key driver for expanding and managing community forests more efficiently and smoothly. By the law, community forest committees will be formed to handle forest management leading to public-community partnership for the collective forest conservation, management and use in sustainable way. The Community Forest Model Awards organized by the RFD and RATCH can accelerate community empowerment in improving forest management system and optimizing the forest for value of community, society and the country. The awards also enhance communities’ motivation and morale to moving forward forest conservation to the state of community forest model that all people in community collectively participate in safeguarding, restoring and sustaining the forest, as well as using forest resources sufficiently and sustainably. This project substantially reflects a solid collaboration of public, private and civil sectors leading to concrete success.”
Congratulations to Khok Pa Si Community Forest, Nong Hang subdistrict, Kuchinarai district, Kalasin province, the winner of the national model of community forest, who entitled to receive the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's trophy under the "Love the Forest and Community Program of Year 2022”, and another 15 community forests awarded this year.
Ms. Choosri Kietkajornkul, Chief Executive Officer of RATCH Group Public Company Limited said that the “Love the Forest and Community” project has implemented to encourage communities nationwide to participate in forest management and to strengthen community’s solidarity and capability to restoring forestry abundance and biodiversity, and sustainable use. Over 15 years, RATCH has granted THB44.4 million reward to 1,400 forest communities (representing 11.65% of the country’s total community forests) awarded from the project, of which 1,283,169-rai forest areas can store and absorb approximately 8,083,964 tons of carbon dioxide. It is our pride to join forces with the public sector and community in rehabilitating degraded forest to fruitfulness and consequently broadening green areas of the nation. It is a fact that forest not only provides food and water supplies, but also control the weather and natural disasters. During the COVID-19 pandemic, communities have fully depended on the forest for their living and have not faced flooding and soil erosion which is a critical issue currently. The company believes that the more communities highly value the forest, the more comunity forests are sustained and broaden nationwide. In the meantime, society inspired by community forest will realized value of forest and contribute efforts to grow trees in surrounding bare lands, and increasingly aware of forest conservation influencing to balance of ecosystem and lessen climate changing and live a happy life of human beings.
Khok Pa Si Community Forest in Kalasin province who was awarded the royal trophy of the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Siridhorn, is an example of success in restoring degraded 1,268-rai forest to become biodiversity resources and watershed forest, that people in community can depend on food and herbal plants for living at the time of COVID-19 outbreak, and generating complement income to support the community economy.
Mr. Pongsak Srijumpalang, Head of Khok Pa Si Community Forest Committee, said that Khok Pa Si Community Forest can be defined as “consumable depot” that ensures food security for our community and nearby areas. For instance, there are 193 species of wild mushrooms scattered throughout the forest, such as Greenish mushroom, Caesar’s mushroom, Termite mushrooms, Puff Ball mushrooms, Yellow edible mushroom, etc. Each year, the community can collect mushrooms for consumption and distribution in volume of around 2,485 kilograms valued at approximately 758,915 baht contributing income for local people. Those who have returned home during the COVID-19 lockdown also depended on forestry resources for their livings. Everyone here loves and cherishes this community forest. They use forestry products in sufficient manner in order to keep biodiversity as plentiful and provide safe food resources for the community. Importantly, the existence and abundance of Khok Pa Si Community Forest today is regarded as a symbol of community togetherness in protecting and preserving the forest, and in return we gain never-ending valueless benefits from the forest that make our livelihood happiness and security.”
Likewise, Ban Huai Khom Nok Community Forest, Mae Yao subdistrict, Mueang district, Chiang Rai province received the Outstanding Award in Community Forest Development category, Mr. Prawit Thuravora, Head of Community Forest Committee, told that, before developing community forest, we heavily suffered from water shortage crisis consequent to farming ceased and rice buying for consumption. In rainy season, we faced flooding and landslides severely that destroyed homes and farms of the villagers. Every year, we had to ask for sandbag support from local authorities to prevent flooding. Until 2010, the community began to realize that deforestation was the root cause of the problem and then we join hands together to restore the forest. From 2013 to now, the community forest shelters us from flooding disaster and cultivation can be done all year round. The abundance of forest helps to hold soil surface and reduce violence from water flow, as well as increase water supplies for our reservoir. We develop and manage the community forest on the basis of shielding the forest to recover naturally together with safeguarding external disturbance. We believe that the fertile forest generates benefits to all of us in return. Today the forest helps to absorb water in times of flooding, while we help strengthen by growing vetiver grass and sage grass, local plants, to preserve topsoil and prevent soil erosion affecting rice fields. This forest has become a watershed forest that never runs dry and is also like the vein of the village to the province as well. The year-round stream deriving from this forest can also generate 88 kilowatts of electricity, helping to improve the quality of life in Ban Song Khwae Pattana community, which is also a sibling village of Ban Huai Khom Nok.”
The Royal Forest Department and RATCH Group continue to work together to drive community participation in developing nearby forest with an aim to sustainable forests and value contribution for community’s livings". It consequently increases green area as a carbon sink for easing climate volatility.