Rehabilitation of Degraded Forests in Thailand: Policy and Practice

background

This article provides an overview of efforts to rehabilitate degraded lands in Thailand. The authors synthesize articles and government policies to understand different plans of action for the government. Based on their analyses, they outline the challenges facing forest rehabilitation efforts and specific areas that need improvement.

Conclusions & Takeaways

The authors conclude that the increase in deforestation and forest degradation has generated immense need for stable policy that targets reforestation. They suggest that both Thailand's seventh and eight National Social and Economic Development Plan be actively protected, since they conserve and provide guidelines for forest protection respectively. The authors also suggest that in terms of plantations suitable species need to be identified and collaborative, instead of top-down, approaches need to be facilitated. They conclude with an emphasis on creating new relationships among a variety of stakeholders, from government officials to local landowners.