วันอังคารที่ 20 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552
วันอังคารที่ 9 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
Maps for participatory planning in Thailand
Huai Hee village
Huai Hee is an old Karen village that was founded 170 years ago and has a population of about 200 (Sahlin, 2000) or a population density of 12 people/km2. It became officially registered with the Department of Local Administration (DOLA) in 1983 as key village No. 8, yet was recently still listed as a class 2 village with only a potential for permanent settlement (DLD, 1994). The village is bordered to the west by the Nam Tok Surin National Park established in 1981, which covers one third of the Tambon. In the past Huai Hee villagers farmed within the national park boundary, but due to pressure from the Forest Department (RFD) this land had to be abandoned, a process that was monitored by the TG-HDP.
When interviewed about why the village does not have an outer boundary (Diagram 3), the village committee first replied that they forgot to demarcate it, but when pressed further mentioned the controversies over a proposed agreement with the forest department on land for agroforestry use by the village, which was never implemented. The insecurity over which land villagers are allowed to cultivate persists; hence an outer user boundary does not have that much significance for farmers, as the consequences of a village boundary remain unclear. The village area is 1,700 ha (given by the TAO office), of which 1,151 ha are conservation forest (64%), while 32% of the land is used for agriculture as well as residence. Of the total agricultural area of 466 ha, only 5% on average have been used during the last three years. Fruit trees play a minor role with 7 ha under cultivation, as fruits are only grown for home consumption due to the lack of a market and road access. There is an inconsistency in the pattern of land use in that some upland area lies outside the demarcated agricultural area, an indication that fixed areas are not yet part of the villagers‘perception of land use planning.
Aggregation at Sub-District Level
In Tambon Huai Poo Ling the ten village maps were aggregated on a sub-district map (see Diagram 4), and the white areas indicate villages that lie outside the TG-HDP project area. It is interesting to note that Pa Kaa village lies outside the Tambon boundary (in neighbouring Pai district in fact), if the data provided by NNCO are correct. To date there exist no reliable maps from the Royal Survey Department indicating Tambon boundaries and work is in progress to produce this data, yet the provincial office gives the total area of Huai Poo Ling as 37,152 ha. As far as land use planning is concerned it is important to note that there are overlapping areas claimed by adjacent villages (marked in pink), which may lead to conflicting claims over its use. In most cases this land lies in conservation forest areas, which means that the total forest area claimed by each village is actually less when aggregated to Tambon level, so that village maps can be deceiving when examined from a higher level.
The total upland area of 6,200 ha makes up some 17% of the whole Tambon area, or with perennial crops paddy, fields and land used in the last three years amounts to 7,600 ha or 20% of the Tambon. The total mapped forest area amounts to 14,700 ha or 40% of the Tambon, but as only 22,500 ha of the Tambon have actually been mapped, the fact that 65% of it is conservation forest is more significant. This by far exceeds the target of 25% protected forests set by RFD nationwide. It is obvious that the aggregated data has a relatively high level of inaccuracy, but the most important relation for planning purposes is that between conservation forest and upland area, and the figures show that the forest cover in Huai Poo Ling is very high. Now that these villages are registered and leaders are members of the Tambon Administration Organisations (TAO), they reiterate their hope of obtaining land rights at communal level. However, as long as the Royal Forest Department (RFD) and the Department of Land Development (DLD) are not represented at TAOs and in the District Hill tribe Committee, it is very difficult to obtain the commitment from farmers for planning if two key agencies are absent in the decision-making bodies.
Huai Hee is an old Karen village that was founded 170 years ago and has a population of about 200 (Sahlin, 2000) or a population density of 12 people/km2. It became officially registered with the Department of Local Administration (DOLA) in 1983 as key village No. 8, yet was recently still listed as a class 2 village with only a potential for permanent settlement (DLD, 1994). The village is bordered to the west by the Nam Tok Surin National Park established in 1981, which covers one third of the Tambon. In the past Huai Hee villagers farmed within the national park boundary, but due to pressure from the Forest Department (RFD) this land had to be abandoned, a process that was monitored by the TG-HDP.
When interviewed about why the village does not have an outer boundary (Diagram 3), the village committee first replied that they forgot to demarcate it, but when pressed further mentioned the controversies over a proposed agreement with the forest department on land for agroforestry use by the village, which was never implemented. The insecurity over which land villagers are allowed to cultivate persists; hence an outer user boundary does not have that much significance for farmers, as the consequences of a village boundary remain unclear. The village area is 1,700 ha (given by the TAO office), of which 1,151 ha are conservation forest (64%), while 32% of the land is used for agriculture as well as residence. Of the total agricultural area of 466 ha, only 5% on average have been used during the last three years. Fruit trees play a minor role with 7 ha under cultivation, as fruits are only grown for home consumption due to the lack of a market and road access. There is an inconsistency in the pattern of land use in that some upland area lies outside the demarcated agricultural area, an indication that fixed areas are not yet part of the villagers‘perception of land use planning.
Aggregation at Sub-District Level
In Tambon Huai Poo Ling the ten village maps were aggregated on a sub-district map (see Diagram 4), and the white areas indicate villages that lie outside the TG-HDP project area. It is interesting to note that Pa Kaa village lies outside the Tambon boundary (in neighbouring Pai district in fact), if the data provided by NNCO are correct. To date there exist no reliable maps from the Royal Survey Department indicating Tambon boundaries and work is in progress to produce this data, yet the provincial office gives the total area of Huai Poo Ling as 37,152 ha. As far as land use planning is concerned it is important to note that there are overlapping areas claimed by adjacent villages (marked in pink), which may lead to conflicting claims over its use. In most cases this land lies in conservation forest areas, which means that the total forest area claimed by each village is actually less when aggregated to Tambon level, so that village maps can be deceiving when examined from a higher level.
The total upland area of 6,200 ha makes up some 17% of the whole Tambon area, or with perennial crops paddy, fields and land used in the last three years amounts to 7,600 ha or 20% of the Tambon. The total mapped forest area amounts to 14,700 ha or 40% of the Tambon, but as only 22,500 ha of the Tambon have actually been mapped, the fact that 65% of it is conservation forest is more significant. This by far exceeds the target of 25% protected forests set by RFD nationwide. It is obvious that the aggregated data has a relatively high level of inaccuracy, but the most important relation for planning purposes is that between conservation forest and upland area, and the figures show that the forest cover in Huai Poo Ling is very high. Now that these villages are registered and leaders are members of the Tambon Administration Organisations (TAO), they reiterate their hope of obtaining land rights at communal level. However, as long as the Royal Forest Department (RFD) and the Department of Land Development (DLD) are not represented at TAOs and in the District Hill tribe Committee, it is very difficult to obtain the commitment from farmers for planning if two key agencies are absent in the decision-making bodies.
วันอังคารที่ 25 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2551
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วันอังคารที่ 30 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2551
Guidelines for Travellers
Guidelines for Travellers
Help us protect the local environment…
- Try not to waste water. The communities we will visit are remote and may not have a consistent water supply.
- Carry out all non-biodegradable garbage, like plastics and styrofoam, back with you.
- When on treks in the forest, or even around the village, try not to disturb plant and animal life. Some of them may be very rare and fragile and sacred to the community, others could be hazardous to your health.
Respect local cultures and norms of behaviour…
- Ask permission before taking photographs or video
- Learn as much as you can about the local history and culture you are going to visit
- Wear appropriate clothing—loose and light-weight clothes covering the knees and shoulders are most appropriate
- Follow local customs—sit, eat and behave like your hosts; be aware that kissing in public is culturally inappropriate
- Respect people’s privacy
- Treat your hosts as you would like to be treated in your own home
Help us support the local economy…
- Support local trade and craft peoples by buying only locally-made souvenirs where possible
- Respect standard food and lodging charges
- Refrain from giving money or sweets to children—this encourages begging and dependency. Instead donate money to JKET or PRLC for conservation and development projects
Help us protect the local environment…
- Try not to waste water. The communities we will visit are remote and may not have a consistent water supply.
- Carry out all non-biodegradable garbage, like plastics and styrofoam, back with you.
- When on treks in the forest, or even around the village, try not to disturb plant and animal life. Some of them may be very rare and fragile and sacred to the community, others could be hazardous to your health.
Respect local cultures and norms of behaviour…
- Ask permission before taking photographs or video
- Learn as much as you can about the local history and culture you are going to visit
- Wear appropriate clothing—loose and light-weight clothes covering the knees and shoulders are most appropriate
- Follow local customs—sit, eat and behave like your hosts; be aware that kissing in public is culturally inappropriate
- Respect people’s privacy
- Treat your hosts as you would like to be treated in your own home
Help us support the local economy…
- Support local trade and craft peoples by buying only locally-made souvenirs where possible
- Respect standard food and lodging charges
- Refrain from giving money or sweets to children—this encourages begging and dependency. Instead donate money to JKET or PRLC for conservation and development projects
What is JorKoe EcoTrek?
What is JorKoe EcoTrek?
JorKoe means traveller with long vision in the Karen language. JorKoe EcoTrek is an alternative tour operator in Mae Hong Son, offering community-based sustainable tourism tours to ethnic minority villages. It was founded 2 years ago as a fundraising unit and a vehicle to share with visitors the community-based ecotourism projects being implemented by the Thai environmental NGO, Project for Recovery of Life and Culture.
JorKoe means traveller with long vision in the Karen language. JorKoe EcoTrek is an alternative tour operator in Mae Hong Son, offering community-based sustainable tourism tours to ethnic minority villages. It was founded 2 years ago as a fundraising unit and a vehicle to share with visitors the community-based ecotourism projects being implemented by the Thai environmental NGO, Project for Recovery of Life and Culture.
What is PRLC?
The Project for Recovery of Life and Culture (PRLC) is an NGO organised under the North-Net Foundation, a network of rural community development organisations based in the five upper provinces of northern Thailand.
PRLC aims to improve environmental sustainability and quality of life of the people in Mae Hong Son by:
· helping to form and strengthen local community organisations and networks
· strengthening the capability and increasing the participation of the local people in the management of forest resources and local ecology, and
· encouraging self-reliance.
PRLC currently has projects in community based natural resource management, sustainable agriculture, alternative occupations, promoting civil society, and youth leadership development
What is Community Based Tourism?
Community Based Tourism (CBT) is a type of tourism which:
¨ Contributes to the conservation of natural and cultural resources
¨ Contributes to local economic development
¨ Requires a high level of local participation by community members
¨ Provides a socially and environmentally responsible product to visitors
PRLC's Community Based Tourism Program
The aim of the CBT program is to provide a means for forest-dependent communities in Mae Hong Son to pursue sustainable development on their own terms. The specific objectives of the program are
¨ To support the communities’ efforts in forest conservation, which are a major tourism resource in Mae Hong Son
¨ To strengthen community organisations by building their skills in tourism management and interpretation
¨ To increase economic self-sufficiency in rural communities by providing alternative employment and supplementary income-generation opportunities
¨ To assist communities to preserve their culture on their own terms
¨ To raise awareness of community based tourism in the Mae Hong Son area
The CBT program arose through the initiative of various communities that PRLC had been working with in natural resource management, who were beginning to see both the environmental, economic and social benefits and costs of the growing tourism industry in Mae Hong Son. PRLC’s role has been to support the development of CBT in these communities by providing technical assistance and training, but ultimately the management of these projects lies in the hands of the communities.
How do the communities benefit from our Tours?
Community Based Tourism offers ethnic minorities the possibility to take control of tourism and income distribution in their communities on their own terms and in accordance with their culture and way of life.
PRLC’s Community Based Tourism activities are planned and managed by active participation of the local communities. With the income generated from tourism, communities involved in tourism are able to support and maintain conservation activities, as well as improve their quality of life.
Most communities that participate in our CBT tours have organised their own CBT groups, with self-determined regulations on membership, responsibilities, and benefit sharing. Homestay and food services are provided by local families according to a rotation system, as are local guide services within and between villages. 100% of all food, accommodation and local guide costs stays in the local communities, 20% of which goes to a community fund for conservation and tourism related activities. The net profits made by JorKoe EcoTrek are funnelled to PRLC for conservation and development projects.
Program Options
Jor-Koe Eco-Trek offers several tour programs. All programs can be modified to accommodate specific requests or interests from visitors, such as birdwatching, botany, or culture. We can also arrange other activities, such as bamboo rafting, horse riding and biking.
Tours marked with a * may not be available during the rainy season (June-October)
Our tour prices are located at the end of the brochure, and are per person. They include:
¨ Transportation to and from the villages
¨ English-Thai speaking guides
¨ Local guides, accommodation and food in the villages
¨ Drinking water, fruit, coffee and tea
¨ Pre-departure information on local culture and traveller guidelines
¨ Contribution to PRLC’s development fund
Day Tours
JKET currently offer 3 day tours to some of our project sites and other areas around Mae Hong Son:
Karen Village and Community Forest Trek
Mae Aw: Bamboo rafting, Royal Palace and Chinese Kuomintang village
Pangmapa: Coffin Cave and Jeep Trek
For more information about these tours, please contact JKET.
Multi-day Tours
Tour 1: Karen Culture and Ecology
Baan Huay Hee and Baan Nam Hoo (2 days, 1 night)
Day 1 Karen village life and homestay
Day 2 Doi Pui and community forest trek
Tour 2: Doi Pui
Baan Huay Hee and Baan Nam Hoo (2 days, 1 night)
Day 1 Rainforest trek and camping
Day 2 Karen village life
Tour 3: The Great Hornbill Habitat*
Baan Huay Goong (2 days, 1 night)
Day 1 Trek and Karen village life and homestay
Day 2 Rainforest and Great Hornbill trek
Tour 4: Shan and Lahu Culture
Baan Melana, Baan Jabo and Baan Bokrai (3 days, 2 nights)
Day 1 Waterfall, Shan village life and homestay
Day 2 Trekking, coffin caves and Lahu culture
Tour 5: Mountains and Caves
Baan Melana, Baan Jabo and Baan Bokrai (3 days, 2 nights)
Day 1 Waterfall, Lahu village life and homestay
Day 2 Jeep trek
Day 3 Trekking, coffin cave and Lahu culture
Tour 6: Trekking Adventure*
Baan Nam Hoo, Baan Huay Hee, Baan Huay Mai Dam, Baan Huay Thong Koe, Baan Huay Goong (5 days, 4 nights- 3 days of trekking)
Day 1 Karen village life and homestay
Day 2 Karen lifestyle and homestay
Day 3 Trek: Rainforests, waterfall, homestay
Day 4 Trek: Hornbills and waterfall
Day 5 Trek: River crossing
What to Expect
All accommodation in our tours is provided by local families in the communities as a homestay. Homestays are very basic. You will be provided blankets and a pillow, but you may want to bring your own sleeping bag during the cold season. Some of our villages have mosquito nets, but you may also want to bring your own. In most of our villages there is no electricity, and toilet facilities are also basic, with no hot water.
Food is also provided by the local people we visit. They provide an assortment of traditional foods as well as basic fare, such as eggs and vegetables. If you have any dietary requirements, please let us know in advance.
Bottled drinking water is provided in our tours. In the villages you will also be offered water and tea by your host family. This is boiled rain water, and poses no health hazards; however, if you do not feel comfortable drinking it, feel free to drink bottled water at all times.
What to Bring
¨ Lightweight trousers and shirts for trekking
¨ Warm shirt/fleece during the rainy season and cold seasons (June-February)
¨ Rainproof jacket during the rainy season (June-October)
¨ Good walking shoes/boots and waterproof sandals
¨ Sunscreen and hat
¨ Insect repellent
¨ Torch
¨ Toilet paper
¨ Camera and film
¨ Binoculars, if you have them
¨ Sleeping bag during the cold season (November-February) or if you plan to camp on Doi Pui
¨ Money for incidental expenses
วันพุธที่ 24 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2551
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