Policies and emerging issues in coastal forest management in

The World Conservation Union, Thailand Programme POLICIES Governing agencies

Coastal forests are not only rich in biodiversity but are also home In Thailand, mangroves have been regulated and managed be- for half a billion people around the Indian Ocean. Their intricate tween various agencies and departments primarily because they ecosystems are uniquely linked and susceptible to changing lie within both aquatic and terrestrial environments. The follow- weather patterns, pollution and development. One change in ing agencies share responsibility for mangrove management: these forests has the capacity to affect the entire function of the environment. For example, felled mangrove trees reduce shelter • Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for fish and crabs impacting local incomes and increasing vul- (MoNRE) nerability for local villages in times of natural disasters. The inte- • Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) grated nature of coastal forests also causes considerable chal- • Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conserva- lenges for the creation of effective legislation and management. tion (DNP) In this brief we present some of the policies and emerging issues • Office of Environmental Planning and Policy (ONEP) directly affecting coastal ecosystems in Thailand and introduce • The Royal Forestry Department (RFD) the government agencies that are responsible for these valuable • The Department of Fisheries (DoF) resources. • Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives

National mangrove policy These government agencies have overlapping jurisdictions, as an example the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment As part of the Royal Thai Government’s national mangrove and its Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) policy for 1997—2016, at least 1 million Rai (160,000 hectares) have over 20 laws relating to costal zone management but with of mangrove forests have been targeted for protection and no coordinated implementation. Despite these challenges, the conservation. This policy also outlines steps for the rehabilitation Royal Thai Government implements various mangrove conser- of various coastal resources in addition to mangroves. vation and restoration projects.

As a result of the mangrove zoning policy, coastal forests are Thailand’s mangrove rehabilitation efforts began in June 1991 now allocated into two zones: a Conservation Zone, in which when the National Cabinet both stopped granting charcoal any change or utilisation of mangrove forest is prohibited; and a concessions in mangrove forests and approved replanting in Development Zone, in which certain types of use are allowed. all coastal provinces. Four mangrove seedling centres were es- tablished in Trat, Phang Nga, and Satun Coastal Zone Management (CZM) draft law provinces. A plan was developed to increase the effectiveness of the 34 mangrove management units in the country and to set The Royal Thai Government is currently setting up an institu- up another six units in Phetchaburi, Rayong, Chumpon, Surat tional and legal framework for integrated coastal zone manage- Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Pattani. ment. One such initiative is the recently commissioned draft bill on Coastal Zone Management for the Department of Marine and In April 1993, with Cabinet approval, two research and con- Coastal Resources (DMCR). This draft bill would put in place con- servation centres were set up in and Nakhon Si Tham- stitutional guarantees of public participation in natural resource marat. Mangrove conservation, rehabilitation and management management and access to information, as well as allow the were then transferred from the Royal Forest Department to the administration to work directly with local communities. It also Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) in 2002. provides a mechanism for an inter-ministerial, cross-sectoral Since then there have been estimates indicating stabilization in committee to coordinate all relevant governmental actors. Other mangrove cover. Currently, the Royal Thai Government is com- features include pollution control and prevention measures, pre- piling a National Mangrove Management Plan. scribing compensation in civil cases against sources for damage to life and creating standards for activities such as sports and ISSUES IN COASTAL FOREST LEGISLATION cultural events that take place in coastal zone. Enforcement, traps, trawling Thailand Constitution of 1997 In each consultation held by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Various sections of the 1997 Constitution establish the rights of and its partners, the most consistent complaint expressed by lo- traditional communities and the general public to have a mean- cal communities was the lack of enforcement on the 3km local ingful role in natural resource management and environmental fishing territorial zone. Increasing numbers of commercial fish- protection. Section 290 empowers local authorities to conserve ing boats have in recent years been trawling near shore destroy- and manage natural resources and the environment. Sections 58 ing traps and decimating fish populations. and 59 enshrine a general right to access public information, in particular information on any activity that may affect the quality Preventing damages resulting from trawling in these stretches of the environment. These rights create a framework by which of ocean is vitally important to the health of local fisheries and local communities can create laws and regulations to protect the livelihoods of the communities that rely on them. The regula-  their own natural resources. tion and enforcement of buffer zones is under the Department Mangrove in Ranong province © IUCN of Fisheries but all parties agreed in IUCN roundtables that it Clear and comprehensive ecosystem-based legislation has neither the resources nor the technical capacity to properly handle this issue at present. Fishing community members have Integrated ecosystem-based coastal zone legislation ensures recommended various solutions to this problem including: that natural resource issues can be addressed at their source. For example, many pollution issues that hurt fishery produc- • Creating boundaries using on-shore landmarks to tion are created not in the ocean environment but on shore as reduce confusion the result of agricultural run off and industry waste. Ensuring all • Increasing the number of patrol boats of these multi-dimensional factors are taken into consideration • Increasing fines levied on intrusions when creating regulations will reduce potential conflicts in the • Conducting community led patrols of fishing zone future and ensure proper functioning of the entire ecosystem.

Support for local conservation groups Funding rehabilitation and conservation

Village communities, NGOs, and many government officials Government agencies have conducted numerous local rehabili- have cited the need for increased financial and governmental tation and conservation projects but there is a need for funds to support for the creation and maintenance of their local conserva- be reserved for local communities to begin and maintain their tion groups. own efforts to keep mangrove ecosystems healthy and produc- tive. The district authorities under the Administrative These groups are knowledgeable about their local environment Organization (TAO) need increased links with DMCR to ensure and have the organizational capacity to maintain the restoration proper implementation of projects that value mangrove forests and conservation of natural resources in the area long after the as development infrastructure. exit of various external support such as NGO projects or specific government efforts. Rehabilitating Coastal Ecosystems in a Post-tsunami Coordination between government agencies Context is a restoration project of mangroves in Sri Lanka and Thailand that is supported by the Successful integrated coastal management requires the coordi- Autonomous Organization for National Parks (Organismo nation of many governmental agencies. Overlapping jurisdiction, Autónomo Parques Nacionales or OAPN) of the Ministry projects, and funding, have created inefficiencies and confusion of Environment, Spain. It aims to restore coastal forest in communities. ecosystems in and around priority Protected Areas that were affected by the tsunami in both countries, as These problems were evident in the distribution of fishing boats a mechanism to strengthen ecosystem conservation and engines after the tsunami in 2004. Many communities had and reduce the vulnerability of coastal populations. In 110—120% of their previous fishing capacity that in some cases Thailand, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) works led to inequalities and conflicts and could create future over- with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment fishing. Increased coordination would help local communities to of the Royal Thai Government, Department of National better know the agencies they should contact when they need Parks and Wildlife Conservation. particular assistance.  This would require a shift within the TAO from traditional infra- of three zones. A core zone includes pristine mangrove forests structure projects like road construction to providing support and waterways that are exclusively for research and low impact for village based natural resource management. Further training uses. Buffer zones surround the core zones and comprise of among district officers would also improve the capacity for local former charcoals concessions, mining areas, and shrimp farms. governance on complex environmental issues. Finally Transition zones allow for various development including mining and construction. In addition to conservation and Technical capacity research activities the reserve also has an extensive education program. The Ranong Biosphere is one of the best examples of One of the most important lessons from the post-tsunami Thai Government agencies and local communities co-managing mangrove restoration efforts was the need for science-based, a coastal environment. coordinated and well-managed replanting efforts. Many organizations conducted unsuccessful one or two-day mangrove More at: http://www.ranong.go.th/english/biosphere.html replanting initiatives that marginally included the participation of local communities and did not create village nurseries for THREATS TO COASTAL FORESTS the continued planting of critical seedlings. Rehabilitation and AND MANGROVES conservation efforts have found success using a mix of traditional and scientific methods to ensure sustainability. • Shrimp Farms • Mining In each of the participating villages in IUCN project for • Tourism Rehabilitating Coastal Ecosystems in a Post-tsunami Context, • Port Construction replanting efforts were overseen by a scientist advisor from • Infrastructure Development Ranong Coastal Research Station and the planting times were • Climate Change decided by the villagers to ensure both maximum participation • Pollution and ideal tidal conditions. Mutual cooperation in these efforts ensured the proper mangrove species were planted and that the villager’s knowledge was incorporated to build ownership of the GLOBAL FACTS process and its results. • Global mangrove coverage is estimated to be between 167,000 and 181,000 km2 Handling business development • Forty percent of mangroves occur in South and Some of the largest threats to mangroves are from business- regions led interests including shrimp farming, mining, and real estate or • The global rate of decline in mangrove forest hotel developments. Innovative partnerships need to be formed cover is estimated at 3.6 percent a year between business and conservation leaders in the region to • Worldwide, there are over 700 protected areas ensure that future business development does not adversely containing mangroves affect the health of coastal ecosystems such as mangrove forests and the fish and wildlife they support.

THE RANONG BIOSPHERE RESERVE

In 1997 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) established the Ranong Biosphere Reserve. The reserve takes a unique bioregional, hierarchical approach to coastal resource conservation with the installment Thailand Programme The World Conservation Union Asia Regional Office This information brief is the first of a series that de- 63, Sukhumvit Soi 39 tail policy and practical issues surrounding mangrove 10110, Thailand reforestation in Thailand. Information has been compiled Phone: +662 662 4061 from experiences gained from the Rehabilitating Coastal Fax: +662 662 4387 Ecosystems in a Post-tsunami Context, a project conduct- E-mail: [email protected] ed in Ranong and Phang Nga provinces on the Andaman http://iucn.org/places/asia/thailand/ Coast of Thailand and supported by the Autonomous

Organization for National Parks (OAPN) of the Spanish Photography of the cover: Ministry of Environment. It is hoped that these focused © IUCN Thailand briefs can provide a quick summary of relevant informa- tion for communities, NGOs, and government officials © 2007 International Union when undertaking coastal ecosystem restoration. for Conservation of Nature 4 and Natural Resources