CLM guidelines in brief

Transcription

1 Page 1 of 20 Internal Paper No. 189 CLM guidelines in brief Community Based Land Use Planning and Local Watershed Management An approach to achieve sustainable land use Compiled by Staff from the Thai-German Highland Development Programme Paul Borsy and Manfred van Eckert March 1995 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of contents List of abbreviations i iii 1. The situation in the highlands The legal situation Problem solution attempts The objectives 2

2 Page 2 of Working approach Principles Working steps Step 1: Preparation phase Set up a LUPT Village identification Participation Rural Appraisal (PRA) Step 2: Introduction of CLM in the village Interest groups Topographical Model (TM) The styrofoam model The clay or cement model Step 3: The CLM process and activities of the LUPT Land use discussions Land use categories Land use regulations Transact walks Land quality assessment Activities to improve NRM Step 4: Data processing, mapping and setup of regulations Land use mapping Setup village regulations InterVillage meetings Step 5: Presentation of results for policy decision making Regular meetings at provincial level Submit land use plan and village regulations at higher

3 Page 3 of 20 policy level Monitoring Some examples of results achieved Relocation policy Watershed protection Paddy extension Pasture establishment Community forests and village nurseries Conclusion 14 List of Abbreviations CLM Community-Based Land Use Planning and Local Watershed Management DOA DHC DOAE EOG GIS GPS HDWC LDS LUPT NGO NRM Department of Agriculture District Hilltribe Committee Department of Agricultural Extension Executive Office of the Governor Geographical Information System Global Positioning System Hilltribe Development and Welfare Centre Land Development Station Land Use Planning Team Non-Governmental Organization Natural Natural Resource Management

4 Page 4 of 20 PFO PHC PLO PRA RFD RIAs RRA RSA SFS TG-HDP TM Provincial Fishery Office Provincial Hilltribe Committee Provincial Livestock Office Participatory Rural Appraisal Royal Forest Department Responsible Implementing Agencies Rapid Rural Appraisal Rural System Analysis Sustainable Farming System Thai-German Highlad Development Programme Topographical Model 1. The situation in the highlands The forests in northern Thailand are one of the largest remaining forest resources of the country (1) and serve as the main watershed areas for the Chao Phaya basin. It is the most fertile and valuable farming land of Thailand. In order to assure the functioning of the watershed and to protect and conserve the genetic resources of the flora and fauna, this area is of main concern for Thailand. The highlands of northern Thailand are populated by approximately 600,000 highlanders of different ethnic origins. Their traditional agricultural system is based on shifting cultivation, with upland rice and maize on sloping land, paddy rice production in the valleys and poppy and extensive livestock production for their cash demand. However, these systems and settlement structures differ. due to ethnic origin and cultural background. In the past, these diversified farming systems were well adapted to highland conditions, when population density was low and available land suitable for shifting cultivation was still abundant in the forest. Karen farmers for example, developed paddy irrigation systems and, hence, permanent settlements at river sites; while Lisu and Lahu tribes developed upland rice traditionally by mixed farming systems based on shifting cultivation, After the soil was depleted of nutrients and weed could no longer be managed, the whole village moved to another area and continued the subsistence cropping system. A natural succession soon covered upland fields with vegetation, a secondary forest grew and regenerated soil fertility until the next cropping cycle began. These conditions were ecologically sound and a sustainable production system with long fallow periods developed, in which the soil was able to recover. Thus, no measures

5 Page 5 of 20 were developed to improve, maintain or manage natural resources in a sustainable way. Population pressure, due to immigration and population growth, and the higher demand for cash caused by socio-cultural changes increased the demand for land. As a result, more marginal forest was encroached upon, fallow periods decreased and deforestation and forest degradation took place. This development causes current ecological imbalances in the highlands and reduces its watershed functions The legal situation A large amount of the highlands have been declared as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries or reserved forestry areas according to Forestry Laws and the national watershed classification system. Consequently many settlements became illegal regardless of how long they had been there. Logging was banned in 1989 so as to protect the forest resources better. On this legal basis the government started a policy of resettlement, but it soon proved its limitations. It was costly, and in most cases did not fulfill the farmers expectations. It was realized, that law enforcement and a top down approach is not able to control illegal settlement and forest encroachment. The new Thai Forestry Sector Master Plan 1994, admits that the past approach to forestry has failed and is now focusing on more participatory forest management, with local people as partners. But at the same time, relocation is still a policy in protected areas, as land ownership, land use rights or legal logging is far beyond reality for the Hilltribe people. Despite the legal aspects, the government increased its efforts to induce development in the highlands and include the highlanders in Thai society. But this process is hampered by the fact, that some government officials still apply a top down approach when dealing with Hilltribe farmers, and there is a lack of trust, confidence and a practicable tool with which RIAs can tackle this difficult issue Problem solution attempts The development of permanent sustainable farming systems, aimed at helping the farmers to improve their living conditions by the introduction of new production options and technologies, intensive and diversify their farming system. Activities are supported to improve soil fertility and introduce soil and water conservation as well as watershed management measures, which should stop the ecological degradation of highland areas. New farming methods based on the integration of crop and livestock production procedures in agroforestry systems, also have social forestry components which are needed in order to achieve ecologically sound land use. Due to the highly fragmented government system, many departments are involved in farming systems development and forest resource management. Hence, sustainable farming systems, which should lead to improvements in the living conditions of the farmers by maintaining or improving resource management, can only be induced and developed if all agencies concerned are involved, and if they cooperate closely with the farmers in a participatory manner. With such considerations, it becomes quite clear why a coordinated and community-based, participatory land use planning process is needed in the Highlands The objectives The objectives of the Community-Based Land Use Planning and Local Watershed Management (CLM) approach are:

6 Page 6 of 20 to increase mutual understanding about the present land use system and its constraints, to optimize the allocation of resources within the entire village and improve it s watersheds, to stimulate awareness about ongoing degradation processes and the need for improved management or conservation of limited resources, to consolidate the communities with regard to the conservation of natural resources, to stimulate discussion about land use problems and their possible solutions among farmers and villagers and between farmers and government officials, to facilitate and support both individuals and the community in planning land use changes better and monitor the results of activities implemented by the farmers, to reduce and solve land use conflicts among villagers and between villages and government officials, to facilitate the process of achieving agreements between villagers and government officials on village boundaries (esp. in Forest Reserves, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries) and to agree on how the forest and village land should be managed, to improve cooperation among RIAs working in the highlands in order to achieve a better coordinated and integrated development approach, and to finally improve the legal situation of the highlanders with regard to kind security, tenure or ownership. 2. Working approach 2.1 Principles The CLM approach should be seen as an approach integrated in the whole process of development, with the focus on people organization and self reliance. Sustainability can only be achieved by the land user, and a project, government organization or implementing agency can only facilitate the process. Some principles shall be considered in all activities: People s Participation Self Reliance 2.2. Working steps People Organization Gender consideration The following provides a brief overview of the five working steps of the CLM process: Step 1: Preparation Phase Step 2: Introduction of CLM process in the villages Step 3: The CLM process and activities of the LUPT Step 4: Data processing, mapping and regulation set up

7 Page 7 of 20 Step 5: Presentation of results for policy decision making Step 1 Preparation Phase Identify government officers of different RIAs who have an interest and mandate in natural resource management and set up a LUPT Identify villages to start with CLM Apply Rural System Analysis to understand the village structure Set up a LUPT Since land use planning is an issue that tackles many subjects, an interdisciplinary approach is necessary. Agencies have overlapping mandates and in order to coordinate the activities and strengthen and harmonize the working approaches, the setting up of a Land Use Planning Team (LUPT) is crucial. Within the context of the TG-HDP, the LUPT should be embedded in the District Hilltribe Committee (DHC) structure. DHC should nominate LUPT members and backstop the activities. This implicates, that there is a flow of information between LUPT and DHC. Depending on the existing structure and active agencies, representatives from the following institutions could be considered as members of the LUPT: Hilltribe Development and Welfare Centre (HDWC), Provincial Livestock Office (PLO), NGO representatives, Royal Forest Department (RFD), Land Development Station (LDS), Provincial Fishery Office (PFO), Department of Agriculture (DOA), Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE), Private sector, company representatives, Agriculture Extension, Local Teacher. One Agency, or project staff should be leader of the LUPT. According to experience, intensive guidance and leadership is necessary, with regularly meetings to follow up the process. The team should meet at least monthly from the beginning of the process to follow up on results achieved and coordinate future action plans. At a later stage of the process, the meetings could take place every 2-3 months. The LUPT members should be supported by the District Hilltribe Committee (DHC). Once the LUPT is established, a mutual understanding of the objectives and working approaches has to be achieved. A flow of information from the CLM process, to and from field level and to District Level (DHC), is of the utmost importance. The principles of working with the villagers has to be clear to all LUPT members, and an understanding of the sustainable farming system (SFS) and agricultural rural development should be a precondition.

8 Page 8 of Village identification The aim should be to establish a land use plan in the whole region, starting from important watershed areas. Priority should be given to those villages where there are already land use conflicts. Neighboring villages which share a watershed shall be included in the process. It will be easier to start in those villages where there is a good relationship between villagers and field personal and/or where there is a strong community Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) In order to understand the villager s perspective, structure and problems, existing information shall be collected and reviewed. Appropriate methods like Participatory Rural Appraisal (PM), Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA), Rural System Analysis (RSA), Problem Census Analysis etc. shall be used to obtain basic information on social, political, historical, economical, agricultural, geographical, health, education, natural and personal resources. This information can be gained during village meetings, while building the topographical model (see paragraph 2.2.2,2.), or in meetings prior to the first CLM activities. If, and what kind of information is really needed in order to achieve the desired results should always be considered. Information can be helpful on: number of households and number of people per household, groups and leadership, language abilities of Thai, other education or training, level of self-sufficiency for subsistence production, off-farm employment situation, traditional handicraft and collective activities, existing village organizations, main social problems and their causes in the village, resource availability of the villagers, main income sources and market access, cropping and animal husbandry systems, present pattern of land use in villages, livestock ownership and husbandry systems, paddy area and water resources, traditional rules and regulations with regard to land use, domestic and irrigation water supply during the year, This information should enable the LUPT to guide the CLM process in the village better and enable it to identify different groups in order to take appropriate measures for their inclusion in the process. This initial data collection should strengthen the ability of the LUPT and the villagers to cooperate in a participatory manner in the CLM process. According to the villager s need and perspective, the first activities should try to solve the villager s main problems, rather than pushing to a CLM process if land use issues are not their main concern.

9 Page 9 of Step 2 Introduction of CLM in the village Identifying interest groups Make Topographical Model Discuss Land use issues Interest groups During the first step, Natural Resource Management (NRM) and land use issues will have been discussed in households and groups. People who are most interested in land use issues can be identified and motivated to form a CLM committee, which could be within the village committee, but should not be restricted to village committee members: Women and older villagers should participate in this group Topographical Model (TM) A good starting point for CLM is the making of a 3 dimensional model, which is called a topographical model (TM). This model can be built during the RSA process or at a later stage, depending on the ongoing discussions. To make the TM, the approximate village area has to be identified with the villagers. Topographical maps, aerial photographs and satellite images can help to achieve an overview, but these tools are usually not understood by the villagers. People very often have single fields in neighboring villages, which cannot be included in the TM, but should be identified.

10 Page 10 of 20 The TM can be used for the following: Purpose:Objectives:Activities: village planning agricultural land use planning village and land use planning watershed management improvement of village infrastructure improve land use, reduce erosion demarcate village area, improve intksstmcture and land use land use planning for the whole watershed area survey and observe the village location and housing area, roads, waterways, etc. survey and observe the area and extent of cultivated land, land ownership patterns, quality of land, etc. survey and observe the village area, infrastrueture and boundaries, land classfication, ownership pattern, etc. survey and observe a watershed area consisting of different villages, identify boundaries, relationships of users in watershed and existing management strategies The TM is a tool to facilitate the process of discussion and create a common understanding between villagers and LUPT members. It is also a good tool for planning and monitoring processes in a participatory way and to obtain basic information from villagers. There are two ways to make a model: The styrofoam model The first one is the Styrofoam model, or a similar material (fiberwood, plywood, cardboard etc.). In order to construct the topographical model the following steps have to be taken: 1. Transcribe the contour lines onto brown paper, 2. Transfer the contour lines to the Styrofoam,

11 Page 11 of Cut the Styrofoam contour line layers one by one, 4. Starting with the layer of the bottom contour line, pin and glue the layers together, until you reach the top contour line, 5. Fix the Styrofoam model to a plywood board and build a frame around it for protection, 6. Use thin paper or gypsum to smooth the edges and surface of the model. The costs of materials for the TM range from 2,500 to 4,000 Bath The clay or cement model Experience from using the Styrofoam model for some time has shown that some farmers did not fully understand the details of the terrain in the TM, since they often did not correspond to the real features observed by the farmers. They developed and expressed their own ideas about the shape of their village surroundings, and their modeling with clay proved that villagers can make TMs which are more understandable to them, have fairly good accuracy and clearly enhance villagers participation and communication. Hence, farmers can be encouraged to build their own topographic model using clay to form the landscape. In making a clay model, several village meetings are required. Prior to making the clay model, a suitable place should be identified where it can be kept, and where village meetings can be held. Building the TM in the village meeting room or in another suitable building where meetings can be held with all villagers is recommended. A frame has to be built from wood and farmers have to collect sufficient amounts of wet clay for the model. Modeling with wet clay will be earned out by the farmers themselves, and the LUPT should only intervene if they request help or advice. After the clay model is molded, it should be coated with a cement and fine sand concrete mixture to the ratio of 1:1 in order to avoid cracking during the dry season, caused by shrinking clay. White oil paints should bu used to coat the model the cement has dried. Oil paint of different colours is advised in order to visualize the different land use categories which are identified during the ongoing, regular village meetings Step 3: The CLM process and activities of the LUPT Land use discussions Land use categories Land use regulations Transact walk Land quality assessment Identify activities to improve NRM

12 Page 12 of Land use discussions The discussion with villagers regarding land use should follow the general principles of community development approaches as described in many manuals. It can be earned out with the whole village, in groups or with single people. Villagers have the best knowledge of their environment. When listening to them, they can explain all that is necessary Land use categories When using the TM, the main land use categories will be shown as follows agricultural fields (permanent?), fruit trees or orchards, paddy fields, pasture, fallow (how many years?), watershed areas (protected?), community forest. The present land use categories can be drawn in the TM for further discussions by using colours. Some categories may not have colours, such as community forest. The agriculture system should be understood and the following questions may be of help: How long have the number of plots per household been in use? What is their size? Do they grow crops and are they permanent? Does the village have protected areas? If so, why, where and what size are they? What are the regulations (and sanctions) for protected areas? What are the regulations (and sanctions) for land use? Are fallow plots owned or can anybody use them? How old are old fallow, years? Where are the good and bad soils? What is the water situation? Where does it come from and what are the changes over the last 10 years? Where are wood and non wood forest products collected? Where is hunting carried out and when? Did the availability of wildlife change and if so, why? Did the availability of natural resources change in recent years? If so, where, how, and why? Is there a limit of years after which failow is regarded as "public"? Do the family or group make the decision for choosing new plots in the forest or is there a discussion in the village? How do women participate in these decisions? If a family or individual wants to cut trees for timber, e.g. for house construction, can they cut any tree or do they have to ask for permission? If so, from whom? The villager or the village headman? What sort of regulations and sanctions do the village have for illegal (according to village regulations) forest and timber use? Does the village have group herding? If so, how many people and cattle are involved? Where is the cattle allowed and not allowed to graze, and why? Does the village have conflicts with other villages? If so, what sort?

13 Page 13 of 20 Are there any problems regarding conflicts over water use? If so, what kind? Are there problems regarding cattle from neighbouring villages? How does the village deal with newcomers who want to settle in their area or village? Where do the villagers see a potential for better or more intensive land use? Do the villagers have problems with fire in their area? If so, how does it start? It maybe useful to identify individual plots of upland and fallow fields, and mark them in the TM in order to discuss possible changes for the future. Let the villagers talk without too much interference and write down or annotate some results of the discussion on charts Land use regulations In every village some regulations with regard to land use can be found. Some maybe traditional, some newly introduced. Usually, they cannot be found in a written form. What kind of land use regulations the villagers have and how they are controlled should be analyzed with them. These regulations can be visualized in the village, some examples from experience are given below: if new forests (not fallow) have to be cleared for upland rice cultivation, the whole village has to agree, cattle has to be fenced at least during rice harvest periods, if cattle destroys a field, the owner has to pay a fine, tree felling in watershed areas is not allowed, avoid forest fires, and selling wood is not allowed Transact walks Some discussions at the model transact walks will help to achieve a better understanding of the agricultural system, i.e. to assess the soil quality and suitability for different crops. Such questions as, where is there room for improvement and where are the problems can be discussed, and some guidelines for making transact walks are presented in the form of "Does and Don ts". (2) DO DON T encourage famers who have their fields in the direction you are going to accompany you, since they can describe conditions in the area best look carefully and listen to the farmers lecture and rush. always follow paths, ridges or contours observe and record go cross-country

14 Page 14 of Land quality assessment Land and soil quality should be assessed together with the villagers and LDS. The farmers have a good knowledge of soil quality. During this process site selection, fallow periods and water constraints can be discussed in the field. Steep, dry and rocky areas and poor soils should be considered for converting into forest kind. Alternative sites have to be identified or the income on remaining ones has to compensate the fields given up Activities to improve NRM By identifing and visualizing the land use categories, the following ideas for improvements can be found: pasture and paddy establishment, fruit tree plantations, reforestation activities, fire protection, soil and water conservation measures, livestock improvement, water system, and remaining conflicts with neighboring villages. These activities should always be based on the farmer s requests. In cooperating with the LUPT, assistance in planning these activities can be found from different agencies. By improving the agricultural system and income generating activities there will be room for classifying remaining forest as protected watershed areas, to protect fallow land in order to convert it into forest and plant or protect community forests. Highlanders always have a sense of forest protection and judging from experience, they are willing to protect forests effectively, if their basic needs are fulfilled. By listing non wood forest products, hunting activities, water sources, wood supply and grazing areas it will be clear, that forests have a high value for famers Step 4: Data processing, mapping and set up of regulations: Land use mapping Set up of village regulations Intervillage meetings Land use mapping To achieve a land use map that can be submitted for approval at a higher level, the identified areas have to be transferred into a land use map. Basically, there are 4 methods of measuring areas:

15 Page 15 of 20 Method Suitable for Accuracy Advantage Disadvantage Ground measurements Cataster exact data Highest High accuracy Time consuming Expensive Aerial photographs Mapping, overview, inventory High A great deal of information retrievable in a short time Expensive if photos are not available Satellite images Land classification, inventory for large areas Medium (ground resolution 10m with SPORT) (3) Large areas can be surveyed in a short time Relatively cheap if used for big areas Easy monitoring with yearly sat, images Digital information High tech necessary High costs for hardware, software and training at the beginning Geographical Positioning System (GPS) Field orientation, quick and rough measurements Medium (+_30m or +_5m by using GPS) Quick Easy tool Participatory mapping Digital information Low accuracy Time consuming Ground measurements To choose an appropriate tool depends on the purpose of the measurements. Ground measurements are the most accurate instruments, but are quite expensive and time consuming. They should be used if an accurate cataster is desired. Aerial photographs If there are aerial photos available it is most likely the easiest, fairly accurate and most reliable way to identify areas in the field and measure them later in an office. They can be used as an orientation if no maps are available and can also act as a media to discuss land use directly with villagers, either in the field, or village. A small pocket stereoscope allows 3 dimensional vision, but in most cases fairly new aerial photographs are not available, affordable or easy to find. Satellite images Satellite images can be used to establish a rough land use map. This map can give a first

16 Page 16 of 20 overview, but does not identify small farming fields, and the classification can sometimes be difficult. Ground checks are therefore necessary for a reliable classification. Using and interpreting satellite images also needs some expertise, experience and technical equipment. However, with later satellites a (SPOT) provides much higher resolution and therefore better results. This technique may replace aerial photographs in the future. For data processing and interpreting high skill, expensive hard and software material is necessary. It should therefore be considered, that this could be carried out by private sector or existing institutes, rather than setting up an own remote sensing unit. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) The GPS is a fairly easy tool to find a position on maps and is also usable to measure areas. The GPS sends regular radio waves to fixed satellites in orbit and uses these to compute the exact coordinates of the position of the instrument. With the instrument accompanying the farmers while walking along the field boundary, the GPS will record the coordinates at short, given intervals. The recorded coordinates can be used to draw the boundary and estimate the size of the field. This technique should be used if a high degree of accuracy is not necessary and if participatory land use planning is desired, which includes discussions during the working process. It should be noted that it is not a quick method. Not all GPS have an interface with a computer, and not all are adequately accurate and able to save data. TG-HDP used the Garmin GPS 100 SRVY II system, which fulfills the need. It allows, by using satellite positioning, a fairly accurate measurement, although poor satellite coverage, thick forest cover or thick clouds can influence the accuracy. By using a special programme (recording field position data, dynamic operation) it is possible to measure an area by walking around. The data has to be processed by GPS PC software and this can be carried out in the oflice, since this system has a sufficient storage capacity to save field survey data for more than one week. The accuracy ranges from within 30m and improves to about +/- 5 m when using 2 systems from a base-station post processing programme. A GIS or similar software is necessary to establish maps and assess the size of measured sites. The digitized data can also be combined with a satellite, or processed into digitized aerial photographs or digitized thematic maps. The combination of GPS information with remote sensing data can therefore produce maps, which are fairly accurate, reflect the real situation and are carried out in a participatory way. These maps can be used for further monitoring of land use processes as well as a tool to discuss land use issues with government officials and decision makers at a higher level. But the technique also needs some expertise and equipment. It should be completed by a special unit, which is responsible for the technical data processing in a region. The combination of different techniques, and the additional information of thematic maps (soil. geological, slope class, crop, water, potential land use, old land use maps) can also be useful in achieving better results. The following steps are therefore necessary to establish the land use maps:

17 Page 17 of 20 The land use maps shall reflect the present situation in the highlands and a management plan for the next 5-10 years. However, it is understood, that a land use plan is changing and not a static plan. Monitoring the land use can be done by using satellite images Set up village regulations Once the CLM process has progressed, it should be possible to set up some village regulations, based on traditional rules, regulations and sanctions. These should include some rules with regard to social life as well as land use related issues. These rules should be visualized in the village, possibly next to the TM, and submitted to neighboring villages as well as to the LUPT, Tambon Council and DHC Intervillage meetings If there is a common understanding in the village about land use categories and village boundaries, intervillage meetings should be conducted to identify remaining conflicts and solve them jointly with the LUPT members. Transact walks with representatives from different villages maybe a good way to discuss these issues. An intervillage watershed management system can be established. If there are land use conflicts at the beginning of the CLM process it is advisable to include intervillage communication from the beginning and beyond.

18 Page 18 of Step 5: Presentation of results for policy decision making Regular meetings at provincial level Submit land use plan and village regulations at higher policy level Regular meetings at provincial level During the CLM process regular meetings should be conducted, as suggested in Step 1. The District Hilltribe Committee (DHC), Executive Office of the Governor (EOG) and Provincial Authorities like Provincial Hilltribe Committee (PHC) should be informed and involved in the process permanently. A small workshop or field trips can also be conducted in order to explain the CLM approach, process and results achieved Submit land use plan and village regulations at higher policy level The land use plan should be submitted at decision making level in order to achieve an agreement to legalize the villagers land use. This achievement will be difficult to obtain, but it should be tried, to prove that villagers are willing and able to manage natural resources in a sustainable way. If this is achieved, the village areas have to be measured in detaii to setup a cataster. 3. Monitoring In order to monitor the community based land use plan, a group or individuals could be established on a rotational basis to be responsible to safeguarding community members and outsiders who stick to the rules. Whether this kind of "patrolling" is necessary or not depends on the communities. It maybe useful. for fire protection purposes in the dry season. During hunting, forest product collecting and walking to remote fields, the Villagers do observe the changes, but assistance from RIAs should be made available if requested. Changes in land use should be drawn on the TM and land use maps and submitted at a higher level annually. In addition, satellite images can be used easily to observe changes in forest cover. Sketch maps might also be appropriate to gain necessary information. 4. Some examples of results achieved 4.1. Relocation policy Some parts of the project area were declared as Wildlife Sanctuary many years ago, regardless of the actual settlement situation. According to the law, no settlements are allowed in these areas. The policy was, therefore, to relocate the villages. In several meetings the department responsible agreed to follow the CLM approach in order to understand the real situation and plan land use changes together with the villagers. The concern about hunting wild animals could then

19 Page 19 of 20 also be tackled within the CLM approach Watershed protection In one village area there where some fomer opium fields covered with weeds. The villagers declared this area of 200 rai as their watershed, where no upland fields would be allowed. In order to upgrade this area, it was agreed, that the villagers themselves replant it with the desired tree species (including fruit trees, bamboo and multi purpose species) instead of letting the Forest Department grow standard species there. The RFD provided some of the seedlings, and some were provided by the TG-HDP. The villagers will protect this area efficiently and the Forest Department will not be responsible for maintaining the reforestation Paddy extension During the CLM process an area of 200 rai was identified as potential paddy land. The villagers requested support and a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) helped to build an irrigation system Pasture establishment As cattle is one of the most important sources of income for the villagers, they are highly interested in managing and breeding them better. Pasture areas were identified and with the help of the Livestock Department and a NGO they were established, fenced and improved. Conflicts regarding cattle destroying neighboring villages fields can be avoided Community forests and village nurseries Forest Department provided villagers with the desired tree seedlings in order to establish or upgrade identified community forests. To provide villages with seedlings better, the department helped to establish village nurseries, where the villagers can raise forest and fruit tree seedlings. 5. Conclusion It was experienced that the following can be achieved: improved natural resource management, coordination of Responsible Implementing Agencies at village and field level, participatory planning, identification of activities and their implementation according to farmers needs, better understanding between villagers and officials, better communication between villages, and awareness with regard to natural resources. However, the legal situation is still not satisfactory as the villages have no land use rights or tenureships. At the same time, the relocation policy is, somehow, still active. His Majesty the King of Thailand in a speech at the University Law Faculty in 1973:

20 Page 20 of 20 In forests designated and delineated by the authorities as reserved or restricted, there were people there already at the time of delineation. It seems rather odd for us to enforce the Reserve Forest Law on the people in the forest which became reserved only subsequently by the mere drawing of lines on pieces of paper. The problem arises in as much as, with the delineation done, these people became violators of the law. From the viewpoint of law, it is violation because the law was duly enacted; but according to natural law, the violator of the law is he who drew the lines, because the people who had been in the forest previously possessed the right of man, meaning that the authorities had encroached upon individuals and not individuals transgressing the law of the land. Squatters are supposed to have violated the law, but what is rearly amazing is that when the reserved forests are declared open by the authorities for occupation, these squatters should turn out to be trespassers on land which now have owners when they, as previous occupants earning their living there in a normal way, should have acquired rights. 1 Northern Thailand covers 56% of Thailand s total remaining forests according to Forestry Statistics (Forestry Information Service Bureau, Royal Forest Department) 2 "Does and Don ts" have been derived from Prety (1990) "Rapid catchment analysis for Extension Agents" International Institute for Environment and Development, London, UK. 3 SPOT refers to high resolution satellite images.