Prevention of Forest Encroachment by People Around Pangma-O Highland Development Project, Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

     The objectives of this study were to investigate: 1) socio-economic attributes and knowledgeabout forest conservation at the level of forest encroachment prevention; 2) factors effecting theprevention of forest encroachment; and 3) guidelines for the preventing forest encroachment of people in the areas around highland development project live at Pang Ma-O Royal Project, Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai Province. The sample group consisted of 203 household representatives living around the project area. A set of questionnaires was used for data collection and analyzed by using descriptive statistics and multiple regressions. Finding showed that more than one-half of the respondent (55.2%) were male, 48.51 years old on average, married and elementary school graduates. They had 3.22 household members engaged in farming with a mouthy income of 7,061.08 baht on average. They had their own land (12.09 rai per household on average) and most of them were members of the saving cooperative group. In 2020, they attended training on forest conservation and forest fire prevention one-twice and they had never directly contacted the forest officers. They perceived date/ information about environment through television most. They utilized the forest most in term of collecting forest product for consumption. They had a moderate level of knowledge about forest conservation (8.87 out of the total score of 15)

      Regarding the prevention of forest encroachment, it was found at a high level (𝛘 = 3.61) whichthe prevention from natural calamities was found most (𝛘 = 3.87). As a whole the prevention of forestencroachment had a relationship with 4 independent variables: gender, age, land holding and perception of new/information about environment with the statistical significance level at 0.05. Guidelines for preventing encroachment included the following: encroachment of knowledge and consciousness and awareness about the importance of the conservation of forest, forest resources, cheeks and wildlife; training on law related to forest and wildlife; promotion of network building for monitoring, surveillance, preventing and solving problems in areas that are at risk of being threatened; clearly issue rules/ regulations and determine the boundaries of forest area where people utilize the forest; support farming under the agro-forestry and sufficiency economy. These can help people properly utilize and case the forest. Besides, forest officers and staff of the Royal Project can effectively prepare an operational plan on forest area management and determine agricultural area of people.