Thai Govt Called For Moving 2 Million People From Mountain Zones

[webfact]

ENVIRONMENT

Govt called for moving 2m people from mountain zones

PONGPHON SARNSAMAK

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Forestry experts and environmental activists yesterday called on the government to move more than 2 million people out of mountainous areas, especially those in headwater forests, to protect forests from encroachment and prevent floods.

Environmental groups also asked the government to set up a preservation fund to rehabilitate and restore degraded forest areas. The proposed fund would collect money from water-bill payments.

The calls were made at a seminar titled "Headwater Forest Strategy and the Way to Prevent Flood and Drought" organised by the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department. About 350 people took part, including forestry officials, forestry experts, environmental activists and members of civic groups.

The department, along with the National Parks Association, Forestry Alumni Society and Forest and Water Crisis Management Network, has produced a draft national strategy on headwater catchment as a key blueprint to restore forests and prevent deforestation over the next 20 years.

The plan comprises six strategies: conserving 75 million rai (120,000 square kilometres) of headwater areas nationwide; rehabilitating and restoring 10 million rai of degraded headwater forests; building public awareness of the need for headwater-forest conservation; encouraging public participation in headwater-forest management; developing legal measures to protect headwater forests; and setting up an information centre.

The plan to relocate about 2 million people out of mountainous areas was one of the strongest measures proposed to protect headwater forests.

A study conducted by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry found that massive deforestation caused by commercial farming in mountainous areas (Class 1 and 2 watershed areas at 500-1,500 metres above sea level) was one of the major causes of last year's severe flooding.

More than 3.7 million rai of headwater forest in six river basins including the Ping, Wang, Yom and Nan were severely damaged by commercial farming of such crops as maize and rice.

"We need to reduce the population in the mountainous areas and control land use. Moving people from mountainous areas to lower-lying areas would be a good way to protect headwater forests," said Wattana Wachirodom, an official from the Forest and Water Crisis Management Network.

Natural Resources and Environment Ministry permanent secretary Chote Trachoo said he personally disagreed with the idea.

"Relocating millions of people out of mountainous areas would be a very, very big issue," he said.

Instead of removing people from forest areas, Chote said, the government will pay people living in mountainous areas to plant trees and protect forests.

"We have to change the way they live. Planting trees and protecting forests would help them earn a living," he said.

To date, the government has allocated Bt10 billion to headwater-forest rehabilitation projects, but Chote did not reveal how much of this would be spent on paying people to plant trees and protect forests.

National Parks Association president Surachet Chettamas said the government should set up a special fund to support communities and non-governmental organisations' efforts to protect headwater forests. The government should allocate Bt1 billion as seed money to establish the fund, then collect money from taxpayers via their water bills, Surachet said.

[gk10002000]

While I do think Thailand needs to seriously consider some land movement and usage actions, I am always cautious about corruptions and mismanagement. I hope they do the right thing

[autan]

Fact : Paying people to plant trees is far less costly than trying to move and rehouse 2 million people.

[zakk9]

It's now 50 years since they finished off most of the forests in this country (with good help from foreigners). How much have they replanted? Very little. I don't hold my breath.

[timber]

I have logged near salmon bearing streams with major restrictions imposed

on the results. This was done with no negative effects on the fishery.

I would think it is more important to educate the hill people to

understand the why's and how's that need to be used to protect the environment,

and have field personnel present for control and education

I see major environmental impacts being used all over Thailand in the way roads are constructed and maintained.

People can live and use the environmentas long as they understand and use the procedures needed to conserve it. I think the Hill People have a greater love for the land concerned than the government people

that may want to log, mine or otherwise use the land.

The days are passed when forest can be withdrawn from the active land base. Pretty well all forest sites can be used as long as the proper procedures are used.

[craigt3365]

Fact : Paying people to plant trees is far less costly than trying to move and rehouse 2 million people.

Along with proper environmental education...

[mowgus]

Forestry is a lot like the burning in the north (and sometimes the same). They've been trying to stop people from burning for years, despite knowing where it is happening and this year was one of the worst yet. I'd say things are not getting any better. I hate to see how the local farmer doesn't plan for the future or how to protect the land for his children but, Thai culture is a big ship to turn. They don't look any further than today. Floods? What floods...it's dry!

[trainman34014]

The sheer scale of moving all these people will not have been thought out properly, and where will they be re-homed? Perhaps they have plans for a million or so to 'vanish'. After all, a lot of the Hill Tribe people don't even have ID cards as the Government only partly acknowledges their existance, rather like the slums in BKK. Surely education is the answer but we can only dream of such a sensible way forward in 'Miracle Thailand'.

[edgarfriendly]

Surely this is just a ploy to get the defenders of the habitat to get outta the way of quick profit making exercises.

e.g. Quick get out of the way, its dangerous....

SOLD!!

What land??

ad infinitum.

[phiphidon]

Before the Usual Suspects get laid into this lets just make it clear that the Government has not called for the displacement of 2 million people as could be implied by the headline (as if this was the intention, surely not!).

The headline could also, more accurately, be titled;

Enviromental Groups and Forestry Experts call for 2 Million people to be moved from Mountain Areas.

which is the actual case.

[Buchholz]

National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department

has produced a draft national strategy

The plan to relocate about 2 million people out of mountainous areas was one of the strongest measures proposed

The National Parks Department is run by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment headed by Pheu Thai Party MP Preecha Rengsomboonsuk, a Cabinet position within Yingluck's government.

Thai Government Called For Moving 2 Million People From Mountain Zones

.

[finnomick1]

Two thoughts; firstly where will these people be able to grow their ' strangely familiar ' plants if they get moved from the hills ? Secondly, why not let them pay to re-forest with the money they get for growing those ' strangely familiar ' plants.....just thoughts

[xavierr]

I think that the worst damage is being done by a few very wealthy people who are engaged in illegal logging and massive deforestation and who do not even live close to the forest environment.

As long as a high post in the administration is seen as an opportunity to make profit and as long as the paramount goal in life among the elite be to make maximum profit in order to buy stupid luxury goods (Mercedes, BMWs and such), there will be nothing hindering Thailand to become a wasteland in the future.

[bobmac10]

the floods really frightened the sh#* out of everyone this time, and the economic damage to the economy might finally wake them up to the consequences of all the over clearing.

Yes the hill tribes are responsible for some but so are the generals and police colonels who have had access and ability to loot the teak forests for the past 50 years.

One thing is for sure, with expected climate change, the wet seasons could be much wetter and that means more floods unless they rehabilitate the headforests in the hills.

The idea of paying the hill tribes is a practical and cheap alternative to forced re-location.

I can remember the princess talking about the negative effects of overclearing thirty years ago, with demonstrations of clear streams running through pristine rainforests and muddy streams running through clearfelled areas.

It's incredible that they didn't pay heed to her wise words.

Money the root of all evil.

[phiphidon]

The National Parks Department is run by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment headed by Pheu Thai Party MP Preecha Rengsomboonsuk, a Cabinet position within Yingluck's government.

Thai Government Called For Moving 2 Million People From Mountain Zones

.

Forestry experts and environmental activists yesterday called on the government to move more than 2 million people out of mountainous areas, especially those in headwater forests, to protect forests from encroachment and prevent floods.

The calls were made at a seminar titled "Headwater Forest Strategy and the Way to Prevent Flood and Drought" organised by the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department. About 350 people took part, including forestry officials, forestry experts, environmental activists and members of civic groups.....................

The plan to relocate about 2 million people out of mountainous areas was one of the strongest measures proposed...................

Natural Resources and Environment Ministry permanent secretary (government representative) Chote Trachoo said he personally disagreed with the idea.

"Relocating millions of people out of mountainous areas would be a very, very big issue," he said.

Instead of removing people from forest areas, Chote said, the government will pay people living in mountainous areas to plant trees and protect forests.

"We have to change the way they live. Planting trees and protecting forests would help them earn a living," he said.

[TinoThailand]

Now you have to be an expert to see the forests vanish? Now we have to be an expert to say we need nature?

[geriatrickid]

Fact : Paying people to plant trees is far less costly than trying to move and rehouse 2 million people.

It is more cost effective to protect the existing resources and to invest in expanding the protected areas around key parts of the watershed.

Not arguing with you because you raise a good point. Unfortunately, the type of vegetation and soils degraded by encroachments and inappropriate land use can not be fixed quickly by planting trees. Planting is good, but is only a small part of an effective solution.

[ryladie99]

the floods really frightened the sh#* out of everyone this time, and the economic damage to the economy might finally wake them up to the consequences of all the over clearing.

Yes the hill tribes are responsible for some but so are the generals and police colonels who have had access and ability to loot the teak forests for the past 50 years.

One thing is for sure, with expected climate change, the wet seasons could be much wetter and that means more floods unless they rehabilitate the headforests in the hills.

The idea of paying the hill tribes is a practical and cheap alternative to forced re-location.

I can remember the princess talking about the negative effects of overclearing thirty years ago, with demonstrations of clear streams running through pristine rainforests and muddy streams running through clearfelled areas.

It's incredible that they didn't pay heed to her wise words.

Money the root of all evil.

You are 100% right about this issue. I am sure the Thai and Farang who live in Thailand are waking up..Time to help each others..why not everyone pitch in and get help from the environment organization from other countries..I do not think the Thai government can relocate so many people.The government, people and the environmentalists can replant the trees plus educate the people who lives near by the mountain as well as the Hill tribes. Time to stop logging and has a new tough law about logging. The teak business owners should stop logging and make money somewhere else. No more corruption because of climate changes and flooding will impact everyone's life. My take and opinion.

[warmheart2010]

Fact : Paying people to plant trees is far less costly than trying to move and rehouse 2 million people.

It is more cost effective to protect the existing resources and to invest in expanding the protected areas around key parts of the watershed.

Not arguing with you because you raise a good point. Unfortunately, the type of vegetation and soils degraded by encroachments and inappropriate land use can not be fixed quickly by planting trees. Planting is good, but is only a small part of an effective solution.

Actually, work done by the Forest Restoration Research Unit at Chiang Mai University suggests that high quality forests can be restored very quickly and at low cost. Planting is not, as you suggest, the entire story, it is essential to provide residents with an improved quality of life where they live, not simply punish them for the poverty that has led to the low yield agriculture in which they are currently engaged. But certainly uprooting them from their homes and dumping them in lowland areas is no solution. Leave aside what it does to their lives, just where is the fertile farmland onto which they are going to be dumped? I cannot immediately identify any unclaimed expanses, and I suspect that their new neighbors whose land would have to be confiscated will also take a very dim view of this whole project. All in all, this is precisely the sort of (1) environment over people sort of project that urban environmentalists often think up and (2) Bangkok over the rural areas sort of project that politicians usually think up. Bravo and bravo again to the Minister for publicly and loudly writing this "solution" off. Don't waste money moving people; spend money (for the first time) on meaningful development for the minority communities of the headwaters areas. Help farmers move from land-extensive, low-value crops like corn and dry rice to land-intensive, high value crops like coffee and avocados. Trade high quality extension and complete supply-chain support for land retired for reforestation. Make a deal; don't just punish the innocent and do nothing to fix the long-term problem, because moving people will do nothing to restore the watersheds.

[dude007]

Forestry is a lot like the burning in the north (and sometimes the same). They've been trying to stop people from burning for years, despite knowing where it is happening and this year was one of the worst yet. I'd say things are not getting any better. I hate to see how the local farmer doesn't plan for the future or how to protect the land for his children but, Thai culture is a big ship to turn. They don't look any further than today. Floods? What floods...it's dry!

Ironically, you're absolutely right!

[dude007]

This project falls a bit short of suggesting that these 2 million people should be "exterminated" as the majority of them are hill tribes and therefore "non-Thais". But basically it's the only way of being successful although me too, I don't believe in this. Having seen the vast destruction that Hmong people are doing in Laos with their "slash and burn" techniques and the insignificant "window dressing" action the Lao Government is doing to stop this is making me very sad. These Hmongs are in my opinion not friends of the nature: they destroy it faster than the American B52 bombers did during the Vietnam war when they were spraying defoliant Agent Orange over vast areas surrounding Phonesavane in Xiengkhouang and the Ho Chi Minh trail. I admit to know less about the situation in Thailand but I am afraid that the suggested project is the only way and possibly successful approach of reaching the goal, eventhough it may be wishful thinking.

Edited March 30, 2012 by dude007

[quandow]

I was teaching an environmental subject two years ago and was shocked to learn that Thailand has lost about 90% of their elephants over the last ten years.

[FangFerang]

I remember reading last year about a truck that was commandeered by the police, carrying a load of very valuable illegal teak wood. The smugglers pulled the truck over a few kilometers down the road and took it back. No pursuit, no helicopters or a call to arms.

TIT

[lannarebirth]

^{In much the same fashion millions were moved off their "degraded" land in the 70's and 80's. Wealthy interests were then given the land to establish euclyptus forests to feed the paper mills which killed the rivers. This plan gets floated evry 5-10 yers.}

[sparebox2]

Not unlike Burma.

[anterian]

Primitive peoples have always destroyed the environment, England was once covered in ancient forests, now just a few tiny remnants remain. The Sahara desert was one the Roman granary. Legislation always fails in the face of human need and human greed. It is a battle that will never be won until we change the mindset of the people.

[Miami Bob]

In the bigger picture this sounds like part of AGENDA 21 [ agenda for the 21st. century - Rio global summit 1991] gradually going forward all over the world to remove humans from the wilderness areas and concentrate them into small highly controlled areas.

[skorchio]

I can donate a tent. Anyone else?

[TommoPhysicist]

Having first hand knowledge on this subject, we are advised to clear my wifes section of forest.

In Nan province (near Wiang Sa) the government has been allocating sections of the forest to local Thai people who have traditionally lived in the forest. My wife received 50 rai from her village head-man. In order to secure the chanote on that area, the head man is advising her to clear her section of forest in order to prove that she is working the land, which will secure her title to the chanote when they are issued, at a later date.

All the villages in the area are being given the same advice.

I would prefer the forest to be left 'as is', but don't want her to lose her entitlement.

Edited March 30, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[ginjag]

I would re locate (overseas) the ENV-minister and all the VIPs involved in the de-forestation...NOT the Hill people