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Reforestation in NE-Thailand (Isan)
Suan Mali reforestation project
Introduction:
History of the area and Suan Mali, project concept, and results.
History
The forest around Kaeng Nang was was pristine
virginal forest with abundant wildlife until the 1970es and know as a 'red
area'. After the communist guerrilla laid down their arm in the 1980es,
influential timber companies were granted concessions to cut down the
forest. The timber companies concentrated their effort on precious large
hardwood species and left behind them smaller and less valuable trees.
Around 1990 poor farmers from all over Isan moved in and turned the
leftovers from the timber companies into charcoal and timber. In the
beginning of the 1990es the Thai government passed a new law banning
further deforestation nationwide. The author visited Kaeng Nang for the
first time in 1992, made friends with migrating encroachers from Khorat
and since returned frequently - and now stays permanently.
In later confrontations with the authorities the new
settlers claimed 'the right to stay in their ancestral land'. Idealistic
and more or less naive NGOs from the cities bought the argument without
considering that the only farmers, who can use arguments as 'ancestral
land' land are the ethnic Phutai, Kha and So (Bru), who in smaller
communities have been living in the area for no more than 160 years (1844
AD), when they were evicted from present day Laos P.D.R. by the Thai
military and re-settled in various communities west of the Mekong River.
Forty years ago Kaeng Nang consisted of only 6 Phutai families.
The Suan Mali (Jasmine Garden) reforestation project was initiated in 1996 by the author,
his son and his Thai daughter-in-law. The idea was to turn a piece of
degraded forest land into wild forest with high biodiversity as a habitat
for wild-life. It was hoped that the local farmers would implement the
same concept on the parts of their land which was unsuitable
for agriculture.
The author was put in charge of the work in the field.
Nutcharee Im-Uthai Mollerup was and still is (2006) the formal owner. The
land is located in conservation forest, pa sa-nguan, and actually
belongs to the Crown. Encroaching farmers has been buying and selling
pa sa-nguan the last 20 years or more. The uphill- and sloping land (6
rai = 6 x 40 x 40 = 9600 m2 = 0.96 hectare) was purchased in 1996.
When another encroacher the year after gave up cultivating cassava on the
slopes of the neighbouring creek his land was incorporated into Suan Mali,
which in 2005 covered approximately 25 rai (app. 4 hectares).
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| Above: Forest fire at
the border of pa sa-nguan and pa anurak - probably set by
hunters in order to chase out game. |
Above: Forest fire,
March 2005, in Suan Mali aimed at felling the giant ma-kha-tae tree in the
middle of the photo. |
Above: Phu Sri Than
National Forest as seen from Suan Mail, March 2005, with Phu Sri Than
mountain in the distance. |
In 2000 the Royal
Forestry Department raised demarcation poles to mark the border between
pa anurak (conservation forest grade A, where it was not allowed to
collect bamboo shoots, raisin, frogs etc.) and pa sa-nguan
(conservation forest grade B, which actually has no trees left and is used
for cassava, sugar-cane, upland rice - and since 2004 rubber trees.
Farmers, who lived illegally in the pa anurak
area were evicted and offered land plots in the Queens Royal Reforestation
Project. Farmers, who lived in the pa sa-nguan area continue to
cultivate their plots of juridical illegal land - waiting and hoping for
land-title deeds as So Pho Kor, which is given to farmers living on
and cultivating the land. So Pho Kor deeds can according the the
law not be bought or sold, but is anyway traded.
So Pho Kor land has anyway in large scale been
traded to outside investors. In 2004-2005 large tracts of land has been
traded to rubber investors, mainly from Southern Thailand, and the prices
has in 10 years gone up from 1.000 baht/rai (app. 140 US$/hectare) to 10.000 baht/rai.
Four-wheeled tractors are prohibited in the pa
sa-nguan area west of Kaeng Nang, but the outsiders have apparently
found a way to sidestep the law: Medium sized 4-wheeled tractors have been
ploughing day and night since spring 2005. The rubber investors are very
efficient. Every inch of land is ploughed and all remaining trees
destructed. The local tapioca farmers left some trees, mostly edible
species and trees traditionally used for natural medicine. These trees are
gone now - and the knowledge on traditional medicine might soon be gone
too.
Above: Satelite photo showing the remnants of the forests
(see MAPS).
The author was in August 2005 invited by the
Queen's Royal Reforestation project at Hui Phai to participate as a
guest-speaker in a seminar teaching local farmers to conserve the
remaining forest. The main theme of his speech was (in local dialect):
''In the last years I have heard arguments in the
village, that the Southern Thai rubber investors have come to develop our
local society - and grow 'rubber-forest' to re-establishing the ecological
balance... I do not believe so. The rubber investors are investors. They
do nor care about our local community, our traditions and our future. They
invest huge sums of money and want profit only. The only future economical
change will be that the traditional migration of Isan farmers to the
cities or the rubber plantations in the south might decrease: The
investors have come and in the future you and your children can become
hired workers in your own village! And about ecology: Rubber might be be
less harmful than cassava and sugarcane, but it it industrial forest; not
nature. How many species of insects and birds will live in rubber
plantations?
Today we are gathered here to celebrate the birthday of
Her Majesty the Queen, and I will therefore urge the participants to
remember, the we have to 'lords' in this country: Primarily the King -
secondarily the prime minister, Thaksin. The latter is a businessman and
his visions are to encourage rubber plantations. His Majesty the King has
wider visions for our future. Visions how man and nature can coexist - and
we all know that without forests there will be no water. My heart is with
our Majesty the King. I live nearby and preserve forest, and I know that
it is easy for me to be idealictic, because I do not need economical
outcome. You do! I will therefore encourage everybody here to follow both
'lords': Do integrated agriculture on flat land - not only rubber - and
preserve the forest on sloping land. And especially preserve the creeks!
In Denmark, where I come from, we preserve the land along the creeks as a
habitat for frogs and thereby birds. And we Danes do not eat frogs. The
Isan people eat frogs and at the same time spoil the habitats of the
frogs. Love your grand-children and leave some frogs for them! Thank you
very much - khrap.''
The speech was welcomed by forestry officials and the
locals - and even quoted the the following speeches. But now probably
''blowing in the wind...''. Words are easy - action is difficult.
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Above: Farmers from surrounding
villages listening to speeches. |
Above: Instructors informing farmers
about reforestation methods. |
Above: Forestry officials, village
headmen, and the author. |
Sanitsuda Ekachai, Assistant Editor at Bangkok
Post, wrote the 8th of December 2005: ''Apparently, things have gone from
bad to worse, thanks to Mr Thaksin's determination to squeeze every single
baht out of Mother Nature to accelerate economic growth. Mr Thaksin's
dream of turning forests into more rubber and palm plantations, for
example, have sped up massive forest clearing like wildfire. His land
title deed scheme has also intensified forest encroachment. Apart from
ignoring old problems, new plans are afoot to create special economic
zones where all environmental laws can be overruled, and a special agency
to use national parks for tourist profit.''
The original time-frame of Suan Mali was 12 years
- eventually 20 years. Now (2006) 10 years have passed and we have decided
to terminate the project in 2008.
The reasons are as follows. 1: The aim of acquiring
knowledge and experience on reforestation has been reached. 2: The area
will most probably never be turned into pristine forest again - Suan Mali
will soon be a isolated 'forest-island' surrounded by rubber plantations.
3: Forest fire, by the locals called 'wild fire', by the author called '
man-fire'. Despite prevention there has been fire every year. Even fire
made by hunters in order to chase out wild game. 4: Theft of the remaining
big trees by local gangs. 5: No effect on the local farmers attitudes on
living with the forest and conserving it. In the case of Kaeng Nang the
author is very pessimistic on whether man can coexist with nature.
Within a few years there will be build a dam less
than a kilometre from Suan Mali and the reservoir will destroy vast areas
of the remaining pristine forest in the pa arurak area. The future
aspects of Suan Mali will be spoiled nature with rubber plantations all
around. The author's visions of doing tourism emphasising on nature
trekking and home stay are thereby spoiled as well. And the author
therefore considers to move on and re-settle elsewhere. Maybe at the
Queen's Reforestation Project, where he is invited to come and stay. Maybe
leave the forests and the frustrations there...
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| Above: Pristine forest near Kaeng Nang
Village, September 2004. |
Above: Pristine forest burned down in
order to grow rubber trees, April 2004. |
Above: Huai Daeng Creek deep inside
Phu Sri Than National Forest, April 2005. |
Concept
The aim of Suan Mali Reforestation Project is to do reforestation with
high diversity consisting of mainly local tree species:
1:
Locating and
marking native trees, which were not yet dead or were growing up from old
roots or by natural spread of seeds were given first priority in the first
years.
2: Where nothing grows up saplings were planted. The planted trees are mostly
hard-wood timber as mai doo (pterocarpus) and mai daeng
(ironwood), which are obtained from the forestry department. Wild bamboo
as phai baan and phai trong (bambusa, sort.) from the nearby
valley were planted in 2 large circles on the totally naked
land and following the contours. The bamboo was cut up with roots from
the nearby forest and replanted (according to local belief, only men
over 50 years can replant bamboo, else how it will die)..
3: Seeds from the nearby forests were collected and grown
as well, but only on a very small scale because the author did not stay
permanently.
4: Fruit trees were planted too in order to test which sorts are suitable to local
conditions. Of each sort one or two trees were planted on 3 different locations:
On
the elevated hill top, on the slopes, and down along the creek (turian
and rambutan died; but linchi gave fruit the 2nd year).
5: Cash crop as tapioca and upland rise for
self-consumption were grown between the up-growing trees the first
years. Crops as maize, watermelons, peanuts and beans too.
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| Above:
Burning fire belts at sunrise, December 2005. |
Above: The
author in front of his cottage at Suan Mali, June 1998. |
Above: The
author in front of his cottage at Suan Mali, August 2005. |
Results
Due to annual forest fires the results are limited. The
author and his two permanent helpers are now well experienced in fire
protection, but only the flat land uphill (20% of Suan Mali) has avoided
fire. Fire is the main obstacle in reforestation. And most energy and money
are used on preventing fire. It is easy to grow trees but difficult to
protect them.
Fruit trees and wild forest cannot go together. The
wild species will dominate the fruit trees, which have to be grown,
eventually integrated with one another, or a separate spot. The delicious
linchi is a success. They gave fruit after 3 years and the seeds were
planted directly in the ground on new spots. The new trees grow slowly, but
are stronger that linchi obtained from nurseries.
Some comments on some of the more than 120 counted
tree-species of Suan Mali:
Gratin Thepa (Brown Salwood or Magnium (FAO) /
Acacia mangium (FAO)) is not a local species. 20
trees were planted the first year as a wind-break and for firewood. It is
not suitable as a wind-break. Wind-broken trees have every year been cut
into firewood, for which it is very useful. The dry leaves and the fine
twigs burn very easily and are very suitable. New natural seedlings are
cared for as future firewood in order to be self-sufficient. The locals
still prefer valuable hardwood, preferably as charcoal. Nine years old trees
can be used for furniture and boards and the 2-coloured wood is very
beautiful.
Sadao or Neem (Azadirachta Indica) is not a local
species. 12 trees were planted uphill on a a spot that is too windy and the
result is small, crippled or dead trees. The locals collect fresh leaves,
which has a valuated bitter taste. The roots are said to be nitrogen
fixating and neem were therefore planted interspersed with fruit trees. The
idea was to cut the neem after 10 years and let the fruit trees remain, but
the wind was to hard and cold for the fruit trees as well.
Huat (huat kha:
Otophora Cambodiana?) and mook (Wrightia
Tomentosa Roem, var. Cochinchinensis?) are local softwood trees that
grows very easily and very abundantly. The author let them grow as 'nursing
trees' giving shade for more valuable trees until the muuk/huat becomes to
dominating - then they are cut for firewood, bur mostly eaten by termites
before getting dry.
Rattan (Calamus or Daemonothops, sort.) were planted
against erosion. The species obtained from the forestry department was an
edible sort, not as hope the sort suitable for making furniture. It was
planted on slopes and grows slowly. Maybe the spot is too dry.
Teak (tectona grandis) was obtained from the forestry
department. 4 trees were planted on sloping land and grows well. Some locals
grow teak in plantations with better results than in Suan Mali.
Coffee was obtained from the forestry department in
2005 and grown interspersed in the shade of other trees. The result is still
not known, but promising.
At last a warm thank to my two regular helpers,
Thueng and Jong, who have done the work and patiently followed my some times
bad ideas, sometimes good in growing trees in SE-Asia
Asger Mollerup, Suan Mali, January
2006
Jasmine (mali) flower.
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