The value of the marginal forest has decreased by 28 %.
The northeastern province of Nan is home to one of the region’s important boundary trees, the cause of many major waterways, including the Chao Phraya River. In the 1960s, this forest region was designated a first-grade regional forest.
However, over the past 50 years, about 28 % of this vital forest land has been lost to agricultural activities.
Banthoon Lamsam, a popular native of Nan, referred to this as an “intractable malady”, stating that the state’s trees and local societies are in urgent want of support.
Mr Banthoon, Chairman Emeritus of Kasikorn Bank, highlighted this issue during a keynote speech at a charity gala” Together for Nan and Beyond”, organised by the Harvard Business School Association of Thailand, Yale Club, and Christie’s Auction House on Thursday.
He claimed that Nan’s headwater forest’s destruction had largely been unreported until recently, when the damage became particularly obvious during the dry season.
The eminent banker said,” This trend is not limited to Nan but it also applies to other countries where the demand for economic growth outweighs efforts to conserve forests.”
The environmental crisis was referred to as” the elephant in the room” by Mr. Banthoon as” the elephant in the room” and was unresolved by anyone until Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn founded the Rak Pa Nan Foundation, which aims to protect Nan’s forests while supporting local communities.
Inspired by Her Royal Highness’s foundation, Mr Banthoon conducted field research on local deforestation. He discovered that Nan residents were under pressure to renounce their traditional way of life, which had once been harmonious with nature, in favor of economic gain. He claimed that mountain residents began planting crops in national forests for investors.
Additionally, he discovered that conventional legal remedies could not be successfully used to protect them.
” We cannot jail the entire province”, he said.
Mr. Banthoon spoke with Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, the then-prime minister in 2016, and demanded that the government establish legal frameworks and provide funding for local agriculture.
In 2019, the Nan Sandbox was launched– a cooperative project between the private sector, local communities, and the government. Its goal was to restore the forest while allowing the locals to continue their agricultural work. The project, chaired by the prime minister, aimed to sustainably manage Nan’s national forest under the 72-18-10 framework.
The framework designated 72 % of the province’s forest land as a reserve area, allowed 18 % to be used for crops grown under restored forest conditions, and allocated 10 % for cash crop plantations, subject to Forest Reserve Area regulations.
According to Mr. Banthoon, the project has raised awareness among locals and officials, and there has n’t been any more forest encroachment. He added that it is crucial to have support from local communities and international organizations because they cannot do this alone.
The charity event also included fundraising activities, such as auctions and donations, to support hospitals in need in Nan and Phrae. Nan also has an unsatisfactory healthcare system, which Mr. Banthoon attributed to lack of funding.
” Most small clinics and health centers are run by nurses, while only the largest hospitals have doctors on duty.
” Even some major hospitals have inadequate facilities, medical supplies… and doctors and nurses are overworked, “he said.
While some foundations are attempting to improve access to healthcare for local residents, Mr. Banthoon noted that more assistance is still required.
By the end of the gala, a total of 6, 365, 000 baht had been raised for hospitals in need in Nan and Phrae.