WORKSHOP AT ?A - GLACNE:

Workshop Venue: Ruam Tawan Centre, Association for the Development of Environment
Quality, Mahidol University, Srisawas District, Kanchanaburi Province
Tha Thung Na Dam, Srisawas District, Kanchanburi Province
Participants: About 130 persons from grantees of year-1 to 5 , old and current members
of National Steering Committee, and staff members of Ruam Tawan Centre

Summaries of Main Events:

First day: Participants paid a visit to Srinakharin Hydro- Power Plant to have a general view of the generating system. A set of questions from the grantees concerning the use of (public)water to generate electricity and irrigation seemed to be the climax of this session. It was said that the dam and transmission line (to Bangkok and its surrounding cities) were built at a price of a forest and fresh water ecosystems.

Later at Ruam Tawan Centre, a few miles away from the dam, participants were divided into two groups for learning activities called ?A path to a Fruitful Living?. The first was a forest walk to adjacent wildlife sanctuary to learn about forest ecosystems. Guided by staff members of the Department of National Park and Wildlife, conflict between encroaching human community and wildlife community, and struggle of the members to mediate were related. The second group focused on wise use of natural resources and energy for environment protection which suggested good, far-fetched practice such as the proper way for opening and closing refrigerator doors, appropriate time for ironing and consuming some specific plants and vegetable, and modifying a house for energy conservation. In summary, these two sets of learning activities tried to highlight the interaction between human and his environment leading to degradation and proposed options day-to-day practice for reversal.

Second day: The first session started with the Seminar ? From the Past up to the Present and into the Future ? by two members of NSC, two grantees and the NC which called up significant development of GEF/SGP from its inception up to present , and expectation of GEF/SGP. The sessions that followed included group brainstorming and presentation on eight issues relevant to workshop goals.

Third day: Two presentations on Knowledge Management for Networking and the result of ex-post study of four former supported projects were communicated to the audiences. Later, the workshop opened for general discussion on participation and role of communities on environmental issues, as well as the relevant sample cases of current Tsunami and institutional issue in three southern provinces. Finally, the participants perused the draft version of the declaration called ?Tha Thung Na Declaration? to join hands for protection of local and global environment made suggestion on wordings for clarity before declaration.

Completed final report was received on April ,28, 2005, summarizing the following immediate outputs/results:

1.Evinced emergence of natural environment network(s) amongst GEF/SGP grantees and other stakeholders
2.Added experience and lessons learnt on managing natural resources and environment for participants
3. Updated information of grantees on sustainability of activities and strategic direction of organizations
4. All participants drafted the "Tha Thoong Na Declartion" aiming to solve environment problems with peaceful approach.

Participatory Evaluation: Immediately after the workshop process, 115 participants were advised to conduct evaluation through filling questionnaires. 93 responded through the processed questionnaires in which the workshop was rated as successful.