FOREST POLICY REVIEWS IN THAILAND

Jira Jintanugool

Background

In Thailand, numerous policies aim at the conservation and sustainable utilization of forests as well as their genetic resources and maintenance of the ecological balance. The cabinet endorsed the National Forest Policy in 1985. One of the key articles is to reserve 40 percent of the country’s land area for forests (15 percent for conservation and 25 percent for productive purposes).

After a devastating flood in Southern Thailand in 1988, the government with support from concerned conservationists banned the logging of terrestrial natural forests in 1989. The logging ban marked a considerable shift in policy from wood production to forest conservation.

The 7^th National Economic and Social Development Plan (NESDP) (1992-1996) stated that 25 percent of Thailand was to be protected as conservation forest. This indicated an increase of 10 percent from the earlier 15 percent. The forest conservation policy was also reiterated and the target emphasized in the 8^th NESDP (1997-2001).

Forest Land Zoning, endorsed by the cabinet in 1992, has to maintain forest cover of 40 percent. To fulfill the goal, the National Reserved Forests, with an area of 23.52 million ha or 45.9 percent of the country’s land area, were classified into the following zones: Conservation Zone (C), Economic Zone (E) and Agriculture Zone (A). Zone C encompasses an area of 14.1 million ha or 27.5 percent of the total land area. It consists of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and watershed areas, which cover most of the natural forests that are still in good condition. Zone E covers 8.3 million ha or 16.18 percent of the total land area. It covers the areas planned for commercial plantations and the reserved areas for landless farmers. Zone A makes up 1.15 million ha or 2.25 percent of the total land area. It covers the deforested areas suitable for agriculture, which will be allocated to landless farmers through the agricultural land reform process.

Overview of recent policies

Since the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Thailand has responded to most international conventions and has followed the recommendations of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The government and non-government sectors are aware of the significance of Chapter II of Agenda 21 and the Forest Principles. Sustainable forest management strategies have been developed for implementation. The main points of the international conventions have been incorporated in many national policies.

The NESDP, which is the backbone of Thailand’s economic planning and development activities, particularly its 7^th and 8^th Plans, outlined a number of significant strategies and action plans for forest resource conservation and the participation of people in the management of natural resources. As a result, relevant agencies, local people and NGOs play a more important role in natural resource conservation and forest management.

The current Constitution, enacted in 1997, emphasizes the rights of rural people to actively participate in the management and utilization of natural resources. People’s participation is viewed as a strategy to implement policies and ensure sustainability. This has been incorporated in the 9^th NESDP, which covers 2002-2006.

Follow–up activities

With the imposition of the logging ban in 1989, the main objective of forest management has changed from production to conservation. The government is concentrating more on forest rehabilitation, especially reforestation and biodiversity conservation. The areas reserved for conservation and the Protected Area System have increased steadily (Table 1). Law enforcement has been strengthened, and some people residing in the conservation forests have been resettled in buffer zones or other designated areas, although this strategy has resulted in a number of conflicts.

Table 1. Natural conservation and recreation (1996-2000)

Source: Royal Forest Department, Forestry Statistics of Thailand (2000)

To help augment wood supplies other than those from natural forests and to promote forest plantations on private land, the government passed the Forest Plantation Act in 1992. As an incentive, investors are exempted from paying royalties for plantation-grown wood. Various other schemes have been initiated to expand the plantation area. One of the most popular programs is the Economic Wood Plantation Promotion Project that encourages farmers to plant economic trees on their own land. Farmers receive a subsidy of 18 750 baht/ha to plant and manage the trees as forest farms for at least five years. The program has been operating since 1994.

People’s participation in forest management is gaining recognition by both the government and the public. In early 1990, NGOs and academics proposed the Community Forestry Bill, later called the people’s version. The Royal Forest Department (RFD) responded by proposing its own version, identified as a government version. All efforts have been pooled to produce a ‘conciliatory’ version. In 1996, a ‘compromised’ version was drafted and put forward for ratification. However, it has not been passed yet due to the dissolution of the government and parliament in 2000.

In the meantime, other parties proposed their own versions of the bill. Seven draft bills were submitted to parliament for consideration in 2001. The lower house passed the draft bill to the senate house at the end of 2001. The bill is expected to be passed during 2002.

Discussion and conclusions

The imposition of the logging ban in 1989 marked a sharp turning point in Thailand’s forest policy. The RFD changed its main function from timber exploitation to forest conservation. Numerous Royal Decrees were passed to declare permanent protected areas such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and other designated areas. These forest reserves have established a Protected Area System. As has been stated in the 7^th, 8^th and 9^th NESDPs, protected areas are to cover 25 percent of the total land area. At present, the protected areas cover about 17.8 percent of the total land area. There are plans to declare additional forest reserves as protected areas.

The 1997 Constitution has provided a very strong basis for people’s participation in the utilization and management of natural resources. Buffer zone management and community forestry concepts are to be applied in areas surrounding and close to protected areas. Buffer zones and community forests can be developed as an alternative source of timber and non-wood forest products.

In conclusion, three key areas could benefit from policy studies in Thailand. They concern the management of protected areas and buffer zones, community forests, and private productive forests.