ABSTRACT
Land suitable for agriculture in Thailand is approximately half of the country’s area; the rest is unsuitable for farming, comprising acid sulphate soils, freshwater peatland, saline soils, sandy and skeletal soils, and sloping land. Sloping land, which comprises 30% of the country, deteriorates quickly when cultivated mainly due to erosion processes. This paper gives special emphasis on how implementation has been carried out to rehabilitate and improve degraded soils or to prevent soil fertility depletion and what aspects of this work should be adjusted for higher efficiency.
The country’s response to soil erosion problems started systematically in 1963 when some soil conservation technologies, especially mechanical ones, were introduced. These measures have not received wide adoption. Later, vegetative methods were emphasized and several ‘soil conservation’ plants, including legume and grass species, were tested. Vetiver grass has been at the centre of attention for several years. Lately, participatory approaches have been introduced. Using legislation as a framework for regulating resources has been promoted only recently. Now the New Theory of His Majesty the King, emphasizing self-sufficiency, is being tested nationwide.
Soil conservation work is performed by the Land Development Department (LDD) and other government and non-government agencies (NGOs). LDD has an excellent structure and a network of implementing offices throughout the country. In order to improve overall performance in terms of farmers’ adoption, these recommendations are made:
Technologies for conserving soils and approaches used in project implementation should be revised, with a goal aimed at achieving sustainable land management; incentives systems in use should be examined.
Emphasis should be given to farmers’ participation. Australia’s Landcare movement can be used as an example.
Various stakeholders should be empowered to play their roles properly. Agencies’ officers should make themselves ‘facilitators’, rather than ‘advisors’ or ‘implementers.’
Other state agencies and NGOs should be provided with simple soil and water conservation measures to incorporate in their implementation programmes.
Present law and policy on land development need to be revised.
A systematic way of monitoring and evaluating projects/programmes is urgently needed.
Thai agencies should use the unique geographical position of the country to tap technology and information available from various international organizations.
