A book newly acquired by the Thammasat University Libraries shows that serious, dedicated people are working to defend Thailand’s precious natural resources.
Conserving Mae Wong and Khlong Lan National Parks by Rungnapha Phunchampa of the World Wildlife Fund, Bangkok; Dom Prathumthong; and Siriwut Thirathawatkun is a good antidote to the familiar story of how between 1945 and 1975, forest cover in Thailand fell from 61 percent to 34 percent of the Kingdom’s land area. During the next 11 years, Thailand lost almost 28 percent of its remaining forests. Greed, exploitation, and unconcern about the future made some people rich at the expense of the nation’s beauty and health.
In February, the Royal Thai Forestry Department announced plans to reclaim at least 30,000 rai of forest land in Phetchabun’s Nam Nao and Lom Kao districts as well as Loei’s Dai Sai and Wang Saphung districts. These had previously been misused as rubber or ginger plantations and resorts. With comparable seriousness, Mae Wong National Park is cherished as one of the country’s irreplaceable treasures, located about 350 kilometers northwest of Bangkok. In the Mae Wong and Mae Poen districts of Nakhon Sawan Province and the Pang Sila Thong district of Kamphaeng Phet Province in the West of Thailand, the 894-square-kilometer park lies along the Dawna Mountain Range. Its highest peak, Khao Mo Ko Chu, is one of tallest mountain ranges in Thailand. Mae Wong National Park was a dwelling place for hill tribes, including the Hmong, Yao, Muzer (Lahu) and Karen, until 1987, when it was named a national park. The park welcomes visitors, offering small rooms for rent and campgrounds around 16.5km from the Khlong Lan town center. Buses to and from Bangkok operate several times a day. Hikers enjoy seeing the variety of waterfalls as well as rare species of birds. Among the park’s biggest such stars are the Rufous-necked hornbill, Burmese Yuhina, Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler, and Grey Peacock-pheasant. Up to 450 bird species have been spotted in the park. Among the other animals are the tiger, Phayre’s leaf monkey, and Malayan Tapir. Also important are the prey of the tiger – animals it enjoys eating – such as the Asian golden cat, leopard cat, Asiatic black bear, large Indian civet, hog badger, porcupine, pig-tailed macaque, barking deer, wild pig, guar, and Asiatic jackal.
Mae Wong Dam project.
In 2012 the Thai government approved a plan to build a dam in Mae Wong National Park to deal with droughts in the dry season and floods in the rainy season. Many critics of the project observe that it will destroy 17.6 square-kilometers of forest, ruining the habitat for wildlife in the park. In February, Lertviroj Kowattana, head of the Royal Irrigation Department stated that he still wanted to construct the Mae Wong Dam, claiming that only 12,000 rai (4,744 acres) of forest will be lost, to be replaced by 30,000 rai of reforested area. He took a relative view of the damage to be done, stating that 150 million rai of forest land has been damaged by logging and other commercial activities, and the dam would be useful to control droughts and floods. Just a few months earlier, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation expressed its opposition to the dam project. It was suggested that the park’s uniquely abundant plants made it likely to be granted World Heritage status by UNESCO. Already, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s world heritage unit has written expressing concerns about the dam. In November, Professor Somruthai Tasaduak of the Water Resource Engineering Department at Kasetsart University stated that previous reports on the dam plans were lacking in vital information:
There are no details on how to direct water to communities and how to ensure that the water volume will be adequate for those who live downstream.
Somphot Duangchantrasiri, head of the Khao Nang Ram wildlife research unit, explained that hundreds of wildlife species, including three newly discovered rare breeds would be eliminated if the dam is built. They are the Giant Asian River Frog, Ichthyopis youngorum, an amphibian that looks peculiarly like a snake, and Pseudocalotes kakhiensis, a kind of dragon lizard. Apart from these extremely rare breeds – before being identified in Mae Wong National Park, Ichthyopis youngorum was previously last spotted in Thailand in 1960.
The park’s nine tigers make it one of the last places in the Kingdom where these animals still exist. The Seub Nakhasathien Foundation named after a dedicated Thai conservationist, launched an online campaign to better inform the public. S.E.A. Write award-winning writer Chiranan Pitpreecha has declared herself against the dam project.
Tigers or no tigers?
Thailand has promised to double the number of endangered wild tigers in its jungles by 2022. If the dam is built, this goal is unlikely to be met. In 2010, at the Global Tiger Summit in Russia, a dozen Asian countries agreed to increase the world’s tiger population. While debates continue and new plans are drafted, observers are concerned that if the dam is constructed and destroys wildlife and its habitat, Thailand’s reputation may be damaged on an international level.
Khlong Lan National Park
A less bitterly contested area, the Khlong Lan National Park covers 420 km2 (160 square miles) in the Dawna Mountain Range. It is in the Khlong Lan and Mueang Kamphaeng Phet districts of Kamphaeng Phet Province, in western Thailand. Its dense forest along the Dawna Range makes it particularly attractive. It features the Khlong Lan Waterfall, 100m tall by 40m wide. The closest city to this waterfall is Kamphaeng Phet, with UNESCO World Heritage ancient ruins in its historical park. Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing of Sukhothai. Such fine things cannot protect themselves, so it is up to the Thai people to show that they care about their natural heritage. Conserving Mae Wong and Khlong Lan National Parks shows how brave armed patrols are constantly marching through the parks to prevent poachers and other outlaws from destroying the land and its animals. Defending nature is a full-time job that requires great energy and vigilance.
(all images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)