Abstract
Forest landscape restoration (FLR) considers forests as integrated social, environmental and economic landscapes, and emphasizes the production of multiple benefits from forests and participatory engagement of stakeholders in FLR planning and implementation. To help inform application of the FLR approach in upland northern Thailand, this study reviews the political and historical context of forest and land management, and the role of smallholders in forest landscape management and restoration in upland northern Thailand. Data were collected through a literature review, interviews with 26 key stakeholders, and three case studies. Overall, Thai policies on socioeconomics, forests, land use, and agriculture are designed to minimize smallholders' impact on natural resources, although more participatory processes for land and forest management (e.g.community forests) have been gaining some traction. To enhance the potential for FLR success, collaboration processes among upland forest stakeholders (government, NGOs, industry, ethnic minority smallholders, lowland smallholders) must be advanced, such as through innovative communication strategies, integration of knowledge systems, and most importantly, by recognizing smallholders as legitimate users of upland forests.
Highlights
The catastrophic floods of 2011 that affected over 85% of Thailand’s provinces, and resulted in the deaths of 815 people and the destruction of 2 million ha of farmland (Emergency Operation Center 2012), served to emphasize the urgency for upland forest landscape reform
While initial NESDPs focused on economic and social development, the natural resource deterioration that occurred during the Fourth NESDP (1977–1981) further undermined Thailand’s socioeconomic stability
The results of this study show that perceptions are slowly changing about the potential role of upland smallholders as partners in Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) and sustainable forest management
Summary
The catastrophic floods of 2011 that affected over 85% of Thailand’s provinces, and resulted in the deaths of 815 people and the destruction of 2 million ha of farmland (Emergency Operation Center 2012), served to emphasize the urgency for upland forest landscape reform. Striking at the heart of Thailand’s self-sufficiency, economic wealth, and political power, people wondered: Was enough being done to improve Thailand’s upland forest management?. Despite the perception that sloping uplands are important to Thailand’s future, there is still much to be learned about how smallholders manage forests on these landscapes, and their potential to manage forests in new socio-political and environmental contexts. With increased calls for greater decentralization and people-based natural resource management in Thailand (FAO 2009, Fujioka 2002, Nepal 2002, Vandergeest 1996), forest landscape restoration (FLR) may be a useful approach to guide forest management in Thailand. FLR emphasizes the production of multiple benefits for various stakeholders by considering forests as integrated social, environmental and economic landscapes, and engaging stakeholders in the FLR planning and action process through participatory mechanisms (Appanah 2016)
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