The Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre was established on December 11, 1982, at Doi Saket District in Chiang Mai Province. Formerly, there had been severe deforestation which caused drought and forest fires. The Centre, therefore, focuses attention on conducting study and research on various development patterns such as forest development by cultivating three types of trees for four benefits, which are economic, fruit and firewood. Besides, there is also the fourth benefit, which is the conservation of soil and water to increase moisture. There is also the conservation of watershed areas by using water from the irrigation system, from rains and from check dams to maintain moisture as well as by establishing wet fire breaks. The study also emphasizes the use of various development patterns to enable farmers to rely on themselves without having to destroy the environment. The Royal Irrigation Department is the major coordinating agency.
1 To function as a one-stop service with research, experimentation, and demonstration carried out in an interdisciplinary approach for the farmers to learn and apply as a model into practice.
2 To study, experiment, research and develop according to the royal initiative concerning water resource, forestry, soil, ecological agricultural system in the area of Huai Hong Khrai Basin and its management to be used appropriately.
3 To serve as a centre for information on development, integrated administration, and exchange of academic and practical information.
4 To extend the development results to the farmers in the villages encompassing the Centre and the centre branches to be able to achieve self-reliance according to the concept of Sufficiency Economy, which will enable them to live a sustainable live in accordance with local sociology.
5 To develop and promote the conservation of natural resources and environment and to develop the basin management system to be appropriately used according to the royal initiative.
The overall management of the projects implementation in the Centre is under the responsibility of the Royal Irrigation Department.
Since the Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre has been established in 1982, it has conducted various studies and activities which include development projects which have been completed such as infrastructural construction as well as projects which are in the process of implementation. These projects comprise of study, research, experimentation and dissemination of the study results to the target villages and to the various government agencies concerned.
One highly beneficial result of the studies conducted at the Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre is that of the forestry study project which has served to improve the environment in the Centre area, eliminate forest fires, and produce a moist climate particularly in the forest development areas. Study and experimentation have been conducted on using the wet fire break system which involves the construction of check dams to store water and to spread the water throughout the area using a distribution system to provide moisture and fertility to the soil and the forest to improve the texture of the soil and to be capable of completely protecting against forest fires.
As a result, forest fires no longer occur and the forest remains moist and fertile while soil changes from sandstone to black humus soil containing value in soil nutrition, thus improving the conditions of the plants and forest in the surrounding area. Moreover, 1,260 rai (201.6 hectares) of existing planted forest area and 3,600 rai (576 hectares) of natural forest are being maintained. In terms of agro-forestry, 20 types of plants such as pepper and fruit trees in the forest are studied.
The Centre also provides services to the people in various fields, such as supporting animal husbandry activities and plants seeds, and giving advice and guidance on techniques which people in the surrounding villages and farmers in general can adopt and apply in their daily occupation.
Implementation of development work at the Centre up to the present day has achieved a certain level of success particularly in terms of infrastructural construction, study, experimentation, research and intersectoral cooperation among the various government agencies, and in providing certain services to the people in the surrounding villages.
Contact
Doi Saket District, Chiang Mai Province 50220 THAILAND
Tel: 66 5338 9163 Fax: 66 5338 9163