HCV Scoping Study in Krabi, Trang & Suratthani provinces, Thailand · HCV scoping study Oil palm smallholders in Southern Thailand 4 Executive Summary Shell are building their capacity

HCV Scoping Study

in Krabi, Trang &

Suratthani

provinces, Thailand

Assessment of potential HCVs in

the context of oil palm

smallholders and RSPO

certification

Version 2 | 10 April 2014

HCV scoping study Oil palm smallholders in Southern Thailand

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About Proforest

Proforest is an independent company working with natural resource management

and specialising in practical approaches to sustainability.

Our work ranges from international policy development to the practical

implementation of requirements on the ground, with a particular focus on turning

policy into practice. Our extensive and up-to-date knowledge of the international

context ensures that our work for individual companies and organisations is set

within an appropriate framework. At the same time, we are able to bring a wealth

of current practical experience to policy development processes and debates.

The Proforest team is international and multilingual and has a broad variety of

backgrounds, ranging from industry to academia and NGOs. This allows us to work

comfortably in many types of organisations, as well as in a range of cultures. We

have in-house knowledge of more than 15 languages, including Mandarin, Malay,

French, Spanish and Portuguese.

Proforest was set up in 2000. Our expertise covers all aspects of the natural

resources sector, from forestry and agricultural commodities to conservation,

supply chain management and responsible investment.

For this report, your contact person is:

Ellen Brown

[email protected]

Proforest

South Suite, Frewin Chambers,

Frewin Court, Oxford OX1 3HZ

United Kingdom

E: [email protected]

T: +44 (0) 1865 243439

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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Proforest is registered in England and Wales

Company number 3893149


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Executive Summary

Shell are building their capacity in biofuels and working to make them more sustainable.

As part of their commitment to sustainability, Shell and its partner Patum Veg are

promoting RSPO certification of their oil palm smallholder supply base, in Krabi, Trang and

Suratthani provinces in Thailand. In support of this, Shell contracted Proforest to conduct

an HCV scoping study in Krabi, Trang and Suratthani provinces to identify potential High

Conservation Values (HCV) that may be impacted by smallholder oil palm production. One

of the requirements to achieve RSPO certification, is to ensure that any HCVs have been

identified and are well-managed and maintained over time. During our visit, we met with

nine mill teams from six companies, who source from approximately 1,800 smallholders.

Each of the mills has a database team comprised of a mill and farmer representatives.

Their main roles and responsibilities are to gather relevant data about farmers’ groups

including GPS mapping as part of a database system and document filing. Patum Veg and

its suppliers (mills) have already made considerable progress towards identifying potential

HCVs in smallholder plots. Each of the mill teams presented an overview of smallholder

plots of their members with a focus on potential HCVs. Subsequently, visits were made to

smallholder plots across three provinces to see potential HCV sites and resources and to

discuss their identification and management with smallholders and mill representatives.

However, the objective was to not only comment on the presence of HCVs in existing

smallholder plots, but also to identify HCV areas in the wider landscape (across the three

provinces) which should be avoided by future expansion or new group members.

The results of this study are presented so that interested parties may better understand

the HCVs present at the provincial and national scale, as well as the kinds of HCVs most

typically encountered at the local or smallholder plot level. The results are presented for

each of the six HCV categories and, where relevant, broken down by scale into provincial

or regional (Southern Thailand) and local-level findings. See the next page for a summary

table of our findings.

Recommendations

Based on the results of the desk-based study and field visit, the following

recommendations are made:

Targeted training is needed for mill representatives and selected smallholders in 1)

mapping and organisation of geospatial data, 2) HCV identification and 3) water

management.

The smallholder mapping teams will benefit greatly from simple guidance documents

or decision-making tools that prompt HCV assessors to ask key questions before

arriving at a conclusion with regard to the presence or absence of HCVs. These tools

need to be accompanied with training and local examples where appropriate to

maximise ease of use.

Improved water management practices are needed including maintaining buffer

zones and ensuring high risk activities (e.g. chemical use) are avoided in these

sensitive zones.

Where the boundaries of forest reserves and protected areas have been clearly

demarcated, smallholders who cultivate oil palm adjacent to these reserved areas

should take extra measures to ensure that their activities do not impact negatively on

HCVs within these reserved areas.


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We provide a brief list of additional data sources that future HCV assessors, or even

the mill RSPO teams, may endeavour to acquire to further complete the state of

knowledge about the assessment area.

HCV Definition Provincial scale Smallholder plot scale

HCV 1

Concentrations of biological diversity including endemic species, and rare, threatened or endangered species, that are significant at global, regional or national levels.

Present: Protected areas (national parks, forest reserves), Important Bird Areas, Ramsar sites, Tapi River (endemic fish)

Likely absent: No evidence of HCV 1 at the smallholder plot level

HCV 2

Large landscape-level ecosystems and ecosystem mosaics that are significant at global, regional or national levels, and that contain viable populations of the great majority of the naturally occurring species in natural patterns of distribution and abundance.

Absent: High degree of fragmentation

Not applicable

HCV 3 Rare, threatened, or endangered ecosystems, habitats or refugia.

Present: Limestone karst formations , fresh water swamps peat swamps (e.g. Kanthuli peat swamp in Ta Chana District, Suratthani), lowland forest of significant size

Likely absent: The limestone cave site visited in Krabi may be HCV but no species information is available

HCV 4

Basic ecosystem services in critical situations including protection of water catchments and control of erosion of vulnerable soils and slopes.

Present: Forested mountain ranges (mostly in protected areas) providing water for large towns and villages; Mangroves providing flood control and filtering services

Present: forest areas that protect steam heads used by local people. Some rivers and streams that provide critical services. Any areas critical for replenishment (spawning grounds) of fishing areas

HCV 5

Sites and resources fundamental for satisfying the basic necessities of local communities or indigenous peoples (for example for livelihoods, health, nutrition, water), identified through engagement with these communities or indigenous peoples.

Present: Community forests, if they are crucial for NTFP collection and/or revenue from ecotourism would be HCV 5

Likely absent: Though people use water resources for washing and bathing and practice fishing – it appears there are affordable alternatives and these sources are not critical. However, this should be determined on a case-by-case basis with people concerned

HCV 6

Sites, resources, habitats and landscapes of global or national cultural, archaeological or historical significance, and/or of critical cultural, ecological, economic or religious/sacred importance for the traditional cultures of local communities or indigenous peoples, identified through engagement with these local communities or indigenous peoples.

Present: petroglyphs found on cave walls in Tham Phi Hua To, Than Bokkhorani National Park, Pottery-bearing sites in Krabi (Khao Kanaab Nam) and Suratthani

Present: Spirit houses, trees where offerings are made, abandoned temple site


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Table of contents

Executive Summary --------------------------------------------------------------- 4

List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ------------------------------------------ 8

1 Introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------- 9

2 Methods ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9

2.1 Desk-based Review -------------------------------------------------------------------- 9

2.2 Field visit in Southern Thailand ---------------------------------------------------- 10

3 Background information --------------------------------------------------- 11

3.1 Oil palm in Thailand ------------------------------------------------------------------ 11

3.2 Physical environment ---------------------------------------------------------------- 12

3.3 Forest and protected areas --------------------------------------------------------- 17

4 Site visit ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18

4.1 Description of assessment area --------------------------------------------------- 18

4.2 Patum Veg and the smallholder supply base ---------------------------------- 20

4.3 Mapping of smallholder plots ------------------------------------------------------ 21

4.4 Visits to potential HCVs sites ------------------------------------------------------- 24

4.5 Interviews with stakeholders ------------------------------------------------------ 26

5 Preliminary findings --------------------------------------------------------- 26

5.1 HCV 1: Biodiversity ------------------------------------------------------------------- 30

5.2 HCV 2: Landscape-level ecosystems---------------------------------------------- 34

5.3 HCV 3: Rare ecosystems ------------------------------------------------------------- 35

5.4 HCV 4: Critical ecosystem services------------------------------------------------ 37

5.5 HCV 5: Basic community needs ---------------------------------------------------- 39

5.6 HCV 6: Cultural values --------------------------------------------------------------- 40

6 Recommendations ----------------------------------------------------------- 43

6.1 Targeted training for smallholders and mill representatives -------------- 43

6.2 Additional filtering of potential HCVs -------------------------------------------- 44

6.3 Need for stakeholder consultation ----------------------------------------------- 46

6.4 Document HCV assessments ------------------------------------------------------- 46

6.5 Future HCV assessments ------------------------------------------------------------ 48

7 References --------------------------------------------------------------------- 49


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Appendices ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53

Appendix 1: Provisional List of Protected Areas in Krabi, Trang and Suratthani

Provinces ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53

Appendix 2: Important Bird Areas --------------------------------------------------------- 55

Appendix 3: List of selected rare, threatened and endangered species in Krabi,

Suratthani and Trang Provinces, Thailand ----------------------------------------------- 56

Appendix 4: Detailed itinerary of field work -------------------------------------------- 62


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List of Acronyms and Abbreviations

CSPO Certified Sustainable Palm Oil

DNP Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation

FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

FIO Forest Industry Organisation

ha hectare(s)

HCV High Conservation Value

IBA Important Bird Area

IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature

KBA Key Biodiversity Area

km kilometre

NST Nakhon Si Thammarat

NTFP non timber forest product

ONEP Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Planning

RSPO Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil

RTE Rare, threatened or endangered

RTFD Royal Thai Forestry Department

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Orgaisation


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1 Introduction

Thailand is currently the third largest producer of palm oil in the world, after Indonesia

and Malaysia, producing approximately 12,812,061 tonnes (2013 data from the Office of

Agricultural Economics1) of oil palm. Of this, approximately 17,144 ha has been certified

against the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) producing 44,823 metric tonnes of

certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO)2. Shell, which operates in more than 70 countries and

territories across the world, are building their capacity in biofuels and working to make

them more sustainable3. Today, Shell is a major purchaser of biofuels for blending. As part

of their commitment to biofuels and sustainability, Shell is promoting RSPO certification of

its oil palm smallholder supply base in Krabi, Trang and Suratthani provinces in Thailand.

The scope of RSPO certification covers the mills and supply base which provide the palm

oil for purchase by Shell and its partners (e.g. Patum Veg). Though the numbers are not

yet final, it has been recommended that Shell cap the number of smallholders to permit

them to begin work towards certification with this first group. Approximately 1,800

smallholders supplying nine mills (from six companies) are within the scope of this RSPO

group certification programme. In support of this, Shell contracted Proforest to conduct

an HCV scoping study in Krabi, Trang and Suratthani provinces to identify potential High

Conservation Values (HCV) that may be impacted by smallholder oil palm production.

2 Methods

HCV assessment involves interpreting what the six HCV definitions mean in the local or

national context and deciding which HCVs are present or potentially present. HCV

assessments should be conducted according to the scale, intensity and risk of operations.

HCV assessment is primarily meant to focus on the management unit, concession or farm.

However, the HCV approach can also be applied to larger scales such as regions or even

countries to identify priority conservation areas. This scoping study has combined both a

large scale perspective, covering three provinces, and a more local and site-based

approach to identifying potential HCVs. This HCV study included desk-based study and a

field mission to Southern Thailand.

2.1 Desk-based Review

The Proforest team gathered and reviewed relevant reports, literature and studies that

have been conducted in southern Thailand and specifically Krabi, Trang and Suratthani

provinces. Documents reviewed include:

Previous HCV assessments, in particular the assessment conducted by Proforest

in 2008 in relation to an oil palm smallholder dominated landscape in Krabi

province.

1 http://www.oae.go.th/download/prcai/farmcrop/palm.pdf10.8

2 RSPO market data 2013. Downloadable from: www.rspo.org

3 Shell and Biofuels (2013). http://www.shell.com/global/environment-

society/environment/climate-change/biofuels-alternative-energies-transport/biofuels.html

http://www.rspo.org/

http://www.shell.com/global/environment-society/environment/climate-change/biofuels-alternative-energies-transport/biofuels.html

http://www.shell.com/global/environment-society/environment/climate-change/biofuels-alternative-energies-transport/biofuels.html


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Maps: smallholdings, topography, watersheds, protected areas, , land cover,

vegetation

Any available data and reports on fauna and flora present in the landscape

The desk-based review was conducted at the regional scale considering mainly HCVs 1-3,

i.e. with a focus on biodiversity issues, location of protected areas, known species

distribution, ecosystem maps and land cover maps. The findings of the desk-based

research permitted the team to gain a preliminary understanding of the likely presence of

HCVs within the three provinces before embarking on the field component.

2.2 Field visit in Southern Thailand

The field visit in southern Thailand was conducted between the 11th

and 18th

March 2014

with about 1-3 days (including traveling time) allocated to each of the three provinces of

interest (Krabi, Trang and Suratthani). It included observations of potential HCV resources

and areas found in smallholder plots, discussions with relevant government officials

involved in the planning and management of natural resources, and engagement with oil

palm smallholders (involving those who have already undergone RSPO certification

processes and those who are still in the preliminary stages). A visit was also made to

government offices in Nakhon Si Thammarat that oversee forest and protected area

management in Trang Province.

In addition to verifying the findings of the desk-based review (e.g. landscape

characterisation and presence of HCVs 1-3), the field visit allowed the Proforest team to

gather additional data (and specifically for HCVs 4-6) that could not be obtained via the

desktop research. For a detailed itinerary see Appendix 4.

Table 1 Team members who participated in the HCV scoping study

Team member Role/expertise

Ellen Brown, Proforest

Surin Suksuwan, Proforest

Kanogwon Saswattecha, independent consultant

Narongchai Chonlapap, FIO

Sirithanya Piman, FIO

Phannee Sinsuphan, Patum Veg

Team Leader, HCV expert

HCV expert

Logistics and admin support, interpreter

Forestry and HCV

Forestry

Sustainability Project Manager

Image 1 HCV scoping study team

photo

Photo: Proforest


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3 Background information

Much of the information in this section is derived from the desk-based study. After

providing an overview of oil palm cultivation in southern Thailand, it includes an overview

of the physical landscape, key conservation areas and natural resources.

3.1 Oil palm in Thailand

Agriculture is an important economic sector in Thailand, employing 41.5% of the

workforce in 2010 (UN 2012). The contribution of the agricultural sector to the national

GDP in 2012 was estimated to be 12.3 percent according to the World Bank Databank. The

land area under agriculture is estimated to be 21 million ha (according to 2011 FAO

statistics) which is equivalent to about 41% of the total land area and which is larger than

the remaining forest cover in the country.

Oil palm cultivation in Thailand increased steadily, with an average annual growth rate of

11% from 1981 to 2000 and 9% from 2001 to 2010 (Yangdee 2007). About 90% of the

country’s total area planted with oil palm is in southern Thailand, with Krabi Province

having the largest share (26.63%) followed by Suratthani (25.23%), Chumporn (20.19%),

Nakhon Si Thammarat (4.11%) and Trang (3.00%) provinces (Dallinger 2011). Collectively,

Krabi, Suratthani and Chumporn provinces account for 72.05% of the total area planted

with oil palm in Thailand.

In a review of biofuel case studies, Beall (2012) found that 76% of the land used for oil

palm in Thailand is cultivated by smallholders, involving more than 120,000 farmers, most

of whom (98 %) are smallholders. These smallholders produce more than an estimated

70% of the total production by volume. In the same study, it was found that the average

size of oil palm plantations owned by companies was 796 ha while the average land size

for oil palm smallholders was 3.89 ha (2007 data). The majority of oil palm growers in

Thailand operate completely independently and are not connected to mills by any kind of

written contract or formal arrangement. Since the establishment of mills is very capital-

intensive, only a few farmers have formed their own cooperative mill with support of the

Government (Beall 2012). It is difficult for companies to expand their plantation area in

the country because big plots of land required for efficient large-scale plantations are

limited (Dallinger 2011).

Thus far, oil palm expansion in Thailand has mostly avoided forested areas, and has mainly

replaced abandoned paddy fields, degraded land, abandoned fruit orchards, land with acid

soils and land previously used for rubber and sugarcane cultivation (Jongskul 2010 cited in

Dallinger 2011; Beall 2012). Keson and Wongsai (2012) investigated the agricultural land

use change in Lam Thap District, Krabi Province between 2000 and 2009 and their results

show that the area under oil palm in the province expanded from 94,400 ha to 163,200 ha

between 2000 and 2009, an increase of 29.11%. Of the eight districts in Krabi Province,

the highest expansion was at Lam Thap where oil palm areas increased four-fold from

approximately 2,000 ha in 2000 to 8,600ha in 2009. Oil palm cultivation has expanded

mostly by replacing para rubber (6,120 ha; 71.6%), other agriculture (520 ha; 5.2%), and

forest (370 ha; 4.3%).

The Alternative Energy Development Plan ( 2012-2021), approved by the Thai parliament

in December 2011, sets out how Thailand can more than triple energy production from

renewable sources, providing as much as 25% of the nation's total energy needs by 2021.


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Area Measurement

In Thailand, areas are commonly given in rai

1 rai = 1,600 m2 or 0.16 ha

1 ha = 6.25 rai

Around the same time, the energy ministry announced plans to introduce a B10 biodiesel

blend (10% palm oil, 90% diesel) nationwide by 2019. The current land area planted with

oil palm in Thailand totalled 645,000 ha in 2012 (FAOSTAT 2013) and one researcher

extrapolated that by 2029, the total land area planted with oil palm in the country will

reach 10 million rai (1.6 million ha) (Yangdee 2007).

Given the ambitious oil palm expansion plans and the diminishing non-forested land area

available, it is not unreasonable to predict that some of the new oil palm plantings may

involve forest or wetland conversion. Already there are reports of existing or potential

threats of agricultural activities encroaching into forest and wetlands, including protected

areas (Aratrakorn et al. 2006; Thitiprasert et al. 2007; Ramsar 2013).

3.2 Physical environment

3.2.1 Biogeography

Southern Thailand (Isthmus of Kra) marks the

transition between the Sundaic and the

Indochinese biogeographical regions where a

considerable number of Indochinese and

Malaysian species of flora and fauna reach their

southern and northern limits, respectively. This

region represents the limit of the distribution

range of species from many taxa, including

amphibians and forest bird species (Hughes

2011). Plant species show a strong divide in

their distribution at around 500 km further

south, at the Kangar–Pattani Line (e.g. van

Steenis 1950; Whitmore 1984).

Thailand can be divided into six biogeographical

units, having distinct floral and faunal

associations, as shown in figure 1 (Thitiprasert

et al. 2007). The Southern Peninsula, Zone F,

includes the area of Thailand south of the Kra

isthmus to the Malaysian border. Krabi, Trang

and Suratthani provinces are located here.

A

B C

D

E

F

Figure 1 Map showing the six biogeographical

regions of Thailand


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3.2.2 Topography and Land Cover

Peninsular Thailand has a

complex geological history

resulting in a series of

roughly parallel northeast-

southwest trending

mountain ranges running

down the middle of the

entire peninsula, the most

prominent of which is the

Tenasserim range which

forms part of the boundary

between Thailand and

Burma. On either side of

the mountain ranges the

narrow stretch of coastal

plains descend into the

Andaman and South China

seas to the west and east

respectively.

Limestone karst is scattered

throughout the peninsula

giving rise to isolated

towers that rise above the

coastal plains. These karst

outcrops are steep cone-

shaped or cylindrical

peaks, with maximum elevations of 150 to 400 m above sea level.

The outcrops rise steeply from the sedimentary plain and are completely cut off (in terms

of natural land cover) from each other and from the main mountain ranges to the East and

North-West. The plains are characterised by gently undulating hills and are dominated by

agricultural lands (mainly rubber and oil palm).

The Khao Phanom range is a chain of low mountains reaching 1,345 m, characterised by a

narrow ridge and very steep slopes. Nearly the whole of the length of the mountain range

is a protected area, with the Khlong Phraya Wildlife Reserve covering the northern half of

the chain and the Khao Phanom Bencha National Park covering the southern half. This is

the major feature of one of the WWF Global 200 ecoregions (Tenasserim-South Thailand

semi-evergreen rain forests), which covers nearly all of peninsular Thailand down to the

border with Malaysia. This ecoregion supports some of the most diverse bird and mammal

assemblages in the Indo-Pacific region. Its relatively intact hill and montane forests form

some of the best remaining habitat for Asian elephants and tigers in the region (Proforest

2008).

The Khlong Phraya Wildlife Reserve (153.6 km2) straddles the boundary between Krabi

and Suratthani provinces, whilst Khao Phanom Bencha National Park is contained within

Krabi province. The Khao Phanom Bencha National Park does not protect outlying areas of

the southern massif, and the steep hill areas forming the southern boundary of the Ao

Luk/Klong Phraya watershed have been heavily impacted by plantations and poorly

Figure 2 Location of the Tenasserim range


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controlled timber extraction. The steeper slopes of the mountain range remain covered in

relatively intact forest, and support a wide range of characteristic animal and plant species

(Proforest 2008).

The forest cover in southern Thailand, at 22.5% in 2004 (Agricultural Statistics of Thailand,

cited in FAO 2009), is less than the national average. The largest area of natural vegetation

in all of southern Thailand is the mountain range protected by the contiguous Khao

Sok/Khlong Phanom National Parks in Suratthani Province. Other large areas of forest in

the region remain on the Nakhon Si Thammarat mountain range (Proforest 2008). At

present, however, most lowland forest has been almost entirely cleared for agriculture

and those forests on the hills are now threatened by ever-extending encroachment for

rubber plantations and other cultivation (Thitiprasert et al. 2007). Many of the forest

areas have been degraded or converted for other uses.

3.2.3 Hydrology

As the Thai peninsula is a narrow strip of land which is only 40 km wide at its narrowest

point, there is a conspicuous absence of large rivers. In Krabi Province, the main river

systems are the Krabi and the Klong thom that drain into Phangnga Bay in the Andaman

Sea. The watershed of Khlong Krabi Yai River (the main tributary of the Krabi River) begins

at the Khao Phanom Bencha mountain range and has a catchment size of 19,800 ha

(Sangmanee et al. 2011). Khlong Krabi Yai has a key role in supplying water to the

agricultural and tourism sectors in Krabi Province as well as maintaining the integrity of

the Krabi estuary wetlands, which is a Ramsar site (Sangmanee et al. 2011).

In Suratthani Province, the main rivers include Tha Chang, Phum Duang, Tha Thong and

Tapi, all of which flow into the Ban Don Bay. The Phum Duang and Tapi rivers join at the

town of Tha Kham and form a delta at their estuary. The delta, locally known as Nai Bang,

is located directly north of the city Suratthani and consists of several channels with small

islands mostly covered by mangrove or orchards. Figure 3 below shows the main river

systems in the Krabi and Suratthani provinces.


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Figure 3 : Map of river systems in Krabi and Suratthani provinces. Source: Kositratana &

Kajornatiyudh 1991.

The Trang River which is relatively short (123 km length), originates from the Khao Luang

mountain range and flows into the Andaman Sea. It is the only river in the western coast

of peninsular Thailand that runs through a large basin which is naturally flooded annually.

Floodplains are uncommon in the western coast of Thailand due to the generally steep

gradient of the surface through which major rivers flow (Pattarakulpisutti & Sridith 2011).

Another major river in Trang province is the Palian River which originates from the

Banthat mountains (protected in the Tai Rom Yen National Park).

There are 25 watershed areas in Thailand. Krabi and Trang are in one watershed area with

watercourses flowing into the Andaman Sea, while Suratthani is in another watershed

draining into the Gulf of Thailand. Thailand has a system for classifying watershed based

on land cover, slope and land use. The definitions below are rather basic, but it gives a

general idea that classes 1 and 2 are more important for water conservation for example

and should not contain intensive plantation agriculture.

The watershed classification is coordinated by an ONEP master plan, where DNP and RTFD

are responsible for the protection of Class 1 and 2 watershed areas. According to DNP

Nakhon Si Thammarat, within the last two years there were cases of encroachment into

Class 1-2 watershed areas in the Trang and Krabi provinces involving 1,000 rai in total.


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Typically the encroachment involves rubber at higher elevations and oil palm in the

lowlands.

During the field visit we were unable to learn the watershed classifications of the different

streams and rivers in various smallholdings. The smallholders seemed less aware of this

classification. This is likely due to the fact that their plantations are generally located in

watershed zones 3-5 where most agricultural activities are permitted. Also, there are no

regulations on water protection and management in the smallholder agricultural sector

(as opposed to larger scale industry). We were able to obtain watershed classification

maps for Trang and Krabi Provinces (see Figures 10 and 11), however the Suratthani ONEP

office has not yet shared the shapefiles of watersheds in Suratthani province. This is

something to follow up on. It may also be useful to try and ascertain whether any of the

waterways in smallholdings may require some kind of additional protection or

management based on their slope or proximity to waterways.

Table 2 Watershed classification Source: Tangtham 1996 and consultation with National Parks

Department, NST

Classification Description

1A Protected forest, head waters

1B Protected forest and head waters, but also some land use for

development possible (could have less forest cover)

2 Less steep slope, production forest, some economic activities

permitted (e.g. mining and dams)

3 Even gentler slopes, production forest, agricultural plantations, most

activities permitted

4 Very gentle to flat slope, agriculture use, soil and water management

activities

5 Often sites for rice paddy fields, community water use, very little

forest cover


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Figure 4 Illustration of watershed classifications. Source: Tangtham 1996

3.3 Forest and protected areas

FAO estimates the total forested area in Thailand in 2009 at 16.8 million ha (32.7%). The

country experienced a period of widespread deforestation between the 1960s and 1990s

when it lost about 10 million ha of forests (Colchester & Fay 2007). In 1989, as a response

to widespread floods, landslides and public protest, the government imposed a logging

ban and adopted a policy classifying 25% of the country as conservation forest and 15% as

production forest (Colchester & Fay 2007). Forest cover decline in Thailand has generally

stabilised in the last few decades (Woods et al. 2011) but the deforestation rate has been

about 63,000 ha per year since 2000, or higher than in the 1990s (FAO 2009). There are

two main types of forests in Thailand – evergreen forest and deciduous forest – which are

further sub-divided into different forest types, summarised below.

Evergreen forest is subdivided into tropical evergreen forest, pine forest, mangrove forest

and beach forest:

Tropical evergreen forest is found all over the moist part of the country. This

type of forest is also subdivided into the tropical rain forest, the semi-evergreen

forest and the hill evergreen forest.

Tropical rain forest is characterised by rich flora and dense undergrowth.

This type of forest is commonly found in the Southern and the Eastern

regions where rainfall is above 2,000 mm. It is also found along rivers

and/or in valleys in other parts of the country.

Semi-evergreen forest is scattered all over the country where the rainfall

is between 1,000-2,000 mm.

Hill evergreen forest is found on the highlands (above 1,000 m above sea

level) where the climatic condition is the humid subtropical type.

Mangrove forests occur along the coastal areas of the Eastern, Central and

Southern regions. The mangrove forest is scattered along the estuaries of rivers


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and seashores where the soil is muddy and influenced by the tide. Beach forests

occur along the sandy coastal plains especially in the eastern coast of the

Southern region.

Deciduous forest is characterised by the presence of deciduous tree species and is

commonly found throughout the country. It is broadly subdivided according to the species

composition into the mixed deciduous forest (with and without teak) and the dry

dipterocarp forest.

Box 1 Forest types in Thailand - adapted from FAO 2009

Since the introduction of the National Park Act in 1961, protected area cover in Thailand

has expanded rapidly to 11.3 million ha equivalent to about 17 percent of the country’s

total land area (FAO 2009). The protected area system consists of 227 sites comprising

national parks, wildlife sanctuaries or local government-controlled forest parks, wildlife

sanctuaries, no-hunting areas (mostly private lands), botanical gardens and arboretums

that are under the control of the DNP (FAO, 2009). Thailand has set a target to have 25

percent of the country’s total land area as protected areas.

4 Site visit

4.1 Description of assessment area

4.1.1 Krabi

Krabi province has a population of 432,704 and a land area of 470,085 ha. Krabi has a

tropical monsoon climate, which is influenced by the northeast and southwest monsoon

winds which cause heavy rainfall during August to October with an annual average of

2,100 mm. The temperatures range from 22.8˚C to 32.2˚C. The province is divided into

eight districts: Ao Luek, Khao Phanom, Khlong Thom, Ko Lanta, Lam Thap, Mueang Krabi,

Nuea Khlong and Plai Phraya. The main livelihood activities of its people are small-scale

fishing along the coastline and cultivation of oil palm and rubber.

According to statistics from the Office of Agricultural Economics (2014) oil palm is the

principle crop in Krabi. In 2011, 157,645 ha was planted with oil palm and 99,543 ha were

planted with rubber. The remaining agricultural land is accounted for by other crops which

include coconut, fruit trees, coffee, and rice (WWF 2008). Based on an inventory

conducted in 2003, a total area of 136,852 ha of forest remained in the province, which is

approximately 24% of the provincial area (WWF 2008), however the forest area has no

doubt reduced in the past decade.

The ONEP office in Krabi reiterated what was already known from the literature review

regarding the land cover in the province, i.e. that essentially all natural areas (forests,

wetlands) in the lowlands have been converted to oil palm and rubber. Field observations

(visits to smallholdings, visual assessment of landscape from high vantage points) provided

further evidence that there is very limited scope of HCVs 1-3 being present outside of

existing or proposed protected areas.


19

4.1.2 Trang

Trang province, located on the western coast with a 160 km coastline facing the Andaman

Sea, has a land area of 491,750 ha and a population of 633,659 people. Trang is impacted

by the northeast and southwest monsoons, which generate heavy rainfall throughout the

year, but mostly during August to October. The average annual rainfall is 2,150 mm with a

temperature between 22.6°C to 32.8°C. The province is subdivided into 10 districts: Hat

Samran, Huai Yot, Kantang, Mueang Trang, Na Yong, Palian, Ratsada, Sikao, Wang Wiset

and Yan Ta Khao. According to 2011 data from the Office of Agricultural Economics (2014)

rubber is the principle crop in this province with approximately 221,346 ha, with oil palm

following at 24,750 ha.

4.1.3 Suratthani

The province of Suratthani is located on the east coast of the Isthmus of Kra facing the

Gulf of Thailand. It is the largest of the southern provinces, with a land area of 1,289,150

ha. It has a population of 1,000,383 people. Temperatures are fairly stable throughout the

year, although the pre-monsoon months (March–May) are somewhat hotter. There is a

short dry season from January to April, followed by the wet season that lasts from May to

December. The average annual rainfall is 1,830 mm with heaviest rains occuring between

October and December. There are 19 districts in the province: Ban Na Doem, Ban Na San,

Ban Ta Khun, Chai Buri, Chaiya, Don Sak, Kanchanadit, Khian Sa, Khiri Rat Nikhom, Ko Pha-

ngan, Ko Samui, Phanom, Phrasaeng, Phunphin, Tha Chana, Tha Chang, Vibhavadi and

Wiang Sa.

Though rubber is the principle crop with approximately 307,471 ha, according to 2011

data from the Office of Agricultural Economics (2014), Suratthani now boasts the largest

area of oil palm plantings in Thailand at approximately 164,499 ha.

A key conservation issue in Krabi, according to ONEP, is forest conversion to agriculture

particularly oil palm and rubber. The same issue also occurs in Suratthani where peat

swamps are also impacted, as highlighted by the provincial RTFD office. The RTFD office in

Nakhon Si Thammarat also mentioned that forest conversion is a serious issue in these

two provinces, but observed that rubber is a more significant driver of deforestation

compared to oil palm. According to the RTFD Nakhon Si Thammarat, both protected areas

under DNP and forest reserves under RTFD are threatened by land conversion. The DNP

office at Nakhon Si Thammarat (which also oversees protected areas in Krabi and Trang)

noted that there were many issues involving oil palm and rubber encroaching into

forested areas.

Left: image 2 View of landscape

covered with a patchwork of oil

palm and rubber, with some forest

visible on distant hilltops

Photo: Proforest

Right: image 3 View from Tai Rom

Yen National Park, again rubber

dominates the landscape except

for the limestone outcroppings

visible in the distance

Photo: Proforest


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4.2 Patum Veg and the smallholder supply base

Patum Vegetable Oil Co. Ltd. (Patum Veg), founded in 1975, is one of the leading refineries

of vegetable oil (palm and coconut) in Thailand. In 2006, Patum Veg entered the energy

sector by establishing their first biodiesel plant. Currently, Patum Veg supplies Shell with

biodiesel. Patum Veg is RSPO certified for their supply chain and they are now promoting

RSPO certification for the mills and supply base. Patum Veg sources its palm oil (FFB) from

approximately 1,800 smallholders in Krabi, Trang and Suratthani provinces. Their project

aims to work with eight palm oil mills in Chumporn, Suratthani, Nakon Si Thammarat,

Krabi and Trang provinces4. After the selection of the project partners, there are six

companies with nine mills actively participating in the project.

One of the requirements to achieve RSPO certification, is to ensure that any HCVs have

been identified and are well-managed and maintained over time. Patum Veg and its

suppliers (mills) have already made considerable progress towards identifying potential

HCVs in smallholder plots. During our visit, we met with six project partner teams from

nine mills sourcing from approximately 1,800 smallholders. Teams affiliated with the nine

different mills conducted mapping of all smallholder plots and preliminary HCV

assessments of smallholdings.

The mills are the key partners as Patum Veg moves towards RSPO certification and they

serve as facilitators of farmers’ group. It is similar to the role of a group manager i.e.

assessing preliminary qualification of group members, facilitating group meetings and

trainings, developing group database etc. These teams received a brief (2-day) training on

HCVs in 2013. During the field visit, each of the mapping teams presented an overview of

the smallholder plots in each group with a focus on potential HCVs. Initial discussions and

question-answer sessions followed the presentations. Subsequently, visits were made to

11 different smallholder plots across three provinces to see potential HCV sites and

resources and to discuss their identification and management with small holders and mill

representatives.

Table 3 Quick facts on smallholder groups visited during field work (estimate from Patum Veg)

4 1) KFF 2) Srichareon Palm Oil 3) Trang Palm Oil 4) SPO 1 5) SPO 2 6) SPO 3 7) Southern Palm Oil

8) Thai Tallow 1 (Bangsawan sub-district) and 9) Thai Tallow 2 (Sai Khueng sub-district)


21

4.3 Mapping of smallholder plots

As mentioned above, considerable effort has been made by the mapping teams. During

our visit we were able to access geospatial files from all the groups. However, there were

also some challenges encountered with data formats and consistency that leads us to

recommend that the groups receive some additional training in the use of Google Earth

and other geographic software (e.g. ArcGIS) and that they harmonize their data labels,

formats, etc. to facilitate sharing in the future and so that as the mills proceeds towards

certification, it will be easier to collect and maintain the geographic data base of all

smallholders. This in turn will make future map production more streamlined. The figures

below provide an illustration of the kind of geospatial information available in the

different groups. There is valuable information available, but some additional filtering of

the HCVs is needed and then a harmonisation of symbols and labels. Ideally, each group

would be able to show all their smallholder locations and then to differentiate the location

of plots containing HCVs with a different symbol. At this point we treat all of the plots

generally (because we cannot distinguish potential HCVs) and on Proforest maps all plots

from all groups are represented as red dots.

Figure 5 Zoomed in Google Earth image of smallholder plots in Krabi province. Red polygons are

smallholder plots, yellow pins are also placed on all plots as are labels of farmer names (Thai). It is

evident that the area is heavily influenced by small-scale agriculture. In the far right of the image –

there is a mountainous protected area with forest cover.


22

Figure 6 Zoomed in Google Earth image of smallholder plots in Trang province. Plots are represented

by yellow pins, trees and flags (classification unknown) - also placed on all plots as are labels of

farmer names (Thai). It is evident that the area is heavily influenced by small-scale agriculture.


23

Figure 7 Zoomed in Google Earth image of smallholder plots in Suratthani province. Plots are

represented by yellow outlines and red pins - also placed on all plots as are labels of farmer names

(Thai). It is evident that the area is heavily influenced by small-scale agriculture. This view shows that

several plots are close to the river running through the middle of the image.


24

4.4 Visits to potential HCVs sites

During the field work, 11 different smallholdings were visited in three provinces (see

figure 8).

Figure 8 Location of smallholder plots visited in Krabi, Trang and Suratthani

The table below provides an overview of the potential HCV and the Proforest evaluation

as to whether an HCV is indeed present, absent or recommendations for more

information.

Table 4 Summary of potential HCV sites visited by the Proforest team

Group,

Province

Description of potential

HCV Proforest evaluation of potential HCV

Srichareon

Palm Oil,

Krabi

HCV 1: Paa Khoa Kaew Forest

Reserve. A smallholder plot has

encroached on forest land up

the side of a hill (see image 4)

HCV 1 present: the national forest

qualifies as HCV 1, therefore

encroachment on the forest by the

smallholder plot is having a negative

impact on the HCV

Srichareon

Palm Oil,

Krabi

HCV 3: Cave (see image 5)

HCV 1 potentially present if there are any

rare, threatened or endangered species

living at the site. However, because palm

cultivation will not occur at the actual cave

site, it is very unlikely that any potential

HCV would be directly affected by

smallholder activities. The site could

potentially be HCV 3 because limestone

karst formations with natural vegetation

are rare ecosystems. However, it was

Image 4 Oil palm encroaching on

Paa Khoa Kaew Forest Reserve

Photo: Proforest


25

impossible to observe the vegetation

quality as the height and steepness of the

site makes it inaccessible.

Srichareon

Palm Oil,

Krabi

HCV 4: Stream flowing from

forested headwater area

Potentially Present: Smallholder plot

borders a community forest reserve which

harbours the source of a stream – which

also borders the plot. Though the plot

itself does not contain an HCV, the

community forest reserve could

potentially qualify as HCV 4. According to

discussion with farmers, the steam is used

for bathing and household needs (but not

drinking). More information is needed on

the importance of this water source for

the communities.

Srichareon

Palm Oil,

Krabi

HCV 1: Endemic tree species

HCV Absent: The group identified a native

tree which they believe to be endemic to

Southern Thailand. However, a single tree

does not qualify as a “concentration” of

species.

Trang

Palm Oil,

Trang

HCV 1: Smallholder plot near

the border of a forest reserve

HCV 1 Absent: no evidence of

encroachment into the forest reserve. The

forest reserve itself is an HCV 1, but there

is not an HCV in the smallholder plot.

Trang

Palm Oil,

Trang

HCV 4&5: river water is used by

local communities for washing

and bathing (not drinking).

Some fishing for household

consumption. Stream flows

into Trang river

Potentially Present: need more

information about degree to which people

use water resources and downstream

values

SPO,

Suratthani

HCV 4: River used for irrigation

and household needs (e.g.

cleaning). Mangroves and

small-scale fisheries located

downstream

Potentially Present: need more

information about degree to which people

use water resources and downstream

values

Southern

Palm Oil,

Suratthani

HCV 4: Plot on tributary of the

Tapi river, used for fishing

Potentially Present: Tapi River is likely to

be HCV – but more information is needed

on the degree to which people rely on the

fishing resources

Thai

Tallow,

Suratthani

HCV 6: Natural (regenerating)

vegetation on site of former

temple. Foundation stones

visible (see image 9)

HCV 6 present: It was clear from our visit

and consultation that the site holds

cultural value

Thai

Tallow,

Suratthani

HCV 6: Clump of trees (natural

vegetation) where offerings are

made (see image 10)

HCV 6 present: According to discussions

with land owner and mapping teams (and

observation) offerings are made at this


26

site

Thai

Tallow,

Suratthani

HCV 4: Plot bordering river with

significant erosion (see image

7)

HCV 4 absent: The river might have HCV

value, but the plot itself does not qualify

as HCV. If anything, the smallholder

farming practices are causing harm (e.g

sedimentation and chemical run-off) to

the river

Based on the smallholder group’s limited experience with HCV, according to FIO there was

a 2-day training conducted on the topic, it is promising to see that the mapping teams

have erred on the side of caution in their designation of potential HCVs. In other words, it

appears very likely that the number of potential HCVs is over-estimated and that once the

smallholder groups are able to do some further refinement of their HCV analysis, the

number of potential HCVs will be reduced. This should therefore simplify future

management. To give an idea, most groups identified approximately 20 potential HCVs out

of all their smallholdings. Of those, most are classified as HCV 4 because they are near a

waterway. Many of those will be changed after the smallholders acquire some more

information and ask some more detailed questions (see recommendations section). Good

water management practices will be sufficient in most cases. Only in cases of exceptional

or critical values will additional safeguards be needed around waterways (e.g. larger

buffer zone).

4.5 Interviews with stakeholders

A considerable amount of effort was made by the Proforest team to identify, make

contact and communicate with the relevant stakeholders and resource people for the HCV

scoping study. In the case of government stakeholders, it was not possible to arrange

meetings with all the relevant agencies due to time and other constraints (including the

restricted access to some government offices due to on-going public protests by the

opposition). Where civil society is concerned, most of the large international

environmental NGOs such as WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature) and the Wildlife

Conservation Society do not have active projects in the three provinces and therefore

were unable to provide much information. The Thailand office of Wetlands International

used to be very active in southern Thailand, especially in Krabi Province and their website

listed several projects in the area. However, attempts to contact them and their close

collaborators (Faisal Parish of GEC, pers. comm.) indicate that the Thailand office is no

longer operational. There was also a lack of useful information on relevant local

community-based organisations active in the three provinces.

5 Preliminary findings

The results of this HCV scoping study are presented so that interested parties may better

understand the HCVs present at the provincial and national scale, as well as the kinds of

HCVs most typically encountered at the local or smallholder plot level. The results are

presented for each of the six HCV categories and then further broken down by scale into

provincial or regional (Southern Thailand) and local-level findings. By their very definitions,

HCVs 1, 2 and 3 tend to be more relevant at a larger scale such as a country or a

biogeographic unit. Whereas HCVs 4, 5 and 6 are more focused on critical services,

Image X.Y Limestone outcropping

and cave

Photo: Proforest

Image 5 Limestone cave bordering a

palm smallholding

Photo: Proforest


27

resources and sites that are used by people at a local level. Figure 9 shows the location of

smallholder plots in relation to conservation areas (namely national parks, wildlife

sanctuaries and forest reserves). Unfortunately, it does appear that several smallholder

plots overlap with forest reserves. However, this is likely to due to changes in the

classification of certain forest reserves (i.e. some forest reserves have been declassified

and entered the agriculture domain). During the field visit, mapping teams were aware

of plots which were potentially encroaching on forest reserves, and it was only an

exceptional few. See Section 5.1.1 under forest reserves for more information. This will

need to be followed up on with the Forestry Department in the different provinces.

Figures 10 and 11 show zoomed-in maps of Krabi and Trang provinces with a view of

protected areas, sensitive watershed zones 1 and 2 (often overlapping with protected

areas) and forest reserves.

Figure 9 Location of smallholder plots in relation to conservation priority areas.


28

Figure 10 Zoomed-in area of Trang province showing protected areas and sensitive watershed zones

overlaid with smallholder plots. The overlap of smallholder plots with forest reserves is likely to be

due to outdated shapefiles or changed classification, rather than widespread encroachment by

smallholders.


29

Figure 11 Zoomed-in area of Krabi province showing protected areas and sensitive watershed zones

overlaid with smallholder plots. The overlap of smallholder plots with forest reserves is likely to be

due to outdated shapefiles or changed classification, rather than widespread encroachment by

smallholders.


30

5.1 HCV 1: Biodiversity

HCV 1 covers significant concentrations of biodiversity, recognized as unique or

outstanding:

in comparison with other areas (within the same country for example, or in

comparison with biogeographical units of corresponding size, or

on the basis of priority frameworks or through field assessments and consultations.

Any area that contains significant concentrations of HCV 1 species (rare, threatened or

endangered (RTE) or endemic), or which contains habitat critical to the survival of these

species will be an HCV area. It does not mean that any sighting or recorded presence of a

single RTE species would qualify as HCV, only where the concentration of species is

globally, regionally or nationally significant. For species sightings which would not be

considered HCV according to the definition, can still be protected under other

environmental management principles.

5.1.1 Protected areas

It may be assumed that protected areas harbour significant concentrations of biodiversity

values. Without further information as to the quality of flora and fauna present in a

protected area, under the precautionary approach, a protected area (as defined by IUCN

or national governments) would be considered an HCV 1.

In Krabi, Suratthani and Trang provinces, there are 20 protected areas comprising 13

national parks, 4 wildlife sanctuaries and 3 non-hunting areas (see Appendix 1 for the

annotated list). All of these protected areas are HCVs.

In Trang and Krabi, there are some areas in the process of being gazetted as protected

areas – either to be incorporated into existing protected areas (for proposed areas that

are contiguous with existing protected areas) or as new non-hunting areas, in the case of

smaller, isolated areas.

There is no UNESCO World Heritage Site in the assessment area although there is an effort

to nominate the Andaman Bioregion which is a diverse ecosystem with six distinct

ecoregions, including coastal areas of Krabi and Trang, incorporating 17 marine national

parks, 1 non-hunting area and 1 biosphere reserve.

Forest Reserves

Reserved forests (see figure 9 for map) are managed by RTFD and can be categorised into

different zones: conservation zone (C), economic zone (E) and agricultural zone (A). The

forest reserve classification is aligned to watershed zones (see table 3). Zone E includes

areas that have been cleared in the past and are now degraded or secondary forests.

Zones E & A are under the purview of the Ministry of Agriculture. In principal, the

management of forest areas under Zones E & A should be returned to the RTFD. There are

currently no regulations or guidelines concerning buffer zones for forest reserves (RTFD

Nakhon Si Thammarat). During the scoping study, we observed cultivation of oil palm and

rubber right up to the boundary lines of reserves.

There are some oil palm and rubber smallholdings within forest reserves for which land

permits have been issued (RTFD Suratthani). Cultivated land under these permits may not

be sold and can only be used for agriculture. These permits were issued only for land

cultivated by smallholders before 1998 and no new permits have been issued in recent

times. What this means for HCV assessors and those pursuing RSPO certification is that it


31

is possible that some instances, which may look like illegal encroachment, may indeed be

sanctioned by a legal land permit. Therefore, if a smallholding is on what appears to be

forest reserve land, and they cleared that land before 1998 they may be legally entitled to

cultivate there. If however, clearing happened after 1998, it is likely that illegal

encroachment is occurring. This will need to be confirmed with RTFD on a case by case

basis.

According to ONEP Krabi, there is no regulation on the altitudinal limit for growing oil

palm as the main consideration is the presence of a legal land title. This is becoming a

critical issue as oil palm cultivation is creeping up hill slopes, usually involving

deforestation. By law, all smallholders should have land titles which are issued by the

Department of Land and, according to ONEP Krabi, it is now not possible or very difficult

to get new land titles for forested areas. Of course, this does not completely protect forest

areas and there is encroachment of oil palm smallholding into forest reserves (personal

communication with RTFD Krabi corroborated by field observations in Krabi and

Suratthani). In some cases, the government has taken action to recover land illegally

cleared for oil palm (ONEP Krabi).

Priority conservation areas

In addition to legal protected areas, global conservation priority sites such as Key

Biodiversity Areas KBAs (including e.g. Important Bird Areas - IBA) are also strong

indicators of the potential presence of HCV 1. A number of sites have been designated as

IBAs in the three provinces as listed in Appendix 2.

According to the Thai directory of IBAs (Pimathi

et al. 2004), Khao Nor Chuchi is the most

important site in Thailand for conservation of

the bird community characteristic of lowland

evergreen forest in the peninsula. The site

supports one of the richest recorded lowland

evergreen forest avifaunas of any site in the

country, with over 90 species restricted to the

Sundaic Lowland Forests. Of greatest

significance, the site supports the last known

population of the globally critical Gurney's Pitta

Pitta gurneyi in Thailand. The species is endemic

to peninsular Thailand and adjacent areas of

Myanmar, and “…the population has declined to

just 10 to 13 pairs, as a result of clearance of

level lowland forest.” Figure 12 shows the

locations of IBAs in southern Thailand (see

Appendix 2 for more details on location and

description).

Figure 12 Important Bird Areas in southern Thailand (Source: Birdlife International)


32

Table 5 Internationally important wetland areas in study area. Refer to Figure 13.

Number Name Province

33 Wetland in Khao Sok National Park Suratthani

36 Wetlands in Nong Tung Thong Wildlife Sanctuary Suratthani

38 Tapi river Suratthani

44 Hat Nooparat Thara - Mu Ko Phi Phi Important Bird Area Krabi

45 Hat Chao Mai National Park, Important Bird Area, Ramsar Trang

46 Ko Libong Non Hunting Area, Important Bird Area, Ramsar Trang

49 Mu Koh Ang Thong Marine National Park and Ramsar Suratthani

50 Ko Lanta - Marine National Park Krabi

53 Krabi Estuary Ramsar site Krabi

54 Trang Estuary Ramsar site Krabi

56 Palian Lang-ngu Important Bird Area Satun, Trang

58 Ao Bandon Important Bird Area Surat Thani


33

Figure 13 Map of internationally important wetland areas, including National Parks, Important Bird

Areas and Ramsar sites. Table 5 provides the key for numbers on the map.

RTE and endemic species

During the desk-based review, attention was given to selected taxonomic groups (taxa)

based on leads provided from other literature. This search revealed a significant number

of RTE species encompassing a wide range of taxa. Appendix 3 provides a selected list of

RTE species and where they occur within the assessment area. In addition, a list of

endemic plants of Thailand included in an FAO report (Thitiprasert et al. 2007) indicates

that there are 28 plants endemic to at least one of the three provinces of Krabi, Trang and

Suratthani. The Royal Decree on Protected Plant Species (1987) provides legal protection

for 158 common plants and 13 special plants. In the case of wild animals, the Wildlife

Animal Protection and Reservation Act (1992) lists 15 reserved (totally protected) species

and 500-600 species that are protected but are allowed to be kept and bred. Provisions

for the gazettement of wildlife sanctuaries are also included in this Act.

As mentioned above, there needs to be a significant concentration of RTE or endemic

species in order to trigger a HCV 1 designation. During the scoping study, we learned that

some groups have provisionally assigned HCV 1 status to a single tree. This would not

qualify as HCV 1. During consultation with the RTFD, we learned that a list of protected

tree species is available and that single trees are not considered of important conservation

value, but if there were a larger clump of patch of RTE or endemic trees (>10) they would


34

consider this more important. If smallholders find one of the protected species on their

land, in principle permission is needed from RTFD if farmers want to cut protected trees.

According to RTFD Nakhon Si Thammarat, some farmers know the protected tree species

but not all of them. Permission to cut protected trees is given on a case-by-case basis –

larger tree stands are not allowed to be cut – however there were no details given on an

official minimum patch size for conservation.

Where species data are sparse or lacking, habitat quality can serve as a proxy for

biodiversity. In terms of features which may support temporal concentrations of

biodiversity, limestone karst outcroppings have been suggested to act as refugia for forest

species in deforested regions. Limestone outcroppings would therefore be sites of

potential HCV 1 species and could also qualify as HCV 3 – rare, threatened or endangered

ecosystems, habitat or refugia.

In addition to terrestrial habitat, freshwater and marine habitats are also important for

RTE and endemic species. There is significant overlap with HCV 3 (rare ecosystems) – but

here we are concerned with important species which may be present in aquatic

ecosystems. For example mangroves are known to harbour RTE species – therefore a

mangrove area is likely to harbour HCV 1 species and should be assumed to do so unless a

species inventory proves otherwise. Rivers and streams can also qualify as HCV 1 sites if

they harbour RTE or endemic species. For example, it seems very likely that the Tapi River

contains HCVs as it is important for the maintenance of mangroves, a protected swamp

area (Nong Tung Tong Non-Hunting Area) and harbours at least two endemic fish species.

5.2 HCV 2: Landscape-level ecosystems

HCV 2 includes ecosystems and ecosystem mosaics that are sufficiently large and relatively

undisturbed enough to support viable populations of the great majority of the naturally

occurring species and (implicitly) the great majority of other environmental values

occurring in such ecosystems.

As observed in the Proforest (2008) HCV assessment report for a smallholder dominated

landscape in Krabi: “Remaining forest cover is highly fragmented throughout the

landscape. The only large contiguous block of forest cover in the landscape is

approximately 200 km2 (the contiguous areas within Khao Phanom Bencha National Park

and the Khlong Phraya Wildlife Sanctuary), and is confined to the steeper hill slopes and

ridges of the mountain range. Other forested areas consist of the small and isolated blocks

of forest atop the limestone karst formations dotted throughout the landscape. There are

two much larger areas in the wider region of the Isthmus of Kra which support similar

forest types (Khao Sok/Khlong Phanom and Nakhon Si Thammarat range National Parks).

These areas have higher conservation value in this sense as they are more likely to have

viable populations of species needing large, intact forest areas”. There is limited

connectivity between protected areas or between limestone outcroppings with natural

vegetation. Outside of the protected areas, there is very little natural vegetation which

would form a large (> 50,000 ha) contiguous area of natural ecosystem or habitat. It is

therefore unlikely that HCV 2 is present in the provinces. Rather, it is more likely that any

values related to ecosystems and habitats or species distribution would be better suited to

HCV 1 and HCV 3 classification. HCV 2 is therefore not relevant for the specific case of

smallholders in Krabi, Trang and Suratthani provinces.


35

5.3 HCV 3: Rare ecosystems

HCV 3 includes ecosystems, habitats or refugia of special importance because of their

rarity or the level of threat that they face or their rare or unique species composition or

other characteristics. To define rare ecosystems, one must consider the presence of

similar ecosystems in the same biogeographic region and/or country.

As mentioned above, because most areas of lowland forest have been converted to

agriculture, there are few remaining areas of natural ecosystems. The most important

ecosystems identified during the scoping study are:

Limestone outcrops

Limestone karst formations and their associated forest habitats are a significant

ecosystem within southern Thailand as they are known to support an array of endemic

and near-endemic plant and animal species – including at least 34 species of ferns, 28

species of flowering plants, two rodents and seven fish species, as well as a large number

of land snails (World Bank 2004 cited in Proforest 2009). For limestone habitats, rare,

threatened and endangered species are usually herbaceous flora, snails and other

invertebrates that are sometimes restricted to a single hill where they can persist for a

long time if there is no disturbance. The role of the remaining limestone hills is critically

important considering that more than 20% of limestone karsts in Thailand have already

been quarried (Latinne et al. 2011). For example, limestone outcrops may serve as

effective resting and feeding points for migrant birds between forest patches (Proforest

2008).

Freshwater swamps

The floodplain vegetation of freshwater swamps in peninsular Thailand is among the most

threatened habitats as it is subjected to human disturbance from various agricultural

activities, especially rice fields, and para-rubber plantations. This ecosystem is not only

important in terms of biodiversity but also provides non-timber forest products for local

use and supports fisheries. A total of 160 species of vascular plants belonging to 129

genera in 60 families have been identified including Kailarsenia campanula (Rubiaceae)

which is found only on seasonally flooded areas and is considered to be rare and

threatened in Thailand; Premna annulata (Lamiaceae), a woody climber which is endemic

to Thailand; and Tamilnadia uliginosa, a rare small tree from the coffee family (Rubiaceae)

(Pattarakulpisutti 2011). Only a few remnant patches of natural freshwater swamp

vegetation are left in floodplain areas of the Trang River basin and almost none of this

area has been included in a protected area (Pattarakulpisutti & Sridith 2011). During our

visits to smallholder plots and discussions with farmer groups, we did not find any

evidence of oil palm cultivation in freshwater swamps, but this should be maintained for

any future expansion.

Peat swamps

Within southeast Asia, the total land area of tropical peat swamps is estimated to

be 25.1 million ha of which only 56,475 ha is in Thailand, accounting for a mere

0.2% of the total for southeast Asia (Yoshino et al. 2010). Of the existing peat

swamp forest almost 20% of the tropical peat swamp area of Thailand is poorly

vegetated or bare land (Yoshino et al. 2010). Practically all of the peat swamp

forest in Thailand is found in two provinces, Narathiwat and Nakhon Si

Thammarat, accounting for about 86 % of the country’s peatland resource

(Nagano et al. 2013). According to the desk-based study, there is at least one


36

peat swamp area located in Trang Province. This site, known as the Jud peat

swamp, is located at an elevation of 15 m above sea level and is surrounded by

agricultural areas (Ngearnpat et al. 2008). Figure 14 below shows the general

location of the Jud peat swamp. However, during the field visit, it proved difficult

to find any remaining area of intact peat swamp near the site of the Jud peat

swamp. In the 3rd

Thailand national report to the Convention on Biodiversity

(ONEP 2009), the Kantuli swamp in Suratthani is mentioned as one of three

“original swamp forests which still prosper” and this site was also singled out by

the RTFD office in Suratthani in response to the question of whether there was

any potential HCV areas that remain unprotected in the province. According to

RTFD Suratthani, a canal has been dug around the wetlands to demarcate the

area and prevent conversion to oil palm.

Figure 14 Map showing location of the Jud peat swamp. Source: Ngearnpat et al. 2008.

The Thai government has a policy against conversion of peat swamps (RTFD Suratthani)

but is facing resource constraints in enforcing this policy. RTFD Suratthani does not have

precise data on peat swamps in the province but to their knowledge, there are no

extensive peat swamp areas in Suratthani and some of the remaining areas are located

within forest reserves. According to RTFD Nakhon Si Thammarat, only small areas of

natural wetlands remain in Trang Province but they do not contain peat. These wetland


37

areas are small, very fragmented and unprotected. According to DNP Nakhon Si

Thammarat, the total peat swamp area in Krabi Province is about 4,000 - 5,000 rai.

The SPO group did mention the presence of a 100 rai peat swamp in Sichon, Nakhon Si

Thammarat province in one of the smallholder plots, but we were not able to visit this

site. Further investigation is needed to determine if there could be a peat swamp remnant

at risk of being drained or converted, though it seems possible the peat swamp is already

converted.

Lowland forests

Given the past high deforestation rates and the increasing area under cultivation, lowland

forests with natural species composition are rare in the provinces (see Section 3.3). This

means that any significant area of good quality lowland forest would almost certainly

qualify as HCV 3 because the ecosystem has become so rare due to anthropogenic causes.

According to RTFD Nakhon Si Thammarat, there is still lowland forest left in Trang

including one patch of good quality forest of about 2,600 rai located between Tan Ta Khao

and Muang districts (near Trang airport). The DNP has set up an office there and is

planning to protect the area as a botanical reserve for educational purposes.

5.4 HCV 4: Critical ecosystem services

Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems, including provisioning

services such as food and water; regulating services such as regulation of floods, drought,

land degradation, and disease; cultural services such as recreational, spiritual, religious

and other nonmaterial benefits; and supporting services such as soil formation and

nutrient cycling; and cultural services such as recreational, spiritual, religious and other

nonmaterial benefits. According to the definition, such basic services become HCV 4 in

critical situations.

An ecosystem service is critical where a disruption of that service poses a threat of severe,

catastrophic or cumulative negative impacts on the welfare, health or survival of local

communities, on the functioning of important infrastructure (roads, dams, reservoirs,

hydroelectric schemes, irrigation systems, buildings, etc.), or on other HCVs.

Large scale watershed services

At the larger scale, most of the remaining forest on the hill slopes and peak of Khao

Phanom Bencha and the Khlong Phraya Wildlife Sanctuary are believed to perform a

watershed protection function for Krabi and Suratthani provinces (Proforest 2008). Other

large forested protected areas within the assessment area are likely to play the same role

for different towns and villages. In this sense, many of the protected areas which include

the forested mountain ranges and headwaters of rivers, play a role in providing HCV 4

services. Under the precautionary approach, we would assume that watershed areas 1A,

1B and 2 are HCV 4 areas. Many of these already overlap with national protected areas.

See figures 10 and 11 for important watersheds in Krabi and Trang provinces (watershed

shapefiles for Suratthani were not provided).

The Krabi Estuary Ramsar Site also appears to be particularly important for provisioning

services (fisheries), regulating services (coastal erosion prevention) and cultural services

(tourism is a major economic activity in the area). According to ONEP Krabi, there are

some impacts on the Krabi Estuary Ramsar site (predominantly mangrove areas) from the

oil palm activities upstream but they do not have data to support this view. RTFD


38

Suratthani has a similar concern about the impacts of upstream agricultural activities on

mangroves but pointed out that oil palm was not the only source of water-borne

pollution. According to consultation a representative of Raks Thai Foundation, some

farmers convert abandoned shrimp farms, which are supposed to be restored to

mangrove forests, to oil palm plantations. Most of these areas have issues of unclear land

ownership and land title. We did not see evidence of this during our visit, but any HCV

assessor should be cautious when evaluating such areas.

Water management at the smallholder plot level

The majority of the potential HCV sites identified by smallholders in Trang, Krabi and

Suratthani provinces are thought to contain HCV 4 – and specifically, provision of

freshwater. After discussions and farm visits, however, it is likely that most of these

smallholder plots do not actually contain HCV 4 themselves but that activities conducted

in the smallholding may impact upon HCV 4 which is provided by some of the rivers and

watercourses.

Rather than only considering the section of river which borders a smallholding, the

smallholders need to consider the different downstream users of the water source as well.

Specifically, whether downstream users rely on water for fishing, household needs, etc.

According to discussions during our visit, it appears that local villages do not use rivers and

streams for drinking water. However, this may not be the case everywhere.

But where resources or capacity may not permit a full survey of the watershed values,

following good practice for water management will protect the majority of HCV 4 services.

This means ensuring there is a suitable buffer zone (band of vegetation) left along rivers

and streams and that agro-chemicals are properly handled and disposed of.

The Tapi River in Suratthani (including the Tha Thong tributary), for instance, was

identified by many of the smallholders interviewed as being important for the livelihood

of local communities, particularly for fisheries resources. According to the Thailand

Country Report for the Asian Wetlands Directory by Wetlands International (Jintanugool

and Round 1989), the estuarine delta formed by the Tapi and at least nine other smaller

rivers (e.g. Ao Bandon or Bandon Bay), is the largest estuarine and mangrove inlet on

Thailand’s east coast of the Thai-Malay peninsula, and is backed up inland to a distance of

2 km by shrimp ponds and degraded mangroves. The directory noted that the fishery at

Bandon Bay is of immense importance and the remaining mangroves are probably

essential in maintaining its productivity. The Bandon bay is also believed to be a major

wintering and or/staging area for migratory shorebirds, including seven species of herons.

The Tapi River itself (jointly with the Nong Tung Tong Non-Hunting Area) is included in the

Thai wetlands directory, and of particular interest is the complex of swamps and

grasslands along the Tapi River including the Non Tung Tong and Nong Tung Ka swamps.

Had Chao Mai National Park and the Ko Libong Non-Hunting Area in Trang Province are

located downstream of the Trang River (Mae Nam Trang). According to Jintanugool &

Round, 1989), both inshore and offshore fisheries (mainly mudflat invertebrates) around

these two protected areas are important on a local scale. Ko Libong has been identified as

one of the most important staging and wintering areas for shorebirds in Thailand, with the

largest concentration of the bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) recorded in Thailand and

the Malay Peninsula combined.

According to ONEP Krabi, there are regulations in place for agricultural activities near

water courses with a buffer zone of up to 30 m from either side of the river for large rivers

Image 7 Severe erosion in a

smallholder plot

Photo: Proforest

Image 6 River running through

palm smallholding

Photo: Proforest


39

and smaller buffer zone for tributaries and canals. However, there are conflicting laws

enforced by different government agencies. These laws differ in the size of buffer zones

stipulated and even how the buffer zones are defined. In the smallholding group areas

visited by Proforest, it was observed that oil palms were frequently planted close to the

riverbanks and the edge of waterways.

Agricultural clearing which goes right to the edge of rivers and waterways can make the

banks more vulnerable to soil erosion. In some cases, soil erosion has resulted in the

collapse of riverbanks and the loss of oil palm trees (see image 7). Sedimentation caused

by erosion and pollution from agro-chemical run-off can threaten the services provided by

HCV 4 rivers, streams, and mangroves. Even man-made canals need to be managed for

HCVs if relevant. Any waterway, natural or man-made, that flows into larger waterways

crucial for ecosystem services must be managed according to good practices.

In the recommendations section, special attention is given to water management in oil

palm smallholdings.

5.5 HCV 5: Basic community needs

HCV 5 refers to sites and resources that are fundamental for satisfying the basic

necessities of local people. The role of the HCV assessment is to characterize the level of

dependence on the resource and to provide management recommendations for how to

mitigate negative impacts on local people’s livelihoods.

Based on the available information, it appears that most local communities are not highly

dependent on natural resources for their basic needs. Assuming that the smallholders

interviewed were representative of the wider set of local communities in the Krabi,-Trang-

Suratthani landscape, it appears that few if any of them are directly dependent on natural

resources from the remaining forest or natural wetland areas for their daily subsistence.

The smallholders do not regularly extract products or materials from the forests or

wetlands for their critical livelihood needs. Water abstracted from waterways that pass

through oil palm smallholdings is mainly used for washing and not for drinking, and as an

alternative to piped water supply which is widely available. Fishing activities in these

waterways appear to be recreational or supplementary to the daily nutritional needs

which are mainly bought from markets. However, this needs to be verified through

interviews with fishers. According to discussions with mill representatives, there are many

aquaculture areas downstream; this would need to be further investigated to understand

if sedimentation or agrochemical pollution could have any impact on these downstream

activities. It is likely that good water management (e.g. respecting buffer zones and

responsible handling of chemical) will be sufficient to prevent any negative impacts. There

were very few cases where mapping teams identified HCV 5 sites or resources. Instead,

most were identified as HCV 4 (waterways) which have an important link to HCV 5 values

(e.g. drinking water, fishing resources). Special attention is given in the recommendations

section on the importance of consultation with local communities whose resource use

may be impacted by oil palm cultivation by smallholders.

The community forestry approach implemented by the RTFD allows for local community

groups to directly manage a designated area and conduct activities such as ecotourism

and small-scale harvesting of non-timber forest products for food, medicine and

fuelwood. Logging and hunting activities are strictly prohibited. An example given by the

RTFD Suratthani is the Baan Toong Soon community forest in Ao Luk district in Krabi which

Image 8 Fishing net placed along

river in smallholding

Photo: Proforest


40

is famous for ecotourism, and is surrounded by oil palm smallholdings. Another example is

the Ban Tam Pueng community forest in Suratthani which has similar characteristics.

Community Forests would qualify as HCV 5 sites, though we did not see any direct

example during the discussions and site visits. It is not unusual to have local communities

engaged in both oil palm cultivation and ecotourism activities. We did not have access to

geospatial data on the location of community forests, but there are 77 in Trang province

alone. This would be useful information if it can be acquired from RTFD.

5.6 HCV 6: Cultural values

The definition of HCV 6 is extremely broad and it is useful to divide it into two different

categories: cultural values of global or national significance, and values critical for local

people at the site scale.

Sites, resources, habitats or landscapes which are significant at the global or national level

are likely to have widely recognised historical, religious or spiritual importance and in

many cases will have an official designation by national government or an international

agency like UNESCO. Occasionally, new sites or resources of extraordinary cultural

significance may be discovered through exploration of sites for development (e.g. ancient

burial sites or prehistoric cave art); these can qualify as HCV 6 based on expert and

stakeholder opinion, without an official designation.

National level cultural heritage

Much of the cultural values known to occur in natural areas within the three provinces are

concentrated in limestone caves. Some caves within the limestone karst systems at

Tharnbok Koranee National Park have historical and cultural significance (Proforest 2008).

Tham Phi Hua To in Tharnbok Koranee National Park is famous for its ancient petroglyphs

found on the cave walls. These paintings have been dated at 2000-3000 years old and

portray animals such as fish, dugong, shark and crocodile (Price 2011). Two pottery-

bearing sites in Krabi date to 6400 B.P. (Tham Sua) and 4400 B.P. (Khao Kanaab Nam), and

the earliest pottery-bearing cave sites from Suratthani are from ca. 6000-5000 B.P.

(Anderson 2005).There are likely to be more such sites as “…less than a dozen cave sites

(and even fewer open prehistoric sites) have been archaeologically tested or excavated.

Most of these are from… Phangnga, Krabi, Trang, Satun and Suratthani” (Anderson 2005).

The location of these archaeological sites is shown in below.


41

Figure 15 Map showing locations of archaeological sites in southern Thailand. Source: Anderson

2005.

Local-level cultural values

HCV 6 also represents areas of cultural significance that have traditional importance to

local or indigenous people. These may be religious or sacred sites, burial grounds or sites

at which traditional ceremonies take place.

Based on the findings from the site visits with smallholders, it is highly likely that HCV 6

sites are present in very localised, limited and dispersed areas within individual

smallholdings. Examples seen during the study include: an abandoned temple site, a grove

of trees where traditional offerings are made annually by the landowner, and spirit houses

located within oil palm smallholdings. HCV 6 sites are fairly straightforward for

identification and management. If an area is of cultural importance, even for just a family

or a village, it is considered HCV 6 and therefore should not be negatively impacted by oil

palm activities. The designation of HCV 6 could only be removed with the agreement of

those people who understand/assigned the value in the first place.

Image 9 Area of regenerating

vegetation in former temple site

Photo: Proforest Image 10 Site at the base of a tree

where local offerings are made

Photo: Proforest


42

Table 6 Summary table of potential HCVs in the three provinces

HCV Definition Provincial scale Smallholder plot scale

HCV 1

Concentrations of biological diversity including endemic species, and rare, threatened or endangered species, that are significant at global, regional or national levels.

Present: Protected areas (national parks, forest reserves), Important Bird Areas, Ramsar sites, Tapi River (endemic fish)

Likely absent: No evidence of HCV 1 at the smallholder plot level

HCV 2

Large landscape-level ecosystems and ecosystem mosaics that are significant at global, regional or national levels, and that contain viable populations of the great majority of the naturally occurring species in natural patterns of distribution and abundance.

Absent: High degree of fragmentation Not applicable

HCV 3 Rare, threatened, or endangered ecosystems, habitats or refugia.

Present: Limestone karst formations , fresh water swamps peat swamps (e.g. Kanthuli peat swamp in Ta Chana District, Suratthani), lowland forest of significant size

Likely absent: The limestone cave site visited in Krabi may be HCV but no species information is available

HCV 4

Basic ecosystem services in critical situations including protection of water catchments and control of erosion of vulnerable soils and slopes.

Present: Forested mountain ranges (mostly in protected areas) providing water for large towns and villages; Mangroves providing flood control and filtering services

Present: forest areas that protect steam heads used by local people. Some rivers and streams that provide critical services. Any areas critical for replenishment (spawning grounds) of fishing areas

HCV 5

Sites and resources fundamental for satisfying the basic necessities of local communities or indigenous peoples (for example for livelihoods, health, nutrition, water), identified through engagement with these communities or indigenous peoples.

Present: Community forests, if they are crucial for NTFP collection and/or revenue from ecotourism would be HCV 5

Likely absent: Though people use water resources for washing and bathing and practice fishing – it appears there are affordable alternatives and these sources are not critical. However, this should be determined on a case-by-case basis with people concerned

HCV 6

Sites, resources, habitats and landscapes of global or national cultural, archaeological or historical significance, and/or of critical cultural, ecological, economic or religious/sacred importance for the traditional cultures of local communities or indigenous peoples, identified through engagement with these local communities or indigenous peoples.

Present: petroglyphs found on cave walls in Tham Phi Hua To, Than Bokkhorani National Park, Pottery-bearing sites in Krabi (Khao Kanaab Nam) and Suratthani

Present: Spirit houses, trees where offerings are made, abandoned temple site


43

6 Recommendations

6.1 Targeted training for smallholders and mill

representatives

Mapping and geospatial data

It is highly commendable that mapping teams comprising members of the different

smallholder groups in the three provinces have organised themselves and conducted

preliminary mapping of potential HCV sites. However, there is a need to ensure that they

have the capacity to capture geospatial data in the correct format consistently and

effectively manage the data so that it can be used for analyses using geographical

information systems (GIS). It would be highly beneficial to Patum Veg and Shell if capacity

is built within these mapping groups through the provision of a tailor-made course that

capture the following elements:

Collecting geospatial data using GPS equipment, for example transferring and

storing data from GPS to computer. For example, the Trang team directly

connected GPS units with Google Earth when loading waypoints and therefore

don’t have a site on their computers where the individual waypoint information

is stored.

Introduction to basic mapping techniques and GIS

Use of Google Earth and other freely available or open source GIS software

Management of geospatial data (choosing the right file format, data labels,

electronic filing system, archiving, etc.)

HCV identification

In addition to building mapping capacity, it is recommended that a follow-up HCV training

is provided which is based on real examples from the smallholders’ experience. Ideally,

the training would help smallholders or the mill RSPO teams to filter their pool of potential

HCVs into a more refined group of HCVs with strong justifications for the HCV designation.

The mill teams have already received a 2-day classroom training from FIO and since then

they have applied the HCV approach in practice. Now it would be useful for those same

teams to build on their classroom training and field experience. This enhanced

understanding of the HCV concept will also help group leaders to evaluate new potential

smallholder group members – with the objective of avoiding risk to HCVs in the three

provinces. Section 6.2 presents the basic logic behind this approach.

Water resource management

Finally, as was recommended in the 2008 Proforest report, training in best practice for

water resource management is urgently needed for smallholders. Not only will it

contribute to HCV 4 conservation, but it will also help towards compliance the RSPO water

management requirements. RSPO is currently working on guidance regarding water

management. Oil palms that have already been planted in a buffer zone area do not need

to be removed, but the undergrowth of natural vegetation should be allowed to

regenerate in these areas and no chemicals should be applied. This is currently not the

case in the smallholdings visited, where undergrowth is cleared and chemicals are applied

to palm trees nearest to waterways.


44

6.2 Additional filtering of potential HCVs

As described above, the smallholder mapping teams have erred on the side of caution in

identifying potential HCVs – this is a positive finding! In most cases they seem to already

have a good basic understanding of HCVs as most of the potential HCV sites identified by

them were reasonable and there were even some that needed a significant amount of

investigation by the Proforest team before an opinion could be formed as to whether

HCVs were potentially present or not. A common feeling by people new to the HCV

approach is that they want to “find HCVs” and therefore in some cases people may be

disappointed to reduce the number of HCVs in their group. However, this should not be

the case. An HCV assessment will not necessarily identify a certain number of HCVs and

there may be some categories (from 1-6) which are totally absent in an area. It is

important to distinguish between general environmental values (e.g. clean water, wildlife

conservation) and HCVs which are exceptional or critically important values often

requiring additional safeguards; more familiarity with the HCV approach will help people

to make this distinction.

The smallholder mapping teams will benefit greatly from simple guidance documents or

decision-making tools such as the diagrams below, extracted from the Proforest HCV

guidance for smallholders (Rayden et al. n.d.) that prompt HCV assessors to ask key

questions before arriving to a conclusion with regard to the presence or absence of HCVs.

These tools need to be translated into the Thai language and accompanied with training

and local examples where appropriate to maximise ease of usage. There are some HCV

informational materials available in Thai. A brief brochure with the definition of the six

HCVs was produced by Patum Veg and a guidance document on HCV assessment was

produced by FIO.

The diagrams are below are schematic and meant to illustrate the kind of basic filtering

process that the teams and smallholders could use.

Key questions

Does the smallholding contain or share borders with natural forest areas or other natural

areas?


45

Does the smallholding contain or share borders with other natural habitats features? (e.g.

wetland areas)?

Does the smallholding contain any water courses or streams that provide local people

with water?

Do local people collect products or hunt in the smallholding?


46

Does the smallholding contain cultural or religious sites?

6.3 Need for stakeholder consultation

Due to limited time during the field visit Proforest was not able to meet with local

community groups or villagers concerning their use of natural resources. While most of

the smallholders are themselves local community members, their perception of HCVs and

the impacts of oil palm activities on HCVs may be influenced to a certain extent by their

desire to obtain RSPO certification for their oil palm smallholding. It is important that

smallholder mapping groups, mill representatives and HCV assessors make concerted

efforts to consult more with local communities especially those that may be impacted by

oil palm activities. According to the HCV 5 definition, values should be identified through

engagement with the local communities who rely upon such resources. This is particularly

important for any potential HCV 4 services such as water use and fishing.

6.4 Document HCV assessments

At present, there are no documented HCV assessment reports. It may not be necessary to

have a comprehensive and detailed set of reports, however it will likely prove valuable to

have some kind of record of how the assessments were done, who was consulted, maps

available, etc. We recommend that the mill groups decide on an HCV report template that

can be used for all groups. This could correspond to the simplified guidance suggested in

Section 6.2. This may serve useful during certification audits and routine follow up visits

over the years. It can also be useful if mapping or RSPO team members change over time.

Preliminary management recommendations

On the whole the oil palm smallholdings visited by the Proforest team appear to be well-

managed with the plot owners keen to improve their knowledge of HCVs and conform

with best management practices. Two critical smallholding management issues that are in

most urgent need for further improvement are:

Water management

Smallholdings adjacent to forest reserves and protected areas


47

6.4.1 Water management

With regard to river and waterway buffers, many of the smallholdings visited have oil

palms planted close to river banks and waterways, and in some cases right to the water’s

edge. This has resulted in soil erosion (including collapse of riverbanks in severe cases) and

increased risks of pollution from fertilisers and pesticides used by the smallholders. The

creation of river and waterway buffers and control of activities in these buffer areas is

critically important where there are HCVs located downstream, as in the case of

smallholdings that are located adjacent to or upstream of the Tapi River.

It could not be ascertained during the field visit if existing laws on river buffer

management are effectively enforced by the relevant authorities. Based on the

information gathered, it appears that there are overlapping laws with different definitions

of river buffers. Regardless of what is prescribed by these laws, the RSPO Principles &

Criteria (P&C) are very clear about the need to protect natural water courses. The

guidance for criterion 4.4 states that: “group members should maintain natural vegetation

and/or plant appropriate crops to maintain riparian buffer zones and to avoid the run-offs

of soil, nutrients or pesticides”.

For countries with an RSPO national interpretation, the width of buffer zone should be

based on national regulations while for countries without national interpretations, the

RSPO has provided the following generic guidance:

Table 7 Recommended buffer zones for waterways (Source: RSPO). Note: the width of the river

should be measured as the distance between either (1) opposite banks of a channelled river or (2)

one bank and the maximum extent of flooded areas (in the case of rivers without clear channels).

River width (m) Recommended buffer

zone width (m) on each

side of river

1-5 5

5-10 10

10-20 20

20-40 40

40-50 50

>50 100

Current practices to minimise erosion and chemical run-off by smallholders interviewed

include laying oil palm fronds at the edge of the watercourses in order to slow down

surface water and limiting the application of fertilisers only to the side of the oil palm base

facing away from the edge of the watercourse. The merits of these two practices

(especially the latter) are questionable and it would be best that the smallholders adhere

to the best management practices such as buffer zones. However, one challenge in

implementing this good practice approach is that smallholders are motivated to maximize

the area under cultivation. This leads them to plant in all possible areas – including right at

the river’s edge. A solution is needed to change the incentives for smallholders when it

comes to respecting waterway buffer zones. Any re-plantings should avoid these buffer

areas.


48

6.4.2 Smallholdings adjacent to forest reserves and protected areas

As the national land use zoning plan has yet to be completed and there are potential

overlaps between the land reform areas (as defined by the government) and forest

reserves/protected areas, there is a risk of encroachment of oil palm smallholdings into

forest reserves and protected areas. Incidents of such encroachment have been

highlighted by government officials interviewed during the field visit and have also been

directly observed by the Proforest team. The oil palm smallholders groups may wish to

exclude smallholder members who have encroached into reserved areas as this would

jeopardise their certification under RSPO.

Where the boundaries of forest reserves and protected areas have been clearly

demarcated, smallholders who cultivate oil palm adjacent to these reserved areas should

take extra measures to ensure that their activities do not impact negatively on HCVs

within these reserved areas. These measures include minimising the use of pesticides and

fertilisers, monitoring trespassers who may be using the smallholding to access reserved

areas (especially hunters or people removing protected plant species) – and reporting

these cases to government officers.

6.5 Future HCV assessments

As this HCV scoping study is aimed at providing a preliminary assessment at the landscape

level, future HCV assessments can be directed to more specific areas to identify HCVs at a

more local level. These HCV assessments should focus on gathering more information

from local communities other than smallholder group members as well as NGOs and CBOs

where relevant.

HCV Recommended additional information to be obtained

1 Request shapefiles of watershed classification zones for

Surrathani, shapefiles of Ramsar sites (if available), species

information for rivers and tributaries, follow up with Forestry

Department concerning apparent overlap of smallholder plots

and forest reserves

2 Not applicable

3 Any maps (or shapefiles) of freshwater swamps and peat

swamps, location and extent of remaining significant areas of

lowland forest

4 Better understanding of the services provided by natural

vegetation and waterways. Watershed classifications mapped

onto rivers potentially affected by oil palm smallholders. Water

quality analysis.

5 Surveys/discussions with local communities who use natural

resources which may be impacted by oil palm activities.

Shapefiles (or at least locations) of community forests.

6 Surveys/discussions with local communities who use natural

resources which may be impacted by oil palm activities

General Harmonized geospatial data from all mill mapping teams


49

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53

Appendices

Appendix 1: Provisional List of Protected Areas in Krabi, Trang

and Suratthani Provinces

Source: www.protectedplanet.net, www.wikipedia.org unless stated otherwise; Jintanugool (1988);

Jintanugool & Round (1989); Birdlife International (2004); WWF (2008)

Province Protected area (WDPA ID) Area (ha) Coordi-

nates

Notes

Suratthani Tai Rom Yen National Park (39517) 42,500 8⁰52’ N

99⁰27’E

Located east of the Suratthani Province.

Consists of the northern end of the Nakhon Si

Thammarat mountain range and is mostly

covered with forests.

Suratthani Khao Sok National Park (4006) 73,900 8⁰56’12 N

98⁰31’E

Includes the Chiao Lan reservoir dammed by

the Ratchaprapha dam. Comprises the largest

area of virgin forest in Southern Thailand.

Suratthani Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park

(4005)

10,200

(1,800ha

terrestrial)

9⁰37’ N

99⁰40’E

Marine national park in the Gulf of Thailand

comprising 42 islands.

Suratthani Kaeng Krung National Park (39513) 54,100 9°18′N

98°52′E

Located in the northwest of the province,

within the Phuket mountain range. Consists

of two mountain chains, with the highest

elevation the Khao Sung at 849 m above sea

level. The northern part drains via the Khlong

Sa toward the Lang Suan River, while the

south drains via the Khlong Yan to the Phum

Duang River.

Suratthani Khlong Phanom National Park

(312953)

41,040 8°52′N

98°42′E

Located in the southwest of the province,

within the Phuket mountain range.

Contiguous with the Khao Sok National Park

in the north, separated by highway 401.

Contiguous with the Tonpariwat Wildlife

Sanctuary to the southwest.

Suratthani,

Nakhon Si

Thammarat

Namtok Si Khid National Park

(312952)

14,500

Suratthani,

Nakhon Si

Thammarat

Hat Khanom – Mu Koh Thale Tai

National Park (313024)

73,900 9°13′N

99°51′E

In the process of establishment as of 2007.

Hat Khanom refers to beaches of Khanom

district, and Thale Tai archipelago consists of

8 islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Also includes

forested hills and mangrove forests.


54

Suratthani Than Sadet – Ko Pha Ngan Marine

National Park (317238)

6,593 9⁰45’N

100⁰4’E

Mostly on the island of Koh Pha Ngan. Khao

Ra is both the highest peak (727m asl) of the

park as well as of the whole island Pha Ngan.

Suratthani Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary1 115,500 Steep mountains dominate most of the

reserve. Only small patches of lowland

stretch along the valleys with some areas of

limestone crags. The land cover is mostly

evergreen forest and the southern part is

flooded by Ratch Prapa hydro-electric dam.

Suratthani Khlong Phraya Wildlife Sanctuary

(4015)

15,360 8⁰25’N

98⁰58’E

Located at the boundary of Suratthani and

Krabi Province. Originally covering 9,500ha in

Krabi Province and was enlarged by 5,860ha

to include parts of Suratthani Province.

Terrain is mostly mountainous and covered

with dense forests, but also some grassland.

Suratthani Nong Tung Tong Non-Hunting

Area2

2,960 8°44’-

8°54’N,

99°12’-

99°16’E.

Swamp area along the Tapi River.

Coordinates are for the Tapi River and Nong

Tung Tong Non-Hunting Area wetlands as

included in the Asian Wetlands Directory by

Wetlands International.

Krabi Khao Phanom Bencha National

Park (5068)

5,000 8⁰14’ N

98⁰54’E

Located 20km north of Krabi town. Highest

point is the peak of Khao Phanom Bencha

(1,397m), part of a mountain range running

north to south. Also contains a cave called

Khao Pheung. An extremely rare bird found

here is the endangered Gurney's Pitta.

Krabi Had Noppharat Thara – Mu Koh

Phi Phi Marine National Park

(12857)

38,996 7o53' N

98o50' E

Marine component is 32,600. Includes the

rocky mainland coast around Krabi town. The

islands of the Ko Phi Phi archipelago comprise

limestone extrusions with tall cliffs, fringed

by sandy beaches and surrounded by coral

reefs. Small areas of primary forest remain on

the steeper, less accessible island slopes.

There is a significant human population

within the national park. Freshwater Sawfish

Pristis microdon (CR)

Krabi Tharn Bok Khoranee/Than

Bokkhorani Marine National Park

(312954)

10,400

(3,700ha

terrestrial)

Set up mainly as a marine protected area

(covering several islands in the Krabi bay),

but also covers one of the larger chains of

linked limestone outcrops and some smaller

limestone hills. These outcrops have not

been well described from a biological point of

view but protect some unique cave paintings


55

(Proforest, 2009).

Krabi Klong Phraya Wildlife Sanctuary1 8,500 Mostly steep mountains covered by moist

evergreen forest. Most of lowlands along the

boundary have been extensively converted to

oil palm and other crops but some key

lowlands remain.

Krabi Khao Pra-Bang Khram Wildlife

Sanctuary2, 3

According to Aratrakorn et al. (2006): “Most

of the forest loss in the areas around Khao

Pra-Bang Khram has been caused by legal and

illegal conversion of forest to commercial

plantations of rubber and oil palm, largely

within the last 20 years. Most recent

clearances have been for oil palm planting,

although some new rubber plantations are

also being established.”

Krabi Thung Thale Non-hunting Area3 491

Trang Khao Pu – Khao Ya National Park

(7472)

69,400

Trang Ko Libong Non-Hunting Area2 3,400 7°12’-

7°22’N,

99°20’-

99°29’E

A large island comprising low-lying

mangroves fringed by mudflats and forested

hills, located 3.5km offshore.

Trang Had Chao Mai Marine National

Park (9805)

23,086 7°23′N

99°19′E

Appendix 2: Important Bird Areas

List of IBAs in Krabi, Suratthani and Trang. Source: BirdLife International (2004); Jintanugool 1988.

Province IBA site

(number)

Size

(ha)

Coordi-

nates

Protection

status

Habitats


56

Appendix 3: List of selected rare, threatened and endangered

species in Krabi, Suratthani and Trang Provinces, Thailand

Taxonomic group Species

Distribution Reference Notes

Surattha

ni

Ao Bandon

(TH041)

3,164 9⁰17’N

99⁰27’E

Unprotected Coastline

Krabi Hat

Nooparat

Thara - Mu

Ko Phi Phi

(TH047)

38,790 7⁰53’N

98⁰50’E

Protected Artificial landscapes (terrestrial); coastline; forest; rocky

areas

Krabi Na Muang

Krabi

(TH048)

11,400 7⁰57’N

98⁰51’E

Unprotected

(note: also a

Ramsar site)

Artificial landscapes (terrestrial); coastline

Krabi Khao Nor

Chuchi

(including

Khao Pra-

Bang Khram

Wildlife

Sanctuary)

(TH049)

20,000 7⁰50’N

99⁰22’E

Partially

protected

Low plateau (c.270 to 300 m asl) supports evergreen forest,

much of which has been selectively logged. Most important

lowland forest habitat, which now covers c.3,000 ha, lies

along the foot of the western flank of the plateau, (80 to

120 m asl). Scattered human settlements and plantations

fringe and encroach the site. The Gurney’s Pitta (Pitta

gurneyi), also known as the Black Belly Pitta, is an endemic

to the Andaman Ecoregion, and in Thailand is only found at

Khao Phra-Bang Khram Wildlife Sanctuary (WWF, 2008)

Trang Ko Libong

Non Hunting

Area

(TH050)

47,630 7⁰18’N

99⁰27’E

Protected

(also a

Ramsar site)

Coastline

Trang Hat Chao

Mai National

Park (TH051)

23,087 7⁰14’N

99⁰25’E

Protected

(also a

Ramsar site)

Coastline; forest; wetlands

Satun,

Trang

Palian Lang-

ngu (TH052)

31,200 7⁰10’N

99⁰41’E

Unprotected Coastline

Patthalu

n, Satun,

Songkhl,

Trang

Khao

Banthad

Wildlife

Sanctuary

(TH054)

126,69

6

7⁰17’N

99⁰56’E

Protected Mountain ranges of Khao Banthad extend along the

peninsula from north to south. Evergreen forests dominate.

The largest areas of lowland in the south of the sanctuary

are extensively deforested.1


57



PLANTS

Algae Micrasterias

subdenticulata var.

ornata;

M. suboblonga var. tecta;

M. tetraptera var.

siamensis;

Indo-Malaysian

region

Ngearnpat et al.

(2008)

Rare desmids which can be

considered to be Indo-

Malaysian endemics.

Collected from the Jud peat

swamp, a habitat that is

very rare

in Thailand.

Orchids Paphiopedilum callosum;

Bulbophyllum smitinandi

Khao Phanom

Bencha, Krabi

Province; Khao

Luang (south

Thailand’s highest

peak), Nakhon Si

Thammarat

province.

Proforest (2009) Ground orchids reportedly

endemic to the slopes of

the two mountains.

Paphiopedilum exul and

P. leucochilum

Southern Thailand Proforest (2009) Two endemic species of

spectacular slipper orchids.

Krabi is an important area

for a number of

Paphiopedilum orchids

confined to lowland

limestone outcrops. The

taxonomy of the genus is

still under discussion

(Cribbs, 1998), but the

orchids are certainly being

collected for the specialist

trade and are openly

traded on internet sites.

Aerides cf. krabiensis

Southern Thailand Proforest (2009) A narrow-leaved orchid

endemic to coastal

limestone karsts in

southern Thailand.

Corybas ecarinatus Sarawutwinai et al.

(2013)

Endemic terrestrial orchid,

originally described from

limestone cliffs near Khao

Sok National Park,

Suratthani Province. A


58



second site was discovered

in Muang District, Phang

Nga. Most of the primary

forest around these sites

was cleared, especially for

agricultural activities,

resulting in very limited

suitable habitats for this

sensitive orchid.

Calanthe ceciliae Krabi Maxwell (2009) Found at the Emerald Pool

(Sra Moragote) area in

Khao Pra-Bahng Krahm

Wildlife Sanctuary, Krabi

province at approximately

8°N latitude, 99° E

longitude. The area is an

ecologically distinct habitat

in lowland (25-75 m

elevation), fresh water,

seasonal, swamp forest on

limestone bedrock. Down

to a few individuals and in

danger of extirpation.

Pandan (screwpine) Pandanus calcis Suratthani, Krabi Proforest (2009) Endemic to the limestone

karst systems of

Suratthani-Krabi.

Commonly seen on most

limestone cliff faces.

Palms Licuala distans Peninsular Thailand Barford & Saw

(2002)

Endemic to Peninsular

Thailand, only recorded

between 8°-10° N latitude.

Found in Khao Sok National

Park, Suratthani Province

as well as Ranong and

Phangnga. Locally very

common but restricted

overall distribution of the

species is of concern and

habitat destruction

represents a possible

threat.


59



Licuala merguensis Peninsular Thailand

and adjacent Burma

(Isthmus of Khra)

Barford & Saw

(2002)

Endemic to Peninsular

Thailand and adjacent

Burma. Not recorded south

of 8°N latitude. Localities

include Khao Sok in

Suratthani, as well as

Ranong, Phangnga and

Phuket. Recorded from

many localities locally but

often quite scattered

locally. No immediate

concern but further

research is required.

Pitcher plants Nepenthes suratensis Suratthani province Clarke & Sarunday,

2013

Categorised as Critically

Endangered in the IUCN

Red List because it is

suspected that the

population will undergo at

least an 80% reduction in

the next three years due to

urban and agricultural

expansion. Endemic to

Suratthani Province. The

only subpopulation that

has been surveyed to-date

is near the town of

Kanchanadit. The site of

the main subpopulation is

scheduled for urban

development in the near

future which is like to

result in the destruction of

this subpopulation. Grows

in lowland savannah, in

sandy soil, and on steep

slopes on low hills.

Sedges Khaosokia caricoides Simpson et al.

(2005)

A newly discovered genus

and species of Cyperaceae.

Endemic to the limestone

cliffs in Peninsular

Thailand. Known only from

the type locality of Khao

Sok National Park,


60



Suratthani Province.

Conservation status is

assessed as VU. Its relative

inaccessibility on limestone

cliffs may assist in its

protection. However, the

plant was seen only as

small populations on three

of the cliffs visited.

ANIMALS

Snails e.g. Sarika spp Southern Thailand Tropical karst areas are

important speciation

centres for land snails. The

likelihood of endemics is

high amongst limestone-

associated snails”

(Proforest, 2009)

Fish Betta simplex ( Krabi

mouth brooder betta)

Krabi Schindler & Schmidt

(2006);

www.fishbase.org

Endemic to Thailand where

it is known only from the

area around Krabi. Type

locality is northwest of

Krabi, spring of Tham Sra

Kaew and Nine Ponds,

behind Ban Nai Sra village,

2.2 km from National

Highway 4034, 1800 m

behind Public Health

Center. The species is listed

as Critically Endangered in

the IUCN Red List.

Cromileptes altivelis

(Humpback grouper)

Wide distribution in

the Western Pacific,

including Suratthani

Marine fish threatened due

to overfishing. Classified as

Vulnerable in the IUCN Red

List.

Ellopostoma mystax

(Enigmatic loach)

Known only from

the Tapi (Suratthani)

and Pattani basins

Inhabits mainstream rivers

in sandy shore. Endemic to

Thailand. Classified as



61



Red List.

Epinephelus bruneus

(Longtooth grouper)

Known from several

provinces in south

Thailand including

Suratthani

www.fishbase.org Classified as Vulnerable in

the IUCN Red List.

Himantura signifer Estuaries and rivers

of the Gulf of

Thailand including

the Tapi River.

www.fishbase.org Freshwater fish belonging

to the stingray family

(Dasyatidae). Inhabits

sandy bottoms in estuaries

and rivers. Classified as


Red List.

Reptile Cyrtodactylus thirakhupti

(Thirakhupt’s bent-toed

gecko)

Ellis & Pauwels

(2012)

Restricted to a single cave

(Tham Khao Sonk) on a

small, relatively isolated,

forested and steep

limestone hill in Suratthani

province. Likely to be

classified as threatened

owing to its highly

restricted range.

Cyrtodactylus lekaguli

(Boonsong Lekagul’s

bent-toed gecko)

Khao Chong

waterfall, Khao

Chamao, Trang;

Petch Phanomwung

Cave, Kanchanadit

District, Suratthani;

Krabi, Krabi

Province.

Grismer et al. (2012) New species currently

recorded only from Satun,

Trang, Suratthani and

Phang Nga provinces in

southern Thailand.

Birds Pitta

Gurneyi (Gurney’s

pitta/black belly pitta)

Khao Phra-Bang

Khram Wildlife

Sanctuary

WWF (2008) Endemic to the Andaman

Ecoregion, in Thailand only

found at Khao Phra-Bang

Khram Wildlife Sanctuary.

Previously thought to be

extinct until it was

rediscovered along with

several other rare and

endangered lowland

evergreen forest species in


62



the early 1990’s.

Bats Eptesicus dimissus (Surat

serotine bat)

Proforest (2009) Near-endemic, likely to

occur throughout the

limestone forest and karst

throughout the area.

Hipposideros turpis Krabi, Trang and

Nakhon Si

Thammarat

Puechmaille et al.

(2009)

The species is known to

occur only at 8 localities in

the three provinces (6 in

Krabi Province and 1

locality each in the other

two provinces). About 60%

of the known population

was found in Krabi. All

localities were in limestone

outcrops, mainly

surrounded by rubber and

oil palm plantations,

temples and villages.

Appendix 4: Detailed itinerary of field work

Field Visit Itinerary 11-18 March 2014

Date Activity

11 March (Tue) Team members travel to Krabi and evening briefing with all team members


63

Date Activity

12 March (Wed)

Krabi:

Meeting with smallholder groups mapping teams (organised by Patum

Veg) including: Krabi Palm Oil Farmer Cooperatives Federation (KFF), Sri

Charoen Palm Oil (Krabi), Southern Palm Oil (Suratthani), Trang Palm Oil

(Trang), SPO Farmers Group (Suratthani) & Thai Thallow (Suratthani).

Presentations by the smallholder mapping teams on potential HCV sites in

members’ smallholdings.

Visit to selected potential HCV sites within the Sri Charoen Palm Oil

smallholdings (Team A).

Visit and meeting with officials from the Krabi office of the Royal Thai

Forestry Department.

Visit and meeting with officials from the Krabi Office of Natural Resources

and Environmental Planning (ONEP) (Team B).

13 March (Thu)

Travel from Krabi to Trang

Trang:

Visit to remnants of the Jud peat swamp

Visit and meeting with the Trang Palm Oil group mapping team

Visit to selected potential HCV sites within the Trang Palm Oil group

smallholdings.

Travel back to Krabi

14 March (Fri)

Travel from Krabi to Suratthani

Suratthani:

Visit and meeting with officials from ONEP and Royal Thai Forestry

Department offices in Suratthani

Visit and meeting with the SPO Farmers group mapping team and

representatives

Visit to selected potential HCV sites within the SPO Farmers group

smallholdings.

15 March (Sat)

Suratthani:

Visit and meeting with the Southern Palm Oil smallholder group

Visit to selected potential HCV sites within the Southern Palm Oil group

smallholdings

Visit and meeting with the Thai Thallow smallholder group mapping team

Visit to selected potential HCV sites within the Thai Thallow smallholdings.

16 March (Sun) Suratthani

Visit to the Tai Rom Yen National Park


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Date Activity

17 March (Mon)

Travel from Suratthani to Nakhon Si Thammarat

Nakhon Si Thammarat (NST):

Visit and meeting with officials from the NST office of the Royal Thai

Forestry Department

Visit and meeting officials from the NST office of the Department of

National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP).

Travel from NST to Krabi

18 March (Tue)

Krabi:

Team debriefing and review of all documents and geographic data

collected and discussion of findings

19 March (Wed) Team members travel back to respective offices/sites


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