Forest revival project starts in 13 provinces

[webfact]

Forest revival project starts in 13 provinces



BANGKOK, 23 June 2016 (NNT) – The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) have jointly opened a forest revival project.

The project applies to 13 provinces in the North of Thailand, where the public is encouraged to help replant trees over 21,000 rai of deforested areas. Natural Resources and Environment Minister Gen. Surasak Kanjanarat and DNP Director-General Thanya Netithammakun presided over the project’s opening ceremony.

Gen. Surasak said a recent survey found that around 8.6 million rai of forest in the North had been invaded by entrepreneurs and farmers. The government plans to revive all damaged upstream forests within 20 years, during which time, the local quality of life will be improved alongside the conservation initiative.


-- NNT 2016-06-23

[jak2002003]

This sounds good... but how are they going to get back the land from the entrepreneurs and farmers? They are not going to want they farmland covered with trees?

And are they going to plant a mix of native trees to make it natural? I see huge areas just replanted with teak only. This is not a balanced eco system and of little value to wildlife. How will they stop the burning of the areas where the new trees are planted? jIf they burn then they will mostly be destroyed.

[timber]

Good ideas, but who will monitor? Some should be put into community forest, some should be replanted, some should be left as is. Maybe a research project

for one of the Universities.This is a technical decision not a political one. Needs a twenty year plan not a gut feel decision by someone who doesn't have a clue.

[waldroj]

Just so typical of Thailand's so-called Public Sector - official inaction (either through ineptitude or kleptocratic practice - or probably both) has allowed the abusers to create the problem, become rich in the process, and not be held accountable (for recovery efforts).

Now they finally tell us they are taking action (after the trees are gone, and the topsoil has been eroded away), with a grandiose scheme to get the public to help replant trees in over 21,000 rai of deforested areas. Seems like there is still lots of dead wood to be removed (but, not in the forest).

As the Chinese proverb suggests, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago ..."

[jak2002003]

You reminded me of what happens in my village every few years.

A huge group of people will come... TV reporters and camera crew, officials and VIPs, and lots of university students.

A huge billboard sign with beautiful picture is put up and surrounded with silk ribbons and bows.

Trucks laden with young trees line up and all the students start to plant the saplings around the big lake.. with lots of pomp and ceremony.

Then they all pack up at the end of the day. (leaving piles of litter everywhere).

A few weeks later most of the 100 s of young trees are dead because:

1. No one watered them

2. No one put in fertilized or any new soil to the holes they planted the trees into... and refilled with the orange hard landfill clay stuff they were planted in.

3. The few saplings that survive then get eaten by cows and buffalo the farmers bring to the lake to drink.

4. Finally the dozen trees that are lucky enough to survive a few months then get chopped down when the annual grass and week strimmer guys go around the lake cutting back the vegetation.

So in the end NONE survive. A couple years later the entire show is repeated again and again.

I suspect this will happen when people go out to replant the trees on the mountains. Lots of TV and press coverage showing how wonderful the government is...the people sticking saplings into holes and leaving them to die off.

[canopy]

It's a good idea and desperately needed, but without enforcement it will be a wasted effort. The locals treat the forest like a free all you can eat buffet. It's all fair game and they take what they want. Every single tree will ultimately be burned down, cut down, or otherwise killed and no one will care. The cycle of deforestation will repeat and go back to square one. I don't see any other possible outcome from my vantage point unfortunately.