Tongariro

Natural History

Society

BACKGROUND TO THE ASSIGNMENT

• Two Components:

- Protected Areas

(PA) Management

- Poverty - Poverty

Alleviation in

buffer zones

BACKGROUND TO THE ASSIGNMENT

• Key Outputs:

- PA management

plans

- management

capacity building

- pilot activities

addressing

community needs

OUTPUTS FROM THE ASSIGNMENT

• General Strategy for the management of Protected Areas (Pas)

� Ecotourism Strategy for PAs

� Social Development and � Social Development and Gender Strategy for PAs

�Wildlife Conservation Strategy for PAs

� Pamirs & Bande Amir National Park Management Plans – Key Elements

1. Western Forest Complex

2. Dongpayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex1

2

4. Kang Kracharn Forest Complex

7

3. Eastern Forest Complex

(corridor of 5 provinces)

5

Important Forest Complexes

in Thailand

44. Kang Kracharn Forest Complex

5. Mae Ping-Om Koi Forest Complex

3

66. Khao Sok-Klong Sang Forest Complex

7. Phu Khieo- Nam Now Forest Complex

Conservation Facts- 18,000 km2

- 17 protected areas- Largest matrix of protected areas in SE Asia.

- Globally important Tiger Landscape Priority-World Heritage Site as the coreArea.

Biological Facts- > 80% Forested- Diversity of Fauna & Flora

- > 150 mammals, - > 490 birds, - > 41 reptiles, etc.

AN INTEGRATED CONSERVATION

MANAGEMENT STRATEGY [ICMS] FOR THE

WESTERN FOREST COMPLEX [WEFCOM]

ON A GLOBAL SCALE THIS WAS A

COMPLEX AND SIGNIFICANT

PLANNING EXERCISE.

Site Description

WEFCOM

ThailandThailand

Forest Cover32%

Source: Image 1:50K

Myanmar

Ecological vs. PoliticalBoundary

The site is a:

Globally Important Tiger Landscape Priority

The core areas of Tung Yai Naresuan and Hue Ka Keung are designated as a World Heritage site.

TIGER HABITATS

Different layers were used to develop

the Integrated Conservation

Management Strategy (ICMS)

VEGETATION

TYPES

Different layers were used to

develop ICMS

Rationale:

• Many communities living

in or nearby the WEFCOM

areas and tourism

resources

• Additional income from

tourism

CommunityCommunity--based based

TourismTourism

• Awareness of forest

conservation

Ecosystem based Management

Planning

Soil Erosion

Ecosystems

Priority

Wildlife

AreasCommunities

& Tourism /

Recreation

Area

Ecosystem based

Management

Planning

management zones

based on ecosystem and based on ecosystem and

socio-economic

information

Infra-Red

Remote Camera

Trapping as a

conservation

monitoring tool

Results –

Expected and

unexpected

Training &

capacity

building

WAS THE WEFCOM WORTH THE EFFORT?

THIS WAS A QUESTION WE NEED TO KEEP

ASKING - RESOURCES ARE SHORT, WOULD THE

INVESTMENT BE BETTER SOMEWHERE ELSE?

The response has to be positive – there are, however, some very intricate issues that need to be however, some very intricate issues that need to be addressed - these can only be resolved internally.

Some key areas include:

� Getting commitments from a government that is in transition was problematical – Thailand was governed by a military government when we did this assignment.

� Negotiating transboundary agreements with Myanmar – essential to control illegal activities and provide for the habitat requirements of wide ranging species such as tiger and elephant.

� Technical capacity and commitment – it’s not only training people but finding ways to make Thai PA staff “believe” and take pride in the importance of conservation and the role they play.

Other places of Global

Biodiversity Importance

Other places of Global

Biodiversity Importance

SOME OF THE PLACES OF GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY

IMPORTANCE WE HAVE WORKED

Nepal

India

Thailand

Papua New Guinea

Lao PDRLao PDR

Indonesia

Timor-Leste

Malaysia (Peninsula &

Sarawak)

China – Yunnan Province

Afghanistan

Bhutan

Philippines

Full circle or

is it??is it??