Table of Contents
Execut ive Sum m ary ... 1
I. Int roduct ion ... 2
II. Object ives of t he research ... 2
III. Brief research sit e descript ion... 2
IV. M et hodology ... 2
V. Result s and findings (quant it at ive, qualit at ive) ... 4
VI. Conclusions ... 11
VII. Recomm endat ions... 12
IX. Annex ... 14
1 Executive Summary
In Sout heast Asia, shift ing cult ivation is st ill predom inant ly pract iced by t he poorest segm ent of t he populat ion. Around 40 m illion people living in forest -agricult ural lands from t he ASEAN count ries st ill depend considerably on shift ing cult ivat ion, also referred t o as sw idden farm ing and rot at ional farming, for incom e and livelihoods. Tradit ionally considered as a sust ainable pract ice, it is now fast becom ing one of t he causes of f orest degradat ion.
To address t his, a research w as conduct ed t o develop m et hods for int egrat ing sim ple scient ific t echniques w it h indigenous know ledge and best pract ices on locally appropriat ed adapt at ion and m it igation act ions (LAAM As) in forest land m anagement and t o init iat e int egrat ed forest -land-carbon m anagement in t w o indigenous com m unit ies in Nort hern Thailand.
The research w as conduct ed in Ban M ae Lan Kham Karen Village from Oct ober 2012 t o Oct ober 2013. M ae Lan Kham is a Pgaz K ’Nyau com m unit y locat ed at M oo 6 Sam oeng Tai Sub-dist rict , Sam oeng Dist rict , Chiang M ai, com posed of five village clust ers w it h a populat ion of 658.
The research used t he part icipat ory act ion research t echnique for st udying bot h indigenous know ledge in forest land m anagem ent and carbon st ock account ing.
In t erm s of indigenous knowledge and pract ices, t he study revealed t hat sacred sit es or conserved forest areas based on people’s beliefs can be classified int o t hree t ypes:
Areas w it h rest rict ive ecological charact erist ics based on Pgaz K’ Nyau beliefs;
Areas w it h ancient ruins; and
Holy forest for rit ual pract iceThe st udy also yielded several st rat egies for adapt at ion on nat ural resource m anagem ent using low carbon t echnique such as soil rest orat ion using bam boos; and fallow rest orat ion t o increase biodiversit y.
In general, t he body of know ledge on ecology relat ed t o t he w ay of life of t he Pgaz K’ Nyau is a result of accum ulat ed experiences in ecological m anagement spanning several generat ions, and ext ract ed in t he form of TajDuf (const raining rules) based on beliefs t hat regulat e t he relat ionship bet w een people and ecological syst em.
While in carbon st ock account ing, t he st udy found t hat rot at ional farm ing w it h a cycle of eight years is likely t o m aint ain t he balance of carbon st orage and carbon em ission from slash-and-burn. The effect ive carbon m anagem ent such as t he use of w ood wit hout burning helps reduce emission, leading t o balanced com m unit ies and st ock enhancem ent . Hence, t he rot at ional cropping field wit h carbon-balanced cycle m ust be prom ot ed.
2 I. Introduction
In Sout heast Asia, shift ing cult ivation is st ill predom inant ly pract iced by t he poorest segm ent of t he populat ion. Around 40 m illion people living in forest -agricult ural lands from t he ASEAN count ries st ill depend considerably on shift ing cult ivat ion, also referred t o as sw idden farm ing and rot at ional farming, for incom e and livelihoods. Tradit ionally considered as a sust ainable pract ice, it is now fast becom ing one of t he causes of f orest degradat ion.
The ASEAN Social Forest ry Net w ork (ASFN), w hich t he Sw iss Agency for Developm ent and Cooperat ion (SDC) support s t hrough it s ASEAN-Sw iss Part nership on Social Forest ry and Clim at e Change project (ASFCC), is init iat ing t he developm ent of innovat ive, com m unit y-based land use planning. The init iative aim s t o incorporat e land-based carbon account ing and forest land m anagem ent , as w ell as locally appropriat ed adapt ion act ions (LAAM As) based on indigenous know ledge (IK) t hrough part icipat ory act ion research in t w o indigenous com m unit ies in Northern Thailand.
II. Objectives of the research
The m ain object ive of t he research is t o develop met hods for int egrat ing sim ple scient ific t echniques w it h indigenous know ledge and best pract ices on locally appropriat ed adapt at ion and m it igat ion act ions (LAAM As) in forest land m anagem ent and t o init iat e int egrat ed forest -land-carbon m anagem ent in t w o com bines t radit ional beliefs w it h Buddhism. Only four households belong t o ot her denom inat ions (t w o Christ ian and t w o M uslim households). There are t wo st ream s passing t hrough t he com m unit y – M ae Lan Kham and M ae La Ngern bot h of w hich m erged at M ae Khan at Sop Lan Village Clust er. It is est im at ed t hat Pgaz K ‘Nyau set t led dow n in t he area 300-400 years ago. There are som e evidence of Luaet hnic group set t lem ent such as desert ed t em ples and funeral sit es. The w hole area of M ae Lan Kham is 19,363 rai1. About 3,102 rai is used for paddy field (771 rai); garden/ agroforest ry (780 rai); and rot at ional farm ing field and fallow land (around 1,551 rai). The rem aining 15,700 rai com m unit y forest area is used for sacred sit es conservat ion (around 11,000.rai), and forest ut ilizat ion (4, 700 rai).
IV. M ethodology
The st udy em ploys part icipat ory act ion research for bot h indigenous know ledge in forest land m anagement and carbon st ock account ing research.
Villagers w ere involved from concept developm ent t o im plement at ion t o ensure com m unit y ow nership of t he project . The research process is carried out m ainly by t he people in t he com m unit y. The process included t he select ion of young people w ho can read and w rit e and t o pair wit h t he know ledgeable
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persons. The t w o generat ions w orked t oget her and t he young ones learned from t heir count erpart s. Bot h generat ions joined t he research t eam .
A. Research instruments (sampling, collection methods, analysis, etc.)
1. For Indigenous Know ledge (IK) and Local know ledge or LAAM As
a. Sam pling and collect ion m et hods
The research t eam used cluster sampling t o collect com m unit y inform at ion e.g. num ber of household m em bers, propert y, am ount of cult ivat ing lands including rot at ional farm ing areas, rice field, and garden, incom es, debt s, and labor forces, et c., by split t ing t he t eam and assigning each t o village clust ers t o int erview and organize m eetings.
Questionnaires suit able t o mem bers of each com munit y and age group w ere prepared and pret est ed for validit y and reliabilit y before conduct ing in-depth interview s w it h key inform ant s. The villager- researchers conduct ed t he int erview s with t he key inform ant s i.e. m ale and fem ale know ledgeable persons, yout hs, and st udent s of each of t he five village clust ers. Participant-w as t hen present ed t o each of t he five village clust ers for input s or possible correct ions.
2. Carbon stock accounting in rotational farming 3. Dat a collect ion of plot angle using Global Position System (GPS) sat ellit e.
4. Dat a collection of local and common names, along w it h t he size of diam et er at breast height of all t rees.
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The calculat ion of carbon st ock per t ree is based on the product of biom ass per t ree and fixed value of 0.47 per IPCC st andard (biom ass/ t ree x 0.47). The values are added up t o get t he carbon am ount in t he area of 800 square m et ers.
Calculat ion w as done for carbon st orage in each rot at ional field and age class; in rot at ional fields aged bet w een 1-7 years; and carbon em ission in year eight t hrough slash and burn syst em .
V. Results and findings (quantitative, qualitative)
A. Indigenous Know ledge (IK) and Local know ledge or LAAM As
1. Forest M anagement Tajduf on restricted areas or sacred sites (rituals areas)
Sacred sit es or t radit ional conservat ion forest areas based on people’s beliefs can be classified int o different ecological zones. In M ae Lan Kham village, t he sacred sit es can be classified as:
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geographical sit e is a low hill surrounded by w et areas or bet w een t w o rivers. And last ly, t he Large M ount ain Top regarded as sacred and w hich no one dares t o ent er because it is believed t o have been t he rout e used by t he ancest ors.
b. Areas wit h ancient ruins - These ruins include t he desert ed m onast ery and ancient burial sit es such as: Wav qavhkof (desert ed t em ple hill t op
)
believed t o be a sacred land w it h m any st ories t o generat ion about very fright ening forest ghost s in long st anding banyan t rees. If t here w ere som e m iscarriages or deat h of a new born child, t he villagers w ould bury t he child in a banyanPgazSw afhkof (funeral forest / cemet ery) - serves as t he sit e for burying or burning t heir dead in t he com m unit y. Because of t he 'funeral forest / cemet ery' est ablished by t he villagers, it paved t he w ay for t he area t o be ordained and declared as a w ildlife species conservat ion area. There w as a big forest ordinat ion rit ual t o grow 50 m illion t rees on t he com m em orat ion of t he King’s 50 years on t he t hrone anniversary. Ban Sob Lan st art ed first on t he st ream near t he village by m arking 50 m et ers in lengt h zones along t he st ream as conservat ion area in w hich ‘no cat ching of w at er species’ is enforced. The declarat ion on t he area rest rict ing w ild species hunt ing is under preparat ion.
2. Strategies for Adaptation on Natural Resource M anagement Using Low Carbon Technique
a. St rat egy for Adapt at ion on Nat ural Resource M anagem ent or t he process of low carbon t echniques
6 Last but not least , t he concept s, philosophies, and spirit ual beliefs behind t he rot at ional farm ing pract ice all help achieve low carbon usage. Rot at ional farm ing prom ot es t he self-sufficiency philosophy and builds t he spirit ual values on respect ing and carefully ut ilizing nat ural resources.
b. St rat egy for rest oring t he fallow s t o increase t he diversit y of t he plant species and product ivit y of t he rot at ional farm ing.
The crucial part of low carbon process of t he rot at ional farm ing is t o leave t he fallow s t o nat urally rest ore t hem selves. The process of rest orat ion has been found t o subst ant ially absorb carbon. Ot her research findings include t hat Som sak Sookw ong (2012) observed t hat m ost of effect ively fuel t he fire. Aft er being burnt dow n, it s ash serves as a source of fert ilizer, and rice or crops grow n on it w ould yield high am ount of produce. As it is a fast grow ing plant , it s carbon fert ilizat ion are being t est ed. From direct experiences of M ae Lan Kham farm ers, t hey report ed t hat at one t im e t hey slashed t he land t o grow rice but left t he land uncult ivat ed for one year. In t he year aft er, t hey slashed t he grass out t o grow rice. They found lat er t hat t he rice grew very w ell. At t he end of t he harvest ing period, t he rice yield subst ant ially increased. They relat ed t he product ivit y w it h t he fact t hat t he leaves left over from t he st ash had form ed int o fert ilizer in result ing t o bet t er soil product ivit y and fert ilit y.
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1. Structure and succession rate of plant society in rotational field system
Based on t he dat a gat hered from sam pling plot of 8-year rot at ional age class syst em , it is found t hat aft er slash-and-burn, t he nat ural succession rat e is rat her fast . The regenerat ion of sapling and young plant s is high during t he first t hree years. Alt hough in year one, none of t he t rees w it h diam et er larger t han 4.5 cent im et ers is ident ified, over 2,300 saplings per rai regenerat ed from exist ing st em s and 1,981 young t rees are found. Inferior plant cover is w idespread w hich helps reduce t op-soil erosion in rot at ional field aged year one and t w o. In t he 3rd year, t he t ree cover is visible w it h larger t rees in succession of younger ones. The densit y of young t rees is reduced. At t he age of 7-8, t he crow n and t op-soil cover are height ened as seen in Table 1.
Table 1.St ruct ure and Succession Rat e of Plant Societ y in Rot at ional Field
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Figure1: Tree densit y of size class
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
N
o.
of
T
re
e
p
er
R
a
i
Size class by GBH (cm.) Tree density of size class
year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Year 7
Year 8
9 Pict ure: Carbon monit oring act ivit y in Baan M ae Lan Kham, Chiang M ai, Thailand (IKAP)
In reference t o t he graph, t he 2nd range of size class (15-25 cent im et ers) is abundant in t he rot at ional fields of all age class as a result of succession of sapling in t he area. At t he age of 7-8 years, t he size of t rees found can be used for const ruct ion. The carbon can also be st ocked in t he form of w ood product s t o avoid t he burning of large w ood. The em ission of carbon from rot at ional agricult ure can be reduced w it h t he effect ive t ree m anagem ent planning.
2. Amount of carbon storage in rotational cropping system
The dat a collect ion from t he plot indicat es grow t h size of t he t ree. This dat a is used in calculat ing and assessing t he am ount of carbon st orage in rot at ional fields of each age class from year t hree onw ards. The t rees w it hin t his age class are adequat ely large for carbon calculat ion using algom et ric equat ion as elaborat ed in Table 2.
Table 2. Carbon st ock in rot at ional field
Rem arks: In rot at ional field of age class year 1-2, t he calculat ion is not possible because t he diam et er is less t han 4.5 cent im et ers.
Age class Area (rai) Am ount of Carbon
per rai (t on)
Carbon increment (t on per rai per year)
Tot al carbon st ock (t on)
1 year 145 0 0 0
2 year 203 NA NA NA
3 year 150 1.65 0.55 247.50
4 year 162 1.38 0.35 223.56
5 year 211 3.07 0.61 647.77
6 year 119 3.32 0.55 395.08
7 year 114 7.83 1.12 892.62
10 Figure 2.Carbon st orage in rot at ional field of different age classes
The st udy show ed t hat each age class of rot at ional field has diverse capacit y for carbon st orage. The rot at ional field of t hree years onw ards can be used in carbon calculat ion because t he diam et er of t rees is larger t han 4.5 cent im et ers. The carbon st orage capacit y is divided int o 3 periods: for year 3-4 t he carbon st orage am ount ed t o 1.3-1.6 t on per rai; for year 5-6, 3.0-3.3 t ons per rai; and for year 7-8 t he carbon st orage capacit y doubled due t o t heir high grow t h rat e. The st ruct ure of t ree num bers and size class averagely increased t he annual carbon st orage of 1.02 t on per rai per year in t he rot at ional field.
In com parison t o carbon em ission from slash-and-burn during t he plant ing season in 2013 in 87-rai rot at ional fields aged eight years, 640 t ons of carbon w ere em it t ed (in t he case of com plet e burning, t he w ood cannot be processed int o ot her product s). The rot at ional fields aged 3-7 years can st ore an aggregat ed carbon of 572.69 t ons, excluding t he carbon in sm all t rees w it h t he diam et er sm aller t han 4.5 cent im et ers. The carbon em ission and st orage cycle in rot at ional fields covers eight years t o m aint ain t he balance of carbon in it s int ernal syst em . M ore in-dept h st udy is required.
0 5 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
0 0
1.65 1.38
3.07 3.32
7.83 7.36
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Age of rotational field
Amount of Carbon in Tree
11 VI. Conclusions
To conclude, indigenous know ledge and pract ices on f orest land m anagem ent , such as rot at ional farm ing, have proven t o be sust ainable and in line w ith clim at e change adapt at ion and m it igat ion st rat egies even t hough com m unit ies are not aw are or conscious of ‘clim at e change’ causes and effect s. Their t radit ional pract ices, based on t his st udy, have show n t o help m aint ain t he balance bet w een carbon st orage and em ission from slash and burn farm ing.
A. Indigenous Know ledge (IK) and Local know ledge or LAAM As
In general, t he body of know ledge on ecology relat ed t o t he w ay of life of t he Pgaz K’ Nyau is a result of accum ulat ed experiences in ecological m anagem ent spanning several generations, and ext ract ed in t he form of TajDuf (const raining rules) based on beliefs t hat regulat e t he relat ionship bet w een people and ecological syst em . Such rules guide t he people’s every life pract ice in ut ilizing or t aking care of t he ecological syst em in a suit able and balanced w ays.. The belief t hat hum ans and nat ure have t o coexist wit h each ot her has been reflect ed in m any Pgaz K’ Nyau sayings such as, “ t hose w ho follow t he rules ar e t hose w ho are free from danger.”
M eanw hile, Pgaz K’ Nyau w ho live in different ecological condit ions w ould assign t he significance of t he condit ion in different w ays. The rules and regulat ions have been based on t he cust om s and t radit ions w hich serve as t he spirit ual foundat ion connect ing t o holy beings t hat affect people’s life in every dim ension. To t hem , the cultural landscape w as designat ed as sacred based on t heir pract ices and cult ural values. Consequent ly, t hey have est ablished rules and regulat ions adapt ed from t radit ions and cust om s t o cont rol, regulat e, and m anage it t hroughout t he com m unit y’s hist ory. M ae Lan Kham com m unit y is est im at ed t o have been inhabit ed 300– 400 years ago. The t im e period is long enough t o assure t he sust ainabilit y of t he sacred area. From t he perspect ive of carbon reduct ion, t he com m unit y’s m anagem ent of t he forest is very relevant . When t he forest is conserved, t he t rees release oxygen w hile absorbing t he carbon dioxide. As long as t he forest exist s, t his chem ical process cont inues leading t o t he decrease of carbon em issions, event ually decreasing global w arm ing.
B. Carbon stock accounting in rotational farming
12 VII. Recommendations
The recom m endat ions in t his st udy focus on t he indigenous and local know ledge on forest and agricult ural land m anagem ent ; and on carbon st ock account ing on rot at ional farm ing from t he point of view of t he villagers, and t he researchers respect ively.
A. Indigenous Know ledge (IK) and Local know ledge or LAAM As
At present , som e people have already convert ed t o ot her religion or m arried w it h som eone belongs t o anot her fait h in M ae Lan Kham com m unit y. M ost m odern religions do not alw ays accept cert ain beliefs in holy beings. Villagers at Ban Klaukleifklo w ho had convert ed int o ot her religions, oft en encroached t he forest at Tajdeidof (large wind-reducing area) and cleared sm all t rees under t he forest t o grow coffee w it hout regard for t he holy beings t here. It has t riggered t he discussion am ong t he villagers t o t he point of reviewing t he plans t o m ore effect ively m anage t he sacred land. The landscape areas t hat have t hese charact erist ics are widely recognized in t he com m unit y and cared for based on t radit ions and cust om s passed on from generat ion t o generat ion. They have pract iced t hese beliefs in t heir everyday life ever since.
The com m unit y m em bers have met and discussed t o com e up w it h t he solut ion and t he process for m anaging t he nat ural resources as follow s:
Survey sacred areas using GPS t o com e up w it h a reliable and valid m ap.13 product s. Greenhouse gas em ission from burning can be reduced and st ored longer in t he product w hich is am ong one of t he 5 carbon pools.
14 t heir w at ershed m anagem ent (e.g. t hrough net w orking agreement s t o revise regulat ions for NRM ), and adds t he t ool of locally-appropriat e adapt at ion and m it igation act ions (LAAM As) t o t heir already rich sust ainable pract ices. This em powers not only t he M ae Lan Kham w at ershed net w ork but also t he w ider net w ork in M ae Khan w at ershed area t hat covers 15 com m unit ies in t w o sub-dist rict s, Sam oeng Tai and Bo Kaew , in Sam oeng dist rict , Chiang M ai province.
The Local Community- based Netw ork of Karen People on Rotational Farming and Environment in provinces (Chiang Rai, M ae Hong Son, Tak, Lam pun and Lam pang), for joint act ivities bet w een t he M ae Lan Kham project and Nort hern Farm ers Net w ork (NFN).
The com m unit y-based Karen net w orks in Thailand have est ablished t he Karen Net w ork for Cult ure and Environm ent (KNCE) organizat ion. In t he course of t he collaborat ion of M ae Lan Kham project w it h KNCE and t hrough a Karen forum , t he NRM net w ork ‘The Karen Net w ork on Environm ent and Rot at ional Farm ing in Thailand’ has been formed. This has developed t he m echanism s and t he plan t o connect Karen net w orks all over Thailand on t he issues of NRM and LAAM As.
Other synergies and joint activities of the project w ith various Thai government authorities
The project has joint ly w orked w it h t he National Com mit t ee for t he Cabinet Resolut ion on t he Recovering of Karen Livelihoods (August 3, 2010) on a variet y of act ivit ies t o prom ot e and enhance t he Karen pract ice of rot at ional farm ing and NRM . At nat ional level, it has been recognized by governm ent aut horit ies in various relat ed m inist ries e.g. M inist ry of Environm ent , M inist ry of Int erior, M inist ry of Educat ion, M inist ry of Securit y and Hum an Developm ent and M inist ry of Cult ure.
M eanw hile, t he pract ice of Rot at ional Farm ing has been approved and declared by t he M inist ry of Cult ure as National Int angible Cult ural Herit age. This out com e cam e from local init iat ives and cam paigns t hat scaled up t o nat ional level.
15 Developm ent ’ t o present ‘Sust ainable Forest M anagem ent : Rot at ional Farm ing as Karen Local Wisdom and Livelihood’. This illust rat es t hat int eract ion has st art ed, and w ill hopefully increase in t he fut ure am ong ASFN m em bers so t hey can learn from each ot her and share local know ledge pract ices and experiences.
According t o t he ASEAN-Sw iss Part nership on Social Forest ry and Clim at e Change (ASFCC) Learning Group, it is a superb exercise for all m em bers, w ho work in diverse areas and have different t arget s, t o live t oget her, learn and share each ot her ’s w ork and experiences, part icularly t o learn from pract ical event s in various fields. These opport unit ies help t he m em bers develop ideas, perspect ives, and m et hodologies t o w ork on LAAM As, as w ell as lobby and cam paign from t he local t o t he regional and nat ional level. They fill in t he knowledge gaps of t he part icipant s w ho deal w it h t he governm ent , t he NGOs and t he local com m unit y, and cont ribut e t o t he creat ion of com m on beliefs and aligned perspect ives on NRM , LAAM As et c. Last but not least , t he m ost im port ant is t hat t he ASFCC part ners are in t he process of put t ing processes learnt int o concret e pract ice – bot h in t heir local com m unit ies, and in t he regional and nat ional policy and planning. This w ill have subst ant ial im pact on t he great er Asia as a concret e exam ple for t he issue of LAAM As.
Furt herm ore, IKAP int ernat ionalized t he research and pract ice result s from M ae Lan Kham – RECOFTC project , and t he ASFCC net w ork learning experiences from t he ASFN project , in at least t w o fields:
The first one is t he ‘Indigenous food sovereignt y and biodiversit y net w ork’ m ovem ent , w hich focuses on t he revival of indigenous seeds, food plant s, and t radit ional occupat ions (Rot at ional Farm ing et c.). IKAP, as a m em ber of t his m ovem ent , has focused on t he aw areness, prom ot ion and enhancem ent of t he t radit ional agricult ure, seeds and plant s. This net w ork w orks closely w it h t he Slow Food m ovem ent , current ly w ell know n in Europe, w hich aim s t o preserve local cuisine and t he qualit y of t radit ional food product s. IKAP, as a m em ber of Slow Food m ovem ent, w orks t o prom ot e t he t radit ional food pr oduct s creat ed from t radit ional processes based on t radit ional know ledge.
16 X. References
Office of Nat ural Resources and Environm ent al Policy and Planning, 2008, “ Nat ional St rat egies on Clim at e Change M anagem ent 2008-2012” , The m inist ry on Nat ural Resources and Environm ent , Bangkok, Thailand, 63 pages.
Som sak, Sukw ong (2012). The m eet ing of Sub-com m it tee on “ St udy t he Possibilit y of Rot at ional Farm ing t o Becom e Int angible Cult ural Herit age” .
Sukw ong, S., T. Keaw laliead, and S. Worapornpan, 2010, “ Carbon St ock Calculat ion in Com m unit y Forest and Agro-forest ” .
Tsut sum i, T., K. Yoda, P.Sahunalu, P. Dham m anonda and B. Prachaiyo. 1983, “ Forest : Felling, Burning and Regenerat ion” , In: K.Kyum a and C. Pairint ra eds. Shift ing Cult ivat ion. Kyot o Universit y. Pp. 13-62.
RECOFTC
