On July 6–7 , GIZ Thailand through the Inclusive Sustainable Rice Landscapes (ISRL) project hosted a capacity building workshop in Wiang Kaen district, Chiang Rai province.
The July 6 workshop was held in cooperation with over 20 local and national networks. The objectives are as follow:
- Enhance the capacity of local communities to develop and drive participatorial implementation of community forest management plans under the Community Forest Act BE 2562 (2019)
- Exchange knowledge on forest conservation and ecosystem restoration by using mycorrhizal fungi to boost food sources and livelihoods
- Foster an understanding of sustainable landscape management and linkage between forests, water, soil, agricultural systems, and biodiversity
- Bridge a network of government, civil sector, academic and non-governmental organisations to drive forest conservation and restoration towards sustainability
Wiang Kaen District is home to 28 community forests covering an area of over 21,339 rai (estimated 3,500 hectares). Apart from being natural water storage areas for the Ing and Mekong River basins, these forests play a crucial role in water retention, biodiversity conservation, soil erosion mitigation, and local agricultural production systems.
Strengthening the capacity of community forest networks is a key to foster collaboration among communities, government authorities, academic, and non-governmental organisations. This collaboration will advance community forest management, ecosystem conservation and restoration, while balancing utilisation of natural resources and linking forest management with agricultural development and food security through landscapes approach.
On July 7, GIZ Thailand teamed up with Chiang Rai provincial authorities, Thailand Environment Institute, and Lao PDR to plant 7,400 trees served as a “green wall” to tackle transboundary PM2.5 pollution
Regarded as the twin-city initiative between Wiang Kaen District and the towns of Houayxay and Paktha in Lao PDR’s Bokeo province, the initiative aims to create a green buffer zone for restoring watershed ecosystems and promoting the cultivation of economic crops such as coffee to encourage no-burning farming practices.
Photo Gallery
Related Articles
- GEF-ISRL project hands over drones to support forest and biodiversity conservation in Thailand
- Thailand to strengthen its global rice position through the National Roadmap on Sustainable Rice Landscapes
- GIZ and public partners strengthen forest conservation and restoration through the handover of SMART Patrol Equipment
- Thailand gets ready to transform national rice sector towards sustainable, environmentally resilient production
- Thai-German cooperation boosts rice farming practices towards climate-smart agriculture
