Community Forestry E-News No. 2003.04

March 25, 2003

Published by the Regional Community Forestry Training Center

for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC)


The Community Forestry E-News is a bi-monthly e-mail intended to provide news and information on community forestry related activities and issues throughout the region. In order to provide you with the most up-to-date and comprehensive news, we welcome any information from different sources on people's participation in forest management. Please send information, comments and suggestions to: contact@recoftc.org

We would be grateful if you could send this to others whom you think would be interested. If you would like to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the list, please visit the RECOFTC website. To find back issues of the RECOFTC e-letter please go to: www.recoftc.org/04resource/e-letter/e-letter.html

For more frequent updates, please visit our resource section at: www.recoftc.org/04resource/home.html

The views expressed in articles published by the RECOFTC Community Forestry E-News do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of RECOFTC or of the editors.

Learn more about community forestry go to: www.recoftc.org

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Table of Contents

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Community Forestry events, publications and activities

1.      Water and the Law: IUCN Releases Water Law Series

2.      UNU Institute of Advanced Studies Fellowships programmes

3.      Job Opportunities: Rural Development Expert, Team Leader, China (Tibet); Region and duty station Panam / Shigatse

4.      2003 Situation of the World's Forests is released

5.    New publication: Devolution as a Threat to Democratic Decision-making in Forestry? Findings from Three States in India

 

News and Views

6.      FAO/RAP Forest News article documents the most significant forest development in Asia Pacific for 2002.

7.      Canada: Historic point reached between Northwest Tribal Treaty Nations and the Government of British Columbia

8.      Transboundary parks lauded for peace, conservation

9.      China: 50 Billion Yuan Invested in Western Forest Belts

10.  China: Afforestation in Ke'erqin Desert Makes Progress

11.  India: Water activists unite against river linking

12.  Indonesia: War on illegal logging declared

13.  Indonesia: Walhi blames destruction of Medan forests on six firms

14.  Indonesia: President Mega officially opens national reforestation program

15.  Thailand: A bright spot in the forest

16.  Thailand: Forest guardians stretch the green belt  

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Community Forestry events, publications and activities
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1. Water and the Law: IUCN Releases Water Law Series

Monday 17 March 2003 (Source: http://www.iucn.org/themes/law/)

IUCN has released the 'IUCN Water Law Series' to coincide with the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto. These brief issues papers have been prepared by the IUCN Environmental Law Centre to introduce the non-lawyer to the importance of the role of the law in integrated water resource management. The issues that have been addressed include Basin Management, Devolution of Authority, Adapting to Climate Change, Trading in Water, Defining Property Rights, Human Rights and Water and Effective Water Pollution Legislation. The series of papers reflect the strong focus of the IUCN Environmental Law Programme on water. The Programme is working closely with the IUCN Water and Nature Initiative and other partners on environmental flows, institutional and legislative frameworks, and applied governance. The Commission on Environmental Law established the Water and Wetlands Specialists Group in January 2002.

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2. UNU Institute of Advanced Studies Fellowships programmes

 

UNU Institute of Advanced Studies is inviting applications for its PhD and Postdoctoral Fellowships programmes at present.  UNU/IAS is a multi-thematic, interdisciplinary, research and training centre located in Tokyo, Japan. Its programmes are directed at pressing global issues of concern to the United Nations, making use of advanced research methodologies and strategic approaches to the field of sustainable development.  UNU/IAS Postdoctoral and PhD Fellowships are offered for a period of ten months. JSPS/UNU Postdoctoral Fellowships are offered for twelve to twenty-four months. (see http://www.ias.unu.edu/fellowships/aboutpostgrad.cfm  for more details)

 

Postdoctoral candidates must have completed a PhD degree and PhD candidates must be at the advanced stage of their doctoral dissertation. Candidates' current research must be closely related to one of the following current thematic areas of the institute (for more details see http://www.ias.unu.edu/research  ).  For additional research areas and separate fellowship conditions for JSPS/UNU Postdoctoral Fellowships, please see http://www.ias.unu.edu/fellowships/jspspostdoc.cfm. 

 

UNU/IAS PhD and Postdoctoral Fellowships commence in October 2003, and JSPS/UNU Postdoctoral Fellowships commence in November 2003. Completed applications for ALL fellowships must reach UNU/IAS on or before May 15, 2003. Applications will only be considered if complete and all required documentation has been received. Further information on the fellowships and application forms can be obtained from the UNU/IAS web site (http://www.ias.unu.edu/fellowships), e-mail (fellowships@ias.unu.edu )

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3. Job Opportunities

 

·        Rural Development Expert, Team Leader, China (Tibet); Region and duty station Panam / Shigatse

 

Short project description Ongoing project, starting the second 3-year implementation phase

 

The project aims to increase the knowledge-base, productivity, social services and farmer income to farmers in Pa Nam County through development of a social and physical infrastructure that will provide a replicable model for rural development in agrarian societies in Tibet, through development of a sustainable irrigated farming system in Pa Nam County with emphasis on increased grain, fodder, livestock and cash crop production and supply of fuel wood, through optimised utilisation of available water resources in co-ordination with other available resources and needs of the local population; improving the quality of life of the villagers of Pa-Nam County with regard to education, health and hygiene and provision of drinking water; introducing appropriate self-help and other management systems through training and organisation of human resources in the County.

 

Contact vacancies@aht-inter.com  to express your interest and to send your CV. [Start date: as soon as possible]

 

·        ICRAF: Marketing and Enterprise Development Specialist 

 

Deadline:  April 4, 2003 

(Source: http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/viewjobs.asp?Jobid=109)

 

Under the direct supervision of the regional coordinator, Humid Tropics of West and Central Africa, and in collaboration with other staff members of ICRAF and partner organizations, the incumbent, who will be based in Yaounde, will take overall responsibility for the design and implementation of the marketing component of tree domestication. Specifically, the incumbent will:

 

All correspondence should be addressed to Dr Zac Tchoundjeu, Regional Coordinator, Humid Tropics of West and Central Africa, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), PO Box 2067, Yaounde, Cameroon; Fax +237 223 7440; email: z.tchoundjeu@cgiar.org.

 

·        FINCON Services Canada  seeks Community Development Experts

 

FINCON Services Canada is in the process of expanding its roster of associate consultants that have experience in the following:

Please note that this notice is for the purposes of creating an eligibility list pending final approval of funding.

Please submit your resume via e-mail at community@finbyte.com

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4.  2003 Situation of the World's Forests is released

 

The entire 2003 Situation of the World's Forests is available on-line at: http://www.fao.org/forestry/index.jsp  (click where it says "SOFO 2003 now available on-line").  This report has an interesting chapter by William Sunderlin, Sven Wunder, and Arild Angelsen of CIFOR detailing the link between forests and poverty alleviation.

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5.  New publication: Devolution as a Threat to Democratic Decision-making in Forestry? Findings from Three States in India

By Madhu Sarin with Neera M. Singh, Nandini Sundar and Ranu K. Bhogal. (February 2003)
ODI Working Paper 197. Overseas Development Institute, London, UK.

http://www.odifpeg.org.uk/publications/papers/wp/wp-197.pdf

This new publication on the impacts of JFM and other devolution policies in India by Madhu Sarin et al., produced as part of a CIFOR project and collaboration. The paper looks at two interfacing trends shaping devolution of forest management in India: appropriation of space for forest management by diverse self-initiated community formations; and state-driven devolution where government policies define the scope of local authority in forest management. Current devolution policies are located in the historical trajectory of conflict between local interests in forest livelihoods and community-based decision making on the one side, and state interests in forest revenue, environmental protection and centralised control on the other. The paper assesses whether state devolution policies are increasing or decreasing space for exercising democratic local control over forest management decisions, enchancing livelihoods and improving forest quality. Devolution policies considered include Joint Forest Management (JFM), which solicits peoples' 'participation' in state forest management. The paper is based on research studies undertaken in three states, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and the Uttarakhand region of Uttar Pradesh.

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News and Views

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6. FAO/RAP Forest News article documents the most significant forest development in Asia Pacific for 2002.

At the beginning of 2003, FAO/RAP conducted a simple questionnaire of its partners in the region, requesting that people concerned with forestry reflect on recent developments in the forestry sector – both within their own countries and in the Asia-Pacific region as a whole. Respondents were asked to identify development, events or issues that most influenced, or are likely to influence, the forestry sector, either positively or negatively.  Comments were received from more than sixty individuals, providing a range of interesting perspectives that are documented in a recent issue of Forest News of Tiger paper Vol. XXX, No 1: 1-7. 

Tiger paper is a Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) quarterly regional conservation news bulletin dedicated to the exchange of information relating to wildlife and protected area management in the Asia-Pacific region. It commenced publication in 1974 as a mimeographed newsletter, which then evolved to the present offset printing format. In 1987, a new feature called Forest News was added, which reports on FAO forestry activities in the region, including news about regional projects, summaries of meetings, new forestry initiatives, etc. Tiger paper is available by contacting the editor at:  Janice.Naewboonnien@fao.org

The regional responses that pertain to community forestry are documented below:

·        Increased recognition of corruption in the forestry sector – especially related to illegal logging – as a serious constraint to community forestry and sustainable forest management

·        Launching of the Initiative for Good Forest Governance by community forestry development organizations and nine Asian countries as WSSD.

·        Discussions (at WSSD and elsewhere) on rural livelihoods and the links between forestry and poverty.

·        Accelerated pace of devolution and decentralization of forest management responsibilities and increasing stakeholder participations (while the seeds for this were planted in many countries long before 2002, momentum is now discernible).

·        Shifting philosophies toward broader participation in forest management, such as through Adaptive Collaborative Management.

For detailed responses to country by country forestry developments in the year 2002, please refer to the recent issue of Forest News of Tigerpaper Vol. XXX, No 1: 1-7.

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7. Canada: Historic point reached between Northwest Tribal Treaty Nations and the Government of British Columbia

Wednesday, 19 March 2003 (Source: http://www.mytelus.com/news )

Negotiations between the Northwest Tribal Treaty Nations, NWTT, and the Government of British Columbia reached a significant and historic turning point at a recent meeting between the two parties.

On March 3, Michael deJong, B.C. Minister of Forests, met with representatives of NWTT in Terrace to discuss ways and means of involving First Nations in the process of legislative and policy changes to forestry and forestry practices in the province.

Leonard Thomas, NWTT Forestry Chair and Nak'azdli Band Council Chief, said, "As far as the March 3 meeting was concerned there was a commitment from Minister DeJong to develop a protocol to address issues of concern to First Nations."

The NWTT represents more than 50 First Nations in northwestern B.C. members include groups from the Prince George area in the east to Haida Gwaii in the west.

In recent months there have been growing concerns among First Nation communities about the lack of consultation on the part of the B.C. government with regard to forestry and land use issues.

New legislative proposals have met with criticism and opposition from First Nations worried about further intrusions upon their traditional lands and resources. Several B.C. court decisions have confirmed the province and all resource-based companies must accommodate First Nations before any changes occur that affect unresolved land claims.

"We demanded a voice in these proposed changes, said Justa Monk, NWTT Eastern Chair, "including co-jurisdiction of the resources within the First Nations traditional territories, revenue sharing, long-term area based forest tenure, compensation for resources already taken from First Nations, and guarantees not to infringe upon First Nations' constitutional protection of their Aboriginal title and rights."

deJong stated at the meeting that all of these demands are achievable in the short term with the establishment of a protocol that will allow for discussion of these issues.

"I must admit that it came as a complete surprise to us that the minister was so accommodating." said Thomas, "A lot of what has happened in the past was without consultation or negotiation between ourselves or the government and forest companies. We welcome the fact that there will now be agreement with full and informed consent before any changes take place."

deJong agreed to further meetings between himself, his officials and the NWTT to finalize a draft that will be acceptable to all parties.

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8. Transboundary parks lauded for peace, conservation

 

Tuesday, 4 March 2003. Gland, Switzerland and Yokohama, Japan (IUCN/ITTO)-

 

Expanding the global network of transboundary conservation areas (TBCAs) should be a priority for conservationists and governments, according to a group of experts that met last month in Ubon Rachatani, Thailand.

 

TBCAs are designed to protect ecosystems and wildlife regardless of political borders. Moreover, it is becoming increasingly clear that TBCAs do much more than improve biodiversity conservation: they help promote reconciliation in border conflicts, re-unite families and ethnic groups divided by political boundaries, and provide social benefits - such as secure land tenure - to people living in the area.

 

Recognising the potential benefits of TBCAs, the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), IUCN - The World Conservation Union, and the Government of Thailand hosted a workshop to examine ways of improving the effectiveness and expanding the coverage of TBCAs. The workshop brought together about 90 transboundary conservation professionals and decision-makers from 26 countries.

 

The number of TBCAs has grown rapidly in the last 15 years, from 59 in 1988, concentrated mainly in Europe and North America, to 169 in 2001, distributed throughout all regions of the world. The International Tropical Timber Organization's TBCA program, for example, now covers about ten million hectares in nine tropical countries. Nevertheless, many fragile ecosystems straddling international borders remain unprotected, posing both a challenge and an opportunity to the international community.

 

According to IUCN's Dr William Jackson, the fact that TBCAs offer more than biodiversity conservation is crucial in their uptake and ultimate success.

 

"Geopolitics and national security concerns have diverted attention away from challenges like the maintenance of biological and cultural values," he said. "In this political climate, transboundary conservation deserves close attention because it has the potential to help bring peace to troubled border regions while also playing an essential role in the protection of endangered species, ecosystems and cultural groups."

 

Several speakers stressed the importance of political commitment to transboundary conservation, not only for the creation of new TBCAs but also for the long-term survival of the reserves.

"Without continuous political support, many transboundary conservation programs will whither and die," said Sarawak's Dr Paul Chai.

 

Dr Chai said Sarawak was fortunate to have high-level support for TBCAs. The Sarawak Forestry Department already manages one TBCA on the island of Borneo in collaboration with the Government on Indonesia and with financial assistance from ITTO. Moreover, The Honourable Dr James Mamit, a Member of Parliament in Malaysia, announced during the workshop that the Government of Malaysia and Sarawak's Chief Minister would submit a proposal to ITTO to establish a new TBCA on Borneo.

 

The new area would cover about 165,000 hectares on the Sarawakian side of the border and connect with the Kayan Mentarang National Park in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan, the establishment and management of which is also supported by ITTO. The local Kelabit communities, which have expressed support for the concept, will be key stakeholders who will determine the landscape-scale management of the TBCA in collaboration with national park managers. The establishment of this TBCA will improve protection for several endangered species including Bulwer's pheasant, the clouded leopard and the Sumartran rhinoceros while also addressing local concerns about living standards and increasing trans-border cooperation on issues such as illegal trade and immigration.

 

The workshop was also informed of a transboundary conservation initiative on the border between Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Transborder activities in this area were curtailed recently after a much-publicised dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.

 

"Such flare-ups only underscore the importance of TBCAs for improving relations in border areas, so that when political tensions rise the people living in border regions do not suffer," said Dr Jackson.

 

The workshop heard of transboundary conservation success stories in southern Africa, and the idea is also catching on in central Africa. H.E. Henri Djombo, Minister of Forests in the Republic of the Congo, who attended the workshop, announced the intention of his country to begin a new transboundary conservation initiative in partnership with Gabon to complement other initiatives already under way in cooperation with Cameroon and Central African Republic.

 

However, Minister Djombo noted that Africa still lacked the human, financial and technical resources to implement TBCAs effectively. He said that ITTO, IUCN and the World Wide Fund for Nature, among others, were providing valuable technical and financial assistance to Congo that would help build local capacity for the management of TBCA projects, but more and sustained assistance was required if the long-term sustainability of the initiatives was to be ensured.

 

Workshop participants agreed on a statement on TBCAs. They also proposed that the key messages be transmitted to the World Parks Congress, which will be held in Durban, South Africa in September 2003.  For more information visit either website at: www.iucn.org. or www.itto.or.jp

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9. China: 50 Billion Yuan Invested in Western Forest Belts 

 

Monday March 17, 2003 (Source: http://www.cenews.com.cn )

 

China has invested 50 billion yuan in ecological construction and environmental protection in its western area with marked results in the last three years.

 

Li Zibin, deputy director of the State Council Office of Western Development, said at a press conference at the first plenary session of the 10th NPC that China will quicken the work and ensure that there will be a breakthrough in the eco-environment in the west by 2010.

 

He said that a total of 7.69 million hectares of farmland had been returned to forested or grass land whenever it is ecologically necessary by the end of 2002. Over the past three years, more than 20 billion yuan have been appropriated to subsidize such efforts of the farmers in terms of food grains, saplings and cash.

 

China will accelerate the work in the coming decade and expects to have another 14.6 million hectares of farmland on hill slopes, vulnerable to water and soil erosion, returned to forested or grass land and plant trees on 17.3 million hectares of barren hills. It is planned to have 3.36 million hectares of land returned to forested or grass land and plant trees on 3.76 million hectares of barren hills in 2003. China will first tackle 66 million hectares of seriously eroded grassland in the coming five years by sealing off parts of the grazing grounds in rotation and asking the herdsmen to raise their stocks in pens. It is planned to have 6.6 million hectares of such grassland sealed off from grazing in 2003.

 

In the meantime, China will work to promote capital farmland construction, rural energy construction, resettlement, restructuring of agriculture and livestock breeding to ensure ecological balance and the farmers' long-term livelihood in the west.

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10. China: Afforestation in Ke'erqin Desert Makes Progress

Monday March 17, 2003 (Source: Xinhua News Agency)

 

More than 1.7 million trees have been planted in Ke'erqin Desert as wind breaks in China in an attempt to turn the desert into a wooded area in the past three years, according to a Japanese green organization Sunday.

 

The trees, including poplars, maples and other coniferous trees, have been planted by Green Net, together with the local authority in Ke'erqin in Inner Mongolia, Kataura Yoshio, said executive director of Green Net.

 

The number of trees planted by the green organization alone in its three-year effort since January 2000 reached 125,000 by the end of 2002, Yoshio said, adding so far about 1,000 Japanese people have joined the tours to plant trees.

 

Yoshio said that at the moment, it costs around 10,000 Hong Kong dollars (US$1,280) to extend the forest by one hectare, adding that it is anticipated to complete the project in 10 years.

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11. India:  Water activists unite against river linking

NEW DELHI: Water activists from across the country are to launch a campaign against the government's decision to link India's rivers.

Monday 17 March 2003 (http://www.newindpress.com/ )

This was announced at a two-day National Water Forum organised by environmental NGOs Navdanya and Rashtriya Jal Biradari here on Sunday. The government has launched a Rs.5.7 trillion project to link the perennial rivers of the north with the seasonal ones in the south by 2025 to minimise the threat of floods and droughts and ensure round-the-year water supply.

 

The linking would also help increase power generation and reduce pollution as it would encourage river navigation, thus taking traffic off the highways, experts opine.

 

Green campaigners contend the river linking project could cause an ecological disaster.

 

"It will kill rivers downstream and generate endless conflicts with inter-basin river transfers," a statement issued by the NGOs said.

 

The World Wildlife Fund estimates about 5.5 million people, mostly tribals and farmers, would be displaced by the project.

 

"We want the government to end its secrecy over decisions regarding our water. We want them to be open about all their plans," said a villager from Rajasthan who attended the seminar.

 

Concern was expressed over privatisation and conditions set by corporates for public use of water.

 

Navdanya Director Vandana Shiva, who has worked in various government departments, condemned private companies for policing people in their use of water.

 

"Companies with contracted rights over water bodies visit houses to lock their taps and fix metres making this natural resource a payable commodity," Shiva told IANS.

 

She was happy the seminar had managed to generate mutual understanding. "It has given shape to a national water campaign," she said.

 

Shiva felt only a united stand would make the government sit up and listen. "Fragmented movements do not help. There has to be a convergence," Shiva maintained.

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12. Indonesia: War on illegal logging declared

 

Thursday 20 March 2003 (Source: The Jakarta Post)

 

A number of non-governmental organizations joined hands here on Wednesday to declare war against illegal logging and deforestation, Antara reported.

 

"It is not only in Iraq. Indonesia is also beating the drums of war, but the war in Indonesia is against illegal logging and deforestation," said Longgena Ginting, national executive director of the Indonesian Environmental Watch (Walhi).

 

He said the fight against illegal loggers could not be entrusted to the government. "It is high time the people take the matter into their own hands."

 

The director of Indonesia's Forest Watch, Togu Manurung, blamed deforestation on the country's corrupt political system and weak law enforcement.

 

"Illegal logging and natural forest conversion have been taking place under various pretexts, resulting in the total destruction of Indonesia's forests, untold economic losses and increasing threats of natural disasters," Manurung said.

 

State Minister for the Environment Nabiel Makarim vowed that the government would do everything in its power to fight against the destruction of Indonesian forests.

 

"I promise to take the necessary follow-up steps to public reports related to forests and environmental conservation submitted to my office," Nabiel said.

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13. Indonesia: Walhi blames destruction of Medan forests on six firms

 

By Apriadi Gunawan,

Wednesday 19 March 2003 (Source: The Jakarta Post)

 

A leading environmental watchdog based in North Sumatra blamed on Tuesday at least six plantation companies for the destruction of around 300,000 hectares of forest in Mandailing Natal regency.

 

The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) said the six concessionaires were PT Gruti, PT Mujur Timber, PT Keang Nam Development Indonesia (KNDI), PT Inanta Timber, PT Rimba Mujur Mahkota and PT Supraprimoris Corporation.

 

Announcing the results of its three-day investigation from March 15, Walhi said it had even discovered a heap of 200,000 cubic meters of logs at the damaged forests located in the town's western coastal areas.

 

The six companies damaged the forests by slashing and burning trees in their allocated areas, which contributed to haze currently blanketing some parts of North Sumatra, it added.

 

The central government banned forestry firms from using the slash-and-burn method to clear land for plantations following the 1997 smoke from forest fires, which covered Kalimantan and Sumatra, as well neighboring countries.

 

Walhi said the six plantation firms had for years slashed and burned forests located in four subdistricts -- Batang Natal, Natal, Muara Batang Gadis and Batahan.

 

"Of the four subdistricts, Batang Natal is the only area where we found at least 23 locations still being burned, while the others have been totally damaged," North Sumatra Walhi Director Efendi Panjaitan told journalists at his office in Medan.

 

As an example, he cited that PT Gruti had felled between 10,000 hectares (ha) and 20,000 ha of protected forest on the slopes of Suritmarapi in Batang Natal.

 

Separately on Tuesday, head of the North Sumatra forestry office Darori confirmed that widespread illegal logging continued unabated at Mandailing Natal, causing serious damage to the forests there.

 

He refrained from blaming the damage on the six companies in question, but admitted that local people and plantation businesses were involved in the illegal logging.

 

Darori said only three plantation companies operating in the province -- PT Keang Nam Development Indonesia, PT Inanta Timber and PT Mitrawana -- still held concessions. "The permits of the others have expired and they are seeking extensions from the forestry minister," he added.

 

He vowed to take firm action against plantation companies without concessions, should they be found to proceed with illegal logging.

 

To follow up Walhi's findings, Darori suggested the organization hand them over to the local authorities.

 

Efendi added that logs stolen from Mandailing Natal were sold by businesspeople at domestic markets in Java, such as Surabaya and Semarang. They were also often exported overseas, including to Japan, China and South Korea.

 

The illegally sold logs were transported from the western coastal areas via at least three river estuaries -- Tabuyung, Batahan and Singkuang, all located in Mandailing Natal, he said.

 

He said the stolen logs usually sold at up to Rp 710,000 per cubic meter on the domestic market or US$200 on the foreign market.

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14. Indonesia: President Mega officially opens national reforestation program

 

By Yemris Fointuna,

Monday 17 March 2003 (Source: The Jakarta Post)

 

President Megawati Soekarnoputri launched on Saturday the national reforestation program in the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) town of Soe, underlining it should be a community-based program.

 

The short ceremony was held in the village of Karang Sirih, where the President planted a sandalwood tree, which is endemic to the province. The regency will plant some 100,000 trees as part of the reforestation program.

 

"I expect this reforestation program to be a community-based movement and not a government one, so that this can be followed by people all over Indonesia," Megawati said.

 

The government allotted this year Rp 3 trillion (US$340 million) to regreen some 600,000 hectares of land. The program is part of a recently announced five-year reforestation program worth Rp 15 trillion.

 

Following his downfall in 1998, President Soeharto's reforestation program came under the media spotlight for alleged misuse of funds.

 

The regulations of that program required timber companies to contribute funds to the reforestation program, but the accumulated money was often used for purposes other than reforestation.

 

Timber tycoon Muhamad "Bob" Hasan, known as Soeharto's golf buddy, has been jailed over charges of abusing reforestation funds, among others.

 

"I deliberately chose NTT to launch the program, because its isolated location, its climate and the quality of its environment have been some of the factors fomenting poverty," said President Megawati.

 

But the poverty, she said, was the result of the way the people had treated their environment. She said Soe was once known for its apple and sandalwood trees, but had lost its reputation as locals had neglected their environment.

 

During the one-day trip, Megawati was accompanied by Minister of Forestry M. Prakosa, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea, House of Representatives deputy speaker Soetarjo Soerjogoeritno and People's Consultative Assembly deputy speaker Soetjipto. All of the accompanying state officials were members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), which Megawati heads.

 

The president also attended the celebration of PDI Perjuangan's 30th anniversary at the village. She warned her cadres not to rebel against the party's policies or use the party as a vehicle for personal gains. She also reiterated her challenge to other political parties to contest fairly in the 2004 general elections against the country's largest party.

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15. Thailand: A bright spot in the forest

REFORESTATION: For ages, mankind had to learn how to survive in the forest; now mankind has to learn how to let forests survive in the midst of civilisation

by TUNYA SUKPANICH
Sunday 16 March 2003, Bangkok Post

Tao Dam forest is in Sai Yok National Park in Kanchanaburi province. Most of the remaining lush forests are in national parks or wildlife sanctuaries. 

 

Typically in Thailand, various forest conservation programmes have failed and also embittered villagers who have no choice but to depend on the woods for a living. However, a conservation process involving local villagers and state officials in Thailand's Western Forest Complex is working brilliantly.

 

Impressed with the success, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Praphat Panyachartrak recently ordered that the approach be used in the northeast, on the high-security forest conservation of Dong Phrayayaen-Khao Yai.

 

If the success story can be continued, the approach will be used in the woodlands covering five eastern provinces, the Kaeng Krachan woods in the upper south, the Mae Ping-Omkoi forest range in the north and the Klong Seang-Khao Sok stretch in the south.

 

FOREST COMPLEX FOUNDED


Rattaya Chanthien: Chairman of Seub Nakhasathien Foundation.

 

Faced with a rapidly dwindling forest cover, the Thai government began declaring many of its remaining woods as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries to place these areas under direct state protection. The strategy backfired when villagers living in the forest areas were forcibly relocated.

 

Furthermore, the national forestry staff was unable to protect its suddenly large areas of responsibility. Critics savaged the state for establishing new parks and sanctuaries while existing ones deteriorated from illegal logging and wildlife poaching. Many parks and sanctuaries shrunk into small islands surrounded by farming areas and villages. Lost were species that required large areas with varied ecosystems to feed breed and migrate. Even buffer forests were severely damaged.

 

State officials finally pinpointed two major problems. First, Thailand's protected forests are not only scattered, they have different ecologies which have quickly degenerated as well. Second, the state monopoly of forest care and management has been a total failure.

 

Forestry officials had no choice but to consider the national forests as a forest complex and to seek out local communities to oversee the various ecosystems.

 

The idea of a forest complex with buffer zones to protect forest sanctuaries came from former Huay Kha Keang Wildlife sanctuary chief Seub Nakasathien, says Rattaya Chanthien, chairman of the Seub Nakasathien Foundation.

 

Rattaya, herself a well-known conservationist, said that the protection of the Thung Yai Naresuan and the Huay Kha Keang wildlife sanctuaries depended on the integrity of the surrounding forests. One reason for this is that the western forests are ecologically connected, Rattaya said.

 

A forest complex is made up of a protected area and a surrounding buffer zone area. While engaged in conserving the Thung Yai Naresuan and Hauy Kha Keang wildlife sanctuaries, the Foundation discussed the idea of forest complexes with ranking officials.

 

In 1996 the concept was implemented in 17 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries surrounding the Thungyai Naresuan and the Huay Kha Keang wildlife sanctuaries. The parks and sanctuaries were located in six provinces: Tak, Kampheng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Kanchanaburi, Uthai Thani and Suphan Buri.

 

To oversee the area, the Western Forest Complex Commission Office was set up in 1999. The commission rejected the strategy of using its own manpower and keeping out everyone else. Instead, ``the two strategies we use are ecosystem management and local people's participation,'' said Rattaya.

 

``To conserve forest biodiversity efficiently, ecological management should set no boundaries, only connections. We had declared forests as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries as strict conservation areas. However, they were separated by human-intensive areas, which affected many species,'' she said.

 

``The plan was to surround conservation areas with buffer zone forests, but the buffer zones were eaten away by planters and even became settlements. The destruction of the buffer zone deteriorated the forests. The issue is further complicated by differences in winds, climate and water affecting plant and wildlife species. We could not use a single approach to manage the forest,'' said Rattaya.

 

TRAPPED WITHIN OPPOSING STANCES

 

Chiangmai University lecturer and researcher Anand Kanchanapand has spent more than 25 years focusing on community forests. He lambasted state attitudes and policy in managing natural resources for causing a lot of problems, not the least of which is the obstruction of the rights of villagers.

 

``We are trapped within opposing stances: state against community, conservation against development,'' he said. As a solution, he proposed that all parties, the state, individual communities and civil society manage natural resources together.

 

The idea is a reality in the Western Forest Complex, where civil society joins in guarding natural resources. Each province has a forest forum composed of farmers, businessmen, teachers, officials, even monks. They all find ways to guard the forest.

 

``The forum thoroughly knows the fragile areas, the biodiversity and the problems facing the forest. They run projects to help solve problems,'' he said.

 

In Kampheng Phet province, for instance, the forum works in the hamlets of Rai-pichit and Nong Dean in the Ko-sumpee village, where the Khao Sanam Prieng Wildlife Sanctuary connects with the Klong Wang Chao National Park.

 

``There was no relocation of villagers. Instead, the forum asked some 150 families to stay where they are, conserve and reforest the area, and use appropriate agricultural practices,'' said officer Kanasak Pongspalee of the Seub Nakhasathien, a foundation that works with the Kampheng Phet forum.

 

It was not easy to convince the villagers to demarcate. ``At first, the villagers rejected the idea of demarcation. The forum, chaired by the respected monk Phra Khru Attakit, explained that demarcation was a recognition of their existence in the forest, but within limits,'' Kanasak said.

 

The success of the move paves the way for the demarcation of villages throughout the Western Forest Complex.

Other approaches are being used to prevent human intrusion into protected forest areas.

In Tak Province, an ecotourism project in a Karen community in the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary helps to stop human damage from spreading in the forest. However, the problems of human intrusion into protected areas won't be solved easily.

 

`The Karen village was in the area before it was a wildlife sanctuary. However, the increasing village population is worrying. Despite their forest-friendly agriculture, they may need more land for planting,'' said forum chairman Panithi Tangpati.

 

In Uthai Thani province, the buffer zone of the Huay Kha Keang Wildlife Sanctuary is now a farming resettlement of 27 villages. Here, the forum focus on the Kaen Makrood hamlet, where villagers continue to turn wildlife sanctuaries into agricultural land. The farmers have settled on a watershed area, and their chemical farming methods threaten the waters of Huay Mae Dee, which runs through the Huay Kha Keang Forest.

 

CIVIL ORDER IN THE FOREST

 

Four months ago, in the Western Forest Complex the committees for the Klong Larn National Park and the Khao Sanam Prieng Wildlife Sanctuary came to life without legislation, only the open minds and the eagerness of forest officials and villagers.

 

Rattaya said the development was a gradual and natural solution to conflicts in the use of natural resources among the villagers and park officials. The creation of the committees was necessary as the problems of the park and the sanctuary were not only due to illegal logging and land encroachment but also related to the use of creeks and rivers in the forests, as well as the harvesting of food plants such as bamboo shoots and mushrooms.

 

Villagers and orange growers had been diverting water from the forests creeks and rivers to irrigate their plants. The resulting water shortage in the forest affected wildlife.

 

The Klong Larn committee came to an agreement with the villagers and orange growers on regulations for the use

of the water.

 

The committee is also finding other occupations for the poor villagers of Mae Peuch and Pleang Si, who now cut logs in the watershed area to survive.

 

``Committees will gradually be set up in other parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the western forest complex. They will come from the awareness and eagerness of the communities themselves,'' Rattaya said.

 

COMMUNITY FOREST AS A BUFFER ZONE

 

Although the concepts of the controversial community forest legislation continue to be debated in Parliament, they are already vital to the protection of the Western Forest Complex.

 

For instance, the 80 kilometre-boundary of the Mae Wong and Mae Peun districts in Nakhon Sawan Province has been protected by villagers in 15 community forests for over six years now, long before the idea of forest complex management.

 

State officials say they cannot be sure if the villagers will continue to protect the national park, known to them as Pa Yai, which includes the Mae Wong National Park. However, the woods have revived due to the years of hard work by the villagers. The same scenarios have been observed in other provinces, and the government has recognised their efforts.

 

Uncle Cham, chairman of the Mae Wong- Mae Peun community forest network, is proud of the villagers backbreaking contribution to forest recovery. ``We have enough food and products from our community forests. We have no need to enter the Pa Yai (Western Forest Complex) for anything.

 

``Our community forest patrols prevent forest fires and illegal activities. This benefits not only the buffer zone, but also the big forest and the villagers,'' he said.

 

The state recently completed a rapid ecology assessment of the entire Western Forest Complex, and appropriate management strategies are being identified for the different zones.

 

``We have data for questions on forest ecology, animal and plant species, forest types and conditions. All are essential,'' said Rattaya.

 

Four zones were identified in Thailand's western forest reserves. They are highly-preserved nature zones, mostly-preserved nature zones, moderately-preserved nature zones and slightly-preserved nature zones.

 

Data on the economy and social environment of 200 villages in and around the forest complex has been gathered. The identification is vital to planning the second phase, which will identify management of the classified zones.

 

``Over the past three years, we have been satisfied with the programmes and processes, though we had no clear reports of how illegal logging or wildlife poaching were reduced,'' Rattaya said. ``All the data will result in a more efficient forest management system.''

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16. Thailand: Forest guardians stretch the green belt

Forest guardian Uncle Cham believes that community forests are successful because of the villagers' attitude and deep understanding of the woods around their homes

by TUNYA SUKPANICH in Mae Wong, Mae Poen, Nakhon Sawan
Sunday 16 March 2003, Bangkok Post

`The concept of community forestry is rooted here, says Uncle Cham Koomklong, 70. ``But threats from the outside continue, so there is an urgent need for a network of community forest guardians.

``We need to extend our working cooperation with community forest groups in the neighbouring provinces of Kamphaeng Phet and Uthai Thani. They also adjoin the Pa Yai (Western Forest Complex),'' said the chairman of the Mae Wong-Mae Poen community forest network.

``This network will strengthen the buffer zone of the Western Forest complex, and may even expand to the forest areas of Tak, Kanchanaburi and SuphanBuri,'' said Uncle Cham.

He heads a coalition of community groups that protect a 27,000-rai stretch of 15 community forests in Nakhon Sawan province.

An efficient buffer zone for the Western Forest Complex, the network covers 80 kilometres of greenery on the eastern boundaries of the Mae Wong National Park.

The local villagers live simple lives, completely unaware of impending changes, such as the Forest Bill waiting in the halls of Parliament in the faraway capital. They work to enrich their own forest areas until they can depend on them and remove the need to trespass into other forests.

CONTINUED VIGILANCE

The nation's Western Forest Complex depends on these groups of villagers for survival. Without them, the plunder of the trees would continue unabated.

As it is, the complex is ringed by community forests which are guarded by committees that issue rules and regulations for sustainable forest use. These rules vary according to conditions in each area.

``'For instance,'' says Uncle Cham, who also chairs the committee for the 8000-rai Khao Lon-Khao Leam Villages Community Forest, ``in our first three years here, our villagers could not take any wood or bamboo sticks, or even bamboo shoots. The forest was so deteriorated. It needed time to recover naturally. In those days, a lot of bamboo trees were cut, and a lot of bamboo shoots were processed in factories that surrounded the forest.

``Up to 80 trucks went in and out of the forest every day. Thousands of villagers harvested inside the woods. It was not easy to start the reforestation programme. The people earned their daily bread from these forest products. They did not earn enough from their tapioca and cornfields.''

Due to intelligent planning and continued vigilance, the forests are alive and green today, but the villagers work is not done.

Despite strict control and close watch, trespassing and encroachment of the forests still go on from time to time. Committee members have had to ask outsiders to leave the woods. Over 200 members reforested the denuded areas. When businessmen in Suphan Buri allowed their cattle to feed in the forests, the forest committees requested their removal.

``This is why there must be a network. The villagers can be stronger forest guardians if they have close connections and exchange information to solve problems,'' said Uncle Cham.

Do-arung Vichaipin of the Mori-thorn Forest says that illegal log poaching continues, but with difficulty. ``Villagers who need wood to build houses need permission from the committee. The same goes for bamboo shoots, which villagers can harvest for household consumption only.''

PROTECTING THE FOREST

Due to such strict communal guardianship, forests such as the Pa Yoob Yai in the Mae Lay hamlet have been recovered from the formerly ``nude'' Mae Wong mountain. After years of hard work, the villagers now have a water system from the revitalised Pa Yoob Yai forest.

The villagers have also gained in other ways. Ten years ago, the government had planned to relocate the residents of the four villages of Bu Meow, Nong Bon, Kra Sang and Pang-sa in the Mae Poen hamlet, which is inside the Pa Ban Pang Sak Forest Reserve.

When the government announced the plan to move them to a new plot of land some 10 kilometres away, the villagers approached various provincial agencies and private organisations for help.

``To prove to the authorities that we can live in, and at the same time recover the forests, we began the concept of the community forest. With determination and hard work, we gained the government's trust and sympathy, and in return, we have been allowed to continue to live here. Then the idea of community forests spread to other villages,'' said Suwan Kerd-poom of the Village Savings Group.

Despite the states granting them the land rights documents called Sor Por Kor (land reform), the idea of community forest conservation continued to spread. ``We have lived through the destruction and the overexploitation of forest resources. We have seen the rape of the land and the destruction of lives'', said Suwan. ``Now, we protect the forest, not to prove anything to anyone, but for our life.''

FOREST NETWORKS EMERGE

The concept of individual community forest guardians evolved into the idea of a community forest network. Village leaders have seen the need to manage the forest communities together. Despite the effectiveness of the separate village committees, a forest cannot be managed in separate sections.

A network of 32 village savings groups came together under the umbrella organisation which coordinates various village activities, including reforestation and guardianship of the woods.

``This needs financing and manpower,'' said Suwan. ``Attitude, determination and cooperation are vital, but so are money and brawn. We must have forest patrols and communication equipment. We must continue reforestation and forest fire protection.''

Suwan said that each community savings group has allocated five percent of its interest earned for a forest protection fund. So far, however, very little of this fund has been used due to outside contributions, such as village funds and the two-year, 1,050,000-baht fund from the Social Investment Program (SIP).

Not bad for a band of rural villagers.

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ABOUT RECOFTC

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The Regional Community Forestry Training Center for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC) was established in 1987 in response to the growing awareness that community participation in resource management could assist in protecting forests as well as in enhancing rural livelihoods. In 2000, RECOFTC became a fully autonomous international organization.

RECOFTC works in close collaboration with partner organizations to support community forestry development in the region. RECOFTC focuses on designing and facilitating learning processes and systems to strengthen the capacity of community forestry institutions. RECOFTC also seeks to promote dialogue between different stakeholders to enhance the sustainable management of forest resources.

For more information contact:

Dr. Yam Malla, Executive Director

RECOFTC

PO Box 1111

Kasetsart University

Bangkok 10903, Thailand

 

Tel: 66-2-9405700;

Fax: 66-2-5614880

E-mail: contact@recoftc.org

Learn more about community forestry at: www.recoftc.org


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