Royal Initiatives:

In 1993, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit granted an initiative to government agencies concerned to carry out a project to conserve the forest resources and wildlife conservation as well as actions to help improve the people’s quality of life, especially the community groups that had migrated out of the forest and have been living along the forest conservation zone. The aim is to uplift the people’s living standard by promoting suitable and sustainable occupations, thus discouraging them from encroaching the forest.

Later on June 1, 1994, Her Majesty visited the people living within the areas of the Royal-initiated Forest Resources and Wildlife Conservation Project in the Forest Areas Connecting Five Provinces (Eastern Region) at Ban Thep Prathan, Klong Taklao Subdistrict, Chachoengsao Province. On this occasion, she gave an additional initiative to consider constructing Khao La-lark Reservoir equipped with a water delivery system at Klong Taklao Subdistrict, Tha Takieb District, Chachoengsao Province, to provide the people with water for consumption and agriculture.

Areas of Implementation:

1.The legal forest conservation area which covers the Wildlife Breeds Conservation Areas at Khao Ang Ru Nai and at Khao Soi Dao, the Khao Chamao-Khao Wong National Park and the Kichakood National Park. The total area is about 191,692.32 hectares (1,198,077 rai).

2.The forest conservation area according to the Cabinet’s Resolution on 10 and 17 March 1992 together with the forest areas viable to the conservation and the buffer area of 0.5-5 kilometers from the boundary of the forest conservation area. The total area is about 651,276 hectares (4,070,475 rai).

Objectives:

1. To follow Her Majesty’s initiative of conserving the abundance of the forest.

2. To rehabilitate and replant forest trees in the deteriorated areas as well as to conserve watersheds in the forest conservation zone.

3. To promote and improve the people’s quality of life, especially for the community which moved out of the project’s area, including that living and earning a living near the boundary of forest conservation area, so that they can carry out a living by making an optimal use of the natural resources and will not return to encroach the conserved forest again.

4. To stimulate development which enhances the value of the indigenous natural resources, which are beneficial for the people in the long run.

5. To decrease the number of illegal logging and mafia influences by enforcing law and social principles as well as publicizing among the people the consciousness in conserving this forest in the sustainable manner.

Responsible Agencies:

Army Area Region 1, Ministry of Defense

Year of Implementation:

Since 1993

Benefits:

The benefits are to conserve the forest and wildlife resources, to restore the ecological system and water sources as well as to develop the people’s quality of life, especially those communities who moved out of the forest to resettle in the area provided by the government. This included five villages in two provinces: Khwae-rabom - Siyud Forest Development Project Village 1 and 2, in Chachoengsao Province, and Khao Chakun-Noan-sao-aey Forest Development Project Village 1, 2 and 3, in Sa Kaeo Province. This also included communities living close to the boundary of the project’s forest conservation zone to have better living conditions in terms of social and economic infrastructure. Thus, they will not return to encroach and destroy the forest again.