Natural resources ministry offering higher pay as it seeks to bolster forest protection
PUBLISHED : 1 Aug 2024 at 20:08
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is planning to increase the number of forest rangers to improve forest protection and reduce the workload of existing rangers in the country.
The ministry admires the work of those who protect and preserve the nation’s natural resources, said Ratchata Pisitbannakorn, assistant to environment minister Phatcharavat Wongsuwan, on the occasion of World Ranger Day on Wednesday.
A new starting salary for rangers of 11,000 baht per month, up from 9,000 baht, will come into effect in October, he said.
The ministry is also planning to ease the workload of 21,000 rangers responsible for managing 75 million rai of forest and maritime reserves by increasing the number of staff, he said.
One ranger currently takes care of 5,000 rai on average. The plan is to eventually reduce the average to 3,000 rai, said Mr Ratchata.
“We can do it immediately in flat areas, but it may take longer for the mountainous zones,” he said. “Thai rangers are regarded as some of the world’s best thanks to their success in protecting the nation’s pristine forests.”
Tosapol Phuanudom, deputy governor of Chiang Mai, said the province highly appreciates the mission of forest rangers, especially in fighting forest fires every year.
Forest fires are the province’s main threat, he said, adding that during the past two decades, local residents have suffered from haze and smoke pollution caused by fires.
However, he said many indicators show that the province’s air quality improved this year thanks to the hard work of forest rangers.
The rangers managed to reduce the number of hotspots and burnt traces, even as the country faced a 60% decline in rainfall when compared to last year, said Mr Tosapol.
The number of days that the PM2.5 levels exceeded the safe threshold has also declined by 28% when compared to last year, he said.
Dindo Campilan, regional director for the International Union for Conservation of Nature, said the planet is under threat, with various species disappearing at an alarming rate.
This phenomenon endangers the delicate balance of the ecosystem and affects our access to clean air, water and medicine, Dr Campilan said in remarks on World Ranger Day.
He credited rangers on the ground for putting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which supports sustainability, into action.
He added that forest rangers deserve to have adequate resources, better welfare, fair compensation and enough support to effectively carry out their duties.