Environment and natural resources
Forests and forestry
Latest forest policy move may be a boon for forest dwellers
The government’s latest policy addressing the problem of overlapping rights on forested land will be a major turning point for residents, as it will allow them to live in forested areas and sustain themselves legally and also bring a halt to further encroachment, officials said ...
The Nation Reporter
Fighting for our forests
Attapol Charoenchansa, the newly-appointed chief of the Royal Forest Department (RFD), says he will be making use of his 30 years of experience to expand the country’s forested area and deal with those involved with deforestation. Keep reading ...
Apinya Wipatayotin
New forestland resolution ‘old wine in new bottle’
The government’s measures to tackle the problems over forest communities, which are outlined in a new Cabinet resolution, are deeply flawed, say representatives of forest dwellers. The Cabinet on Tuesday approved five new forestland management plans and measures to tackle forest encroachment.Keep reading ...
Pratch Rujivanarom
SPECIAL REPORT: Wildlife forensics gives a new voice to illegally hunted wildlife
Young wildlife researcher Kanita Ouitavon was shocked when she first saw the number of animal species, many unknown to her, that were up for sale at a local market in the North some years ago, when she had just joined the National Parks Department (DNP).Keep ...
Piyaporn Wongruang
Natural Resources and Environment Minister orders probe into international capitalist behind illegal logging
The Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Gen. Surasak Karnjanarat, has ordered relevant agencies to investigate and take legal action against an international capitalist group supporting illegal logging activities, following the bust of “Mulan” timber trade network.Keep reading ...
Tanakorn Sangiam
Thailand’s green cover in slow decline as 40% goal remains out of reach
Thailand has been ambitiously aiming to have 40 percent of its land turned into lush green forests, but this goal set in 1975 has yet to be accomplished.The aim was to have conserved forests cover 25 percent of the country and commercial forests cover the ...
Kornrawee Panyasuppakun
Forest governance reforms needed in the region, forum told
Southeast Asian countries are being urged to incorporate forest governance into their policies in order to ensure the health of forested land and communities dependent on them.Several experiences in the region have proved that the lack of principles concerning forest policies and management – from ...
The Nation Reporter
Dept readies for purge of plastic waste
The Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) will launch a campaign to ban plastic bags and styrofoam food boxes in all national parks from Aug 12 to reduce rubbish that pollutes the nature reserves and threatens wildlife. Keep reading ...
Bangkok Post Reporter
Southeast Asian forest loss much greater than expected, with negative implications for climate
Researchers using satellite imaging have found much greater than expected deforestation since 2000 in the highlands of Southeast Asia, a critically important world ecosystem. The findings are important because they raise questions about key assumptions made in projections of global climate change as well as ...
John Sullivan
Just thin paper
A Thai man uses an average of 60 kilograms of paper a year, or a total of over 3.9 million tons a year. We cut 17 trees to produce 1 ton of paper. To serve the demand in Thailand, we have to cut more than ...