Project Results
I.First progress report (May 11, 2007):
Activities undertaken:
1. Capacity-building activities carried out re: biodiversity and natural resources management
2. Conservation master plan formulated; includes demarcating a conservation zone, and establishing tree banks
3. Monitoring and evaluation begun
Results of activities:
1. Learning center established for students and other community groups
2. 100 copies of project knowledge products disseminated monthly
3. Curriculum on ?holistic subjects? drafted
4. Master plan on management of biological resources nearly complete
5. Eight conservation forests established on 1,075 ha and 10 coastal conservation zones
Issues with project implementation:
? Limited space for community center
? Differing goals and priorities of participating groups
? Unfavorable climactic conditions
II.Second progress report (December 18,2007):
Activities undertaken:
1. Capacity-building activities continued
2. Tree bank established
3. Reforestation activities launched
4. Training conducted re: maintenance of local biodiversity
Results of activities:
1. Project members have increased institutional capacity, as evidenced by development of fishery regulations and community-based approaches to sustainable water species use
2. Community learning center ready to serve communities
3. ?Holistic subjects? curriculum used in research project for local educational services office, and eventually replicated in primary and high schools in Tambol Kor Mark
4. Nursery established with 25,000 seedlings of native fruit trees
5. 6,000 Nipa seedlings--a coastal species--planted in project location
III.Mid-course Evaluation Workshop:
Together with 11 other projects of the same class, the project attended midcourse evaluation on March 19-21, 2008.
IV.Project site visit by the NC, NSC and PA(December 21, 2008:
Findings and observation are as follows:
The project location is an islet ,of about 3,200 ha including land and water area, in the Songkhla Lagoon, a wetland of international importance. The islet is full of both tropical forest and fresh water- marine resources. Annual income from some type of species was estimated at THB: 20-40 million.
12 community leaders of Tambol Kor Mark met with the visiting team at Baan Kor Sua Community School. Undertaken activities of the project and their results were presented , followed by open discussion and sharing of experience. The leaders, comprising both Muslim and Buddhist, each representing participating villages, demonstrated both capacity and awareness in dealing with their degrading environment. Local wisdom on the use of biological resources as medicine and food was put into discussion. Since the location is rich in biological resources of commercial value, conflicts about using them were mentioned. One such resource mentioned was the bird?s net of the kind turned into a popular commercial beverage. To a great extent, and reportedly, these conflicts were hampering some planned activities.
The school is also accommodating a data & information centre of biological resources which is opened for public to learn from. In addition, the centre is also a meeting place for leaders who come to meet and discuss development work of their villages, on a monthly basis .
A forest area of one ha behind the school premise is allocated to be a learning site for students and communities. A t a glance, there are several kinds of landraces growing. It was related many of the landraces had been earlier reproduced in the central nursery with community participation and being maintained in plots of project members. Throughout the islet, there are eight such learning sites.
The visiting team also witnessed one of the 10 conservation zones around the islet. With community regulations enforced, the zones were producing their effect ? sustainable use of water species.
There were two outcomes deserving mentioned. Firstly, the project was further supported by the national royal project ? Conservation of genetic resources? of the Crowned Princess. And secondly, the project has become one of the many stakeholders of forthcoming Marco GEF project on biological diversity conservation.
In the final participatory evaluation, the project planned to participate in a meeting with other 11 projects of the same grant cycle (THA-06-01 to THA-06-12). The meeting was scheduled during mid-January 2009. It is interesting to see these projects build up a stronger network and carry on conservation activities at another level.
V. Experience- sharing meeting (January 14-16, 2009):
Together with leaders of 8 others project of the same grant cycle from various regions of the country(THA/06/01 to THA/06/12) , the project participated in the event.The group had reach agreement to produce knowledge product in a form of booklet sharing experience in implementing their project. The title of the booklet is " Weaving Ways of Lives from Mountain down to Sea".
VI. Completion report (March 9, 2009):
Date of Participatory Evaluation( October 1, 2008):
Number of Beneficiaries/ Participating personnel:
Women: 3,588
Men: 3,418
Children: 1,074
Number of persons trained/ attending seminars, joining study tours:
Women: 524
Men: 345
Children: 1,074
Project expense:
Amount received from SGP (3 disbursements): THB: 921,099.03
Total amount spent out of SGP budget: THB: 935,920.33
Amount of co-financing:
From Phatthalung Provincial Office of Fishery and Mangrove Research & Development Station: THB: 360,000 in kind
From Communities: THB: 350,000 in kind
Activities undertaken:
1. Building capacity of target population on the management of natural resources and biological diversity
2. Formulating conservation mater plan , demarcating conservation zone, and establishing a tree banks
3. Launching reforestation
4. Training and demonstrating processes for sustainable uses of biological diversity
Results of activities:
1. Emergence of a community learning centre with communication materials, local curriculum and primary education classroom on the management of natural resources and biological diversity. The centre , 3 m X 4 m , is also being used as a coordinating centre for Kor Mark Biological Resources Management Club.
2. Emergence of a community master plan and over 1,075 ha of conservation area and community regulations
3. Increased 81,500 native trees in the area of 10 villages
4. Acquired know-how on production of environmentally-friendly fertilizer , feeds, kitchen stuff and other handicraft with some quantity of corresponding amount for further use
Experience , Lessons Learnt , Problems and Issues:
The project referred to the followings:
1. The centre is too small to provide service for data & information in a longer term. The club has requested the TAO for use of a portion of its premises currently under construction.
2. Disseminating project activities & result through community radio was not always effective, owing to location of the station and weak signal. Other modes of dissemination were being sought.
3. Severe draught produced negative effect to reforestation activities.
4. Local political conflicts resulted in delay of activities.
Plans and Activities for Sustainability:
1. The club would continue using the learning centre on monthly basis as usual, and would seek opportunity to replicate the ideas somewhere else to ensure long-term service.
2. The club would keep on monitoring project activities by using community mechanism.
3. The club would keep on launching activities to manage biological resources in a long term by coordinating with other sectors.
