PDA has been a pioneer in the implementation of environmental programs in rural Thailand. These programs are designed both to demonstrate and to educate children, villagers and government officials in alternative methods of waste treatment, water purification, re-forestation, irrigation, sustainable agriculture and habitat preservation. Often the environmental aspects of PDA projects are an integral part of s greater rural development initiative.
This page has links to the programs in operation, some of which are covered by the SEED project, others by the TBIRD projects.
The Student Environmental Education and Demonstration (SEED) project, funded primarily by the Danish Cooperation for Environment and Development (DANCED) organisation, is a major initiative in bringing about environmental change in Thailand. The project provides relevant and comprehensive education to primary and secondary school students, initiates ecologically sustainable environmental practices and increases the business sector involvement in environmental activities. Follow the link for detailed information on the SEED projects aims and outcomes.
Since its inception in 1986, the Water Resources Development and Environmental Sanitation Project (WRD/ES) has been providing technologically appropriate water storage and environmental sanitation systems to needy villagers in Northeast Thailand. These activities include the provision of drinking water by construction village-level tap water systems and household rain water collection receptacles (tanks and jars in a range of sizes). The project areas are in some of the driest regions of Thailand, and parts have been experiencing drought for the last few years. The infrastructure developed under the WRD/ES program adds to the efforts being made by the Thai government agencies to facilitate the collection and use of clean water, and does so in areas that are difficult to reach or that have been overlooked by other schemes.
In addition to providing water distribution and collection systems, the WRD/ES project is also implementing two new pilot projects. One is an innovative grey-water recycling program that utilises water from village households that has been used for washing and bathing. The grey-water is channelled through a bio-filtration pond and then into a deeper pond in which villagers can raise fish for consumption. The other pilot project is a solid waste management program that is being implemented in eight sub-districts. Through this project, villagers are offered a waste management service in which their recyclable and non-recyclable waste materials are collected and properly disposed of. As part of the project, villagers are educated in proper methods for sorting and recycling their rubbish. Both the grey-water and solid waste management pilot projects are endeavouring to develop successful models that can eventually be duplicated throughout Thailand's rural areas
The project emphasises village self-sufficiency, so system the construction of the systems is always accompanied by intensive training designed to transfer the system management and operation skills to the villagers. The project is supported by German Agro Action (GAA) and the Ministry of Economic Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMZ).
(available soon)
The Community Forestry Management Program (CFMP) is implemented in 135 villages in Thailand's Northeastern region. It's aim is to alleviate rural poverty by providing an alternative income source for rural villagers. Participants in this project are encouraged to plant a combination of hardwood and fast growing species of trees. The short rotation period of fast growing trees growing on marginal lands will enable villagers to earn income from land that over many years have been lying idle.
(available soon)
The Pa Taem National Park Conservation and Development project at Ubon Ratchathani province is an effort by PDA and a private organization called Nature Care Foundation to enhance the participation of villagers in six villages within the national park in conserving the natural and cultural heritage of the area. From the outset, this project will coordinate closely with relevant governmental and non-governmental agencies active in the project area. The fundamental objective of the project is to strengthen community organisations and assist them to plan and implement conservation and development activities to address their needs.
Pa Taem National Park protects natural and cultural features along the Mekong river in Northeastern Thailand. While the national park itself was only gazetted in 1991, some of the project villages date back 200 years. The livelihoods of the villagers in the project area depend upon the health and integrity of the natural resources in the national park. Recent population pressure on the forests and the river in the project area have resulted in certain activities which are increasingly degrading these vital natural resources. PDA's involvement in the project area was requested by the Provincial Governor and the Abbot of the International Forest Monastery - whose monks have long used the forest for their meditation retreats and have established close relations with the villagers in the project area. PDA works directly with the villagers to plan and implement a variety of activities which will improve their food security while also enhancing the conservation of natural resources in the National Park.
The Integrated Community Development for Conservation Program is designed to reduce the impact on the natural environment of the Pa Taem National Park by providing alternative sources of income, fuel and food in the region. The plan looks at a wide range of issues, from fuel efficient charcoal burners to the planting of stands of timber, to the development of aquaculture operations. Some of the activities either in operation or being considered are:
(available soon)
The Forest Bank is a new initiative from PDA, where people in villages can effectively 'bank' new trees they grow and assist in the development of the village on the interest. The scheme is as follows:
Tambon councils represent a collective of 10 villages
in each Tambon, people can earn money by planting forests and caring for the trees during the dry season
for each day's work people earn the average rural wage of around 130 Baht
for each rai planted, PDA arranges for a donor to bank 10,000 Baht, so for 1000 rai the Tambon has banked 1 million Baht and so on
the capital is kept in the bank, which can be used by the Tambon council as collateral for loans for village development and improvement
| the interest is distributed as follows; 30% to the Tambon council, 30% for school projects like lunches for students, 10% for youth activities and administration, 15% for the provision of health care to the poor and 15% to pay for the care of mature forests |  |
The Forest Bank typifies the innovative approach undertaken by PDA to the protection and improvement of the natural and social environments.
These are not all of the environmental programs being operated by PDA, in fact most of the developmental programs have a large environmental awareness and improvement component. Bettering the environment, whether natural, agricultural, economic or social is the underlying theme of all PDA projects. The natural environment cannot be separated completely from the social and cultural environments that comprise a large part of the operations of PDA.
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This page forms part of the Home Pages of the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) Thailand. The site has been created by Cliff Ogleby with the assistance of many of the PDA staff and volunteers.