Community Forest Management for Community Well-being Following Sustainable Development Guidelines: A Case Study of Ban Khuan Yung, Khun Thale Sub-district, Mueang Surat Thani District, Surat Thani Province
Keywords:
Knowledge management, Community forest, Well-being, Ban Khuan Yung, SustainabilityAbstract
The objectives of this research are as follows: 1) to systematically study the context of community forests and manage the knowledge obtained, 2) to survey significant plant and herbal species and create a health and well-being database, 3) to increase awareness and promote community participation in the conservation and development of community forests for better health, and 4) to extract lessons from the past, present, and future development directions of community forests. This study employs a mixed-methods research approach, focusing on qualitative research and action research to establish
a learning community. The primary targets and units of analysis include plant and herbal species, village leaders, community forest committee members, and voluntary students. Data were collected from 2020 to 2021 through field surveys, essay contests, interviews, and group discussions. Data collection tools included plant and herbal species recording forms, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), essay contest score recording forms, and semi-structured interviews. The collected data were then subjected to content analysis for qualitative data and descriptive statistics for data analysis from the online database on the Facebook platform.
The study results indicated the following: 1) The community forest is fertile and located in the city center, with the Khun Thale Self-Reliant Community holding land ownership. In 2010, there was an encroachment by investors to plant oil palms, but the villagers successfully opposed it. 2) A total of 37 plant species and over 100 herbal species were found. The research output included the creation of an online database published on Facebook and a book. 3) Residents and youth in the area exhibit a strong awareness and sense of responsibility to protect the forest. They participate in various activities, reflecting on how this forest area contributes to their quality of life in physical, mental, social, and intellectual dimensions. This engagement aligns with sustainable development principles in health and fosters cooperation with various sectors. 4) It has been observed that the forest has undergone continuous change and development from the past to the present. Future community forest development guidelines include the establishment of a public market and the development of a learning center for ecotourism.
References
Centre for SDG Research and Support: SDG Move. (2022). SDG 101| Did you know? The 17 SDGs goals can be divided into 5 groups. Retrieved from https://www.sdgmove.com/2021/03/29/sdgs-5p/ [in Thai]
Chaipattana, Foundation. (n.d.). The beginning of the concept of sufficiency economy. Retrieved from https://www.chaipat. or.th/publication/publish-document/sufficiency-economy.html [in Thai]
Chulalongkorn University. (n.d.). Thailand accomplishes a world first in carbon credit trading from community wet waste. Retrieved from http://www.sustainability.chula.ac.th/report/3304/
Clark, H., Vanclay, J., & Brymer, E. (2023). Features and Mental Health and Wellbeing: A scoping review. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 89. 102040. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102040
Cohen, J. M., & Uphoff, N. T. (1981). Rural Development Participation: Concept and Measure for Project Design Implementation and Evaluation. Rural Development Committee, Center for International Studies, Cornell University Press, New York.
Community Action Research Model. (2018). The RUFORUM Community Action Research Programme: A programme to link African universities to communities and agribusiness-Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-Community-Action-Research-Framework_fig1_324656059
Engagement Thailand. (n.d.). Information. Retrieved from https://www.engagementthailand.org/ [in Thai]
Hfocus, News. (2016). Development of pilot herbal cities in four provinces: Chiang Rai, Sakon Nakhon, Prachinburi, Surat Thani. Hfocus. Retrieved from https://www.hfocus.org/content/2016/10/12915. [in Thai]
Isah, C. L. N., & Ibrahim, N. (2023). Impact of Knowledge Management System in an Organization: An Overview. Samaru Journal of Information Studies, 23(1), 116-125.
Loveridge, R., Sallu, S. M., Pfeifer, M., Oldekop, J., Mgaya, M., da Silva, D., Latham, J., Platts, P. J., & Marshall, A. R. (2021). Certified community forests positively human wellbeing and conservation effectiveness and improve the performance of nearby national protected areas. Conservation Letters, 14, e12831. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12831
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. (2020). Laws on community forests. The Community Forest Act B.E.2019. Royal Thai Government Gazette. Retrieved from https://www.forest.go.th/communityexpert/wp-uploads/sites/118/2020/03/T_0071.pdf [in Thai]
National Nanotechnology Center. (2017). Herbal Impact creating a new value to local herbs with nanotechnology. Retrieved from https://www.nanotec.or.th/th/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/54695_IN-THIS-ISSUE-15-10-17.pdf
National News Bureau of Thailand. (2017). Surat Thani Province Transfer herbal strategies to drive the economy in communities based on sustainability in the Herbal Cities pilot province. Retrieved from Retrieved from https://thainews.prd.go.th/th/news/detail/WNEVN6012130010010
National Science and Technology Development Agency. (December 11, 2020). New economic model BCG. Retrieved from https://www.nstda.or.th/home/knowledge_post/bcg-by-nstda/ [in Thai]
Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council. (n.d.). SDG Localization. Retrieved from https://shorturl.asia/u1pwU
Panich, V. (n.d.). Knowledge Management: KM. Retrieved from https://quality.sc.mahidol.ac.th/plan_and_policy/km/ [in Thai]
RECOFTC-The Center for People and Forests. (2012). Community forests in Thailand, 2012. RECOFTC-The Center for People and Forests. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2QXI2kZ [in Thai]
Rembowski, J. (2020). Goal 17-Partnerships for the Goals. Retrieved from https://forestnation.com/blog/partnerships-for-the-goals/
Royal Forest Department. (2020). Community Forest Act 2020. Retrieved from https://shorturl.asia/v6lTL [in Thai]
Simarak, S. (2004). The research project to develop the knowledge managemet mechanism for local development at the sub-district level. The Thailand Research Fund.
Soontornwong, S. (2011, July 2). Community forest and Thai society. Retrieved from https://shorturl.asia/h6I0r [in Thai]
Thai Health Promotion Foundation. (2019). “Intellectual and mental health” is the source of good and sustainable physical health. Retrieved from https://shorturl.asia/yW9A0 [in Thai]
The Standard. (2023). UNDP brings together 4 people from 4 circles to identify elephant problems in Thai society that are holding back the achievement of a sustainable society. Retrieved from https://thestandard.co/undp-big-problems-in-thai-society/ [in Thai]
The Sueb Nakasathien Foundation. (2018). Thai Forest Situation Report 2560-2561. Department of Forestry and Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2LWAUOD
The United Nations (United Nations: UN). (2022). The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022. Retrieved from https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2022/The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2022.pdf
Thongcharoen, P. (2019). Management and Sustainable Development Guidelines for Ban Tham Phung Forest Community: A Case Study in Ton Yuan Subdistrict, Phanom District, Surat Thani Province (pp. 181-209). In Proceedings of the Academic Conference on Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts Research, supported by the Office of the Commission on Science, Research, and Innovation. Bangkok: Silpakorn University Press. [in Thai]
Thongcharoen, P., Nillaor, P., & Boonsawang, W. (2020). Forest Knowledge Management for Communities by Well-Being Communities: A Case Study of Ban-Kuan-Yung, Khun Thale Sub-district, Muang, Surat Thani Province [Research Report]. Research Fund, Prince of Songkla University, Surat Thani Campus, Fiscal Year 2021.
Thongcharoen, P., Chantanaphant, J., Boonsawang, W., & Nilake, B. (2023). Knowledge Management of Model Community Forest for Well Being in Surat Thani Province. Research Fund, Prince of Songkla University, Surat Thani Campus.
Tipmontree, T., & Thongcharoen, P. (2018). Climate Change and Future Generations (pp.157-162). In Proceedings of the XXIII World Congress of Philosophy, Environmental Philosophy, Volume 11. Charlottesville: Philosophy Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.5840/wcp23201811311
United Nations in Thailand. (n.d.). Our Work on the Sustainable Development Goals in Thailand. Retrieved from https://thailand.un.org/en/sdgs
United Nations in Thailand. (n.d.). United Nations support for the Sustainable Development Goals in Thailand. Retrieved from https://thailand.un.org/th/sdgs [in Thai]
Wasi, P. (2005). Knowledge Management: The process of human liberation towards potential, freedom, and happiness. Bangkok: Institute for the Promotion of Knowledge Management for Society. [in Thai]
Wasin, W. (2013). Community Forest Conservation Guidelines by the participation between youth groups, temples and Ban Kuan Yung community, Khun Thale Subdistrict, Mueang District, Surat Thani Province. Bangkok: The Thailand Research Fund (TRF). [in Thai]
What is Tacit Knowledge?. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.nstda.or.th/home/knowledgepost/tacit-knowledge/
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Social Work and Social Administration
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The manuscripts published in the Social Work Journal is the copyright of the Social Work Journal, Thammasat University
Any article or opinion appeared in the Social Work Journal will solely be under the responsibility of the author The Faculty of Social Administration, Thammasat University and the editors do not need to reach in agreement or hold any responsibility.
