Mr. Pralong Damrongthai, Deputy Director-General of the Royal Forest Department, says the government has the policy to engage all sectors in forest-resource management in every stage from brainstorming, to planning, to implementing and to reaping benefits. In response to this policy, the department has joined the "CPF Conserve Ecosystem Project helped conserve and restore watershed forest around Pasak river basin at Phraya Doen Thong Mountain". The area is declared a permanent forest zone. Covering 5,971 rai of land, it is a headwater forest for the Lower Pasak River Basin. In the past, the forest was abundant. However, in the face of growing communities, encroachment has raged on with big, economically-valuable trees being uprooted. As the forest has now had just bushes and weeds, it has faced difficulty recovering from degradation naturally. The project thus springs into operation to restore this headwaters forest back to abundance.
"The Royal Forest Department is responsible for selecting the area for rehabilitation and conservation. We have also advised about plant selection, growing techniques, forest care, monitoring, and evaluations. Based on the academic principle of forestry, we have formulated implementation plans that match the context of the chosen forest zone. Our goal is to help improve the conditions of degrading forests fast. Carefully-made reforestation, the promotion of
reforestation, and the promotion of natural breeding are pilot projects for forest rehabilitation. We have engaged in these activities for the purpose of developing them as models for other forest-rehabilitation efforts," Mr. Pralong says.
Wuthichai Sithipreedanant, Senior Vice President for Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development of CPF, says his firm has signed the memorandum of cooperation with the Royal Forest Department, TGO, and BEDO to implement the "CPF Conserve Ecosystem Project helped conserve and restore watershed forest around Pasak river basin at Phraya Doen Thong Mountain" in 4,421 rai of land over the five-year period between 2016 and 2021. The move not only supports the government policy on forest conservation, but it also goes in line with CPF's key environmental pillar - "Balance of Nature". Based on the pillar, CPF has rehabilitated and conserved strategic forestland in Thailand's upstream, midstream and downstream zones. CPF has already been reviving mangrove forest in five major provinces under the "Grow- Share - Protect Mangrove Forestation" project. To date, it has also increased green zones around its facilities on the continued basis. Now, it has also introduced the "CPF Conserve Ecosystem Project helped conserve and restore watershed forest around Pasak river basin at Phraya Doen Thong Mountain" in pursuit of its vision, "Let's protect biodiversity from mountains to mangrove forest".
"CPF plays a role in funding the conservation and rehabilitation of forestland. We will also help with evaluating the results of the new project. On top of this, we will work with the Royal Forest Department in surveying areas, planning operations, and implementing the conservation and rehabilitation. We invite staff and local people to join various activities such as growing seedlings, planting seedlings in the forest, adding more plants and taking care of the reforested zone. Evaluation system will be in place. With TGO serving as an advisor on climate change and BEDO serving as an advisor on biodiversity, the project is set to achieve maximum efficiency," he adds.
Mrs. Prasertsuk Chamornmarn, Director of Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (Public Organization) or TGO, says given that forest has absorbed greenhouse gases, forest rehabilitation and reforestation can cut down on greenhouse gas effects. Greenhouse gases, after all, can be trapped inside wood texture. She has hailed the "CPF Conserve Ecosystem Project helped conserve and restore watershed forest around Pasak river basin at Phraya Doen Thong
Mountain" as a good example of integrated efforts from all relevant sectors. According to her, TGO has provided technical cooperation advising the project about the amount of greenhouse gases reforestation and forest rehabilitation can absorb. Such absorption can ease global warming on a sustainable basis.
Mr. Suphasit Champawong, Director of Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Utilization Group of Biodiversity-Based Economy Development Office (Public Organization) or BEDO, says his agency will contribute to the project by giving advice on biodiversity. Knowing how to assess the value of an ecological system, BEDO can tell the value of forest rehabilitation. Such knowledge will allow the project to monitor and evaluate its results efficiently for the goal of restoring ecological balance, returning abundance to its target forest, and boosting biodiversity in Thailand's forest on a sustainable basis.
Additional Information
"CPF Conserve Ecosystem Project helped conserve and restore watershed forest around Pasak river basin at Phraya Doen Thong Mountain", a part of the Phraya Doen Thong Mountain's "Study Center Marking the 60th Birthday of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn" in Lop Buri province, covers four main aspects of work: 1) Conservation and Rehabilitation of Headwater Forest in 4,421 rai of Pasak River Basin & Phraya Doen Thong Mountain; 2) Monitoring and Evaluation of Biodiversity Results; 3) Fighting against global warming and climate change through trees that trap CO2 and balanced ecological system; and 4) Setting a model or study center for Thailand's forest conservation and rehabilitation.