A study of the status and role of community organizations in common-pool resource management in terms of public lands
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2020
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2563
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Kittikan Saengngam (2020). A study of the status and role of community organizations in common-pool resource management in terms of public lands. Retrieved from: https://repository.nida.ac.th/handle/662723737/6836.
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A study of the status and role of community organizations in common-pool resource management in terms of public lands
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Abstract
This dissertation is aimed at studying the status and roles of community
organizations to manage common-pool resources or public lands. It is a qualitative
research based on data collection, which comprises relevant documentary research
along with case studies, field research, in-depth interviews and observations.
This study is divided into two parts. Part 1 involves a study of the overall
concept of common-pool resource management in terms of public lands in Thailand
based on documentary research, which includes documents, policies, laws and
relevant research. Part 2 involves field research using the case studies of eight areas,
comprised of two groups – Group 1 consists of six communities that efficiently
manage public lands through community organizations, namely 1) Nam Phang, Nan
Province, 2) Ariyothai Samakkhi, Uthai Thani Province, 3) Ban Lao Nuea, Phrae
Province, 4) Ban Don Mu, Ubon Ratchathani Province, 5) Chamaep Phatthana,
Ayutthaya Province, and 6) Chao Pho Sombun Shrine 54, Bangkok. These
communities were used for the study and analysis of the role that community
organizations play in common-pool resource management on public lands, as well as
the factors that enable communities and community organizations to be strong and
capable of managing public lands. Group 2 - Communities that have disputes over
public lands. The dispute partners include “communities that are close to public
lands” and “the public or private sector, where the State grants the right to use public
lands”. This group is used to analyze loopholes in public land management in two areas: Wa Chong Kho, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, and Huai Mek public lands,
Khon Kaen Province.
The results of the study reveal that most community organizations that play a
role in managing common-pool resources are villagers’ organizations set up by
community leaders. Later, they are developed as official organizations and upgraded
to community forest committees, land committees or are developed from saving
groups to cooperatives. In one community, there may be more than one community
organization to manage the common-pool resources of its public lands. Functions are
assigned in accordance with each group’s specific ability, but they work together.
Based on the case studies, it is evident that each community organization has
the same role in managing common-pool resources: 1) drafting regulations to control
the use of resources, 2) carrying out resource prevention and maintenance activities,
such as forest fire prevention patrols, forest fire buffers and afforestation to enhance
fertility, 3) formulating resource management plans and submitting them to the public
and private agencies concerned to tender requests for support and the budget, 4)
developing community knowledge so that members can efficiently manage resources,
and 5) building a network for managing common-pool resources in collaboration with
other community organizations in other areas.
The factors that strengthen community organizations’ ability to efficiently
manage common-pool resources or public lands are comprised of, first - leadership of
community organizations. Most leaders or group leaders are respected in the
community, as they are official leaders, e.g., village heads, village committee and
situational leaders as pioneers or core leaders for solving public land issues in
communities, such as forest conservation groups or farmland allocation demanding
groups. Key qualifications of leaders include having a sense of joint ownership, to
create willing cooperation in preserving community common-pool resources. The
second factor involves clear rules concerning the use of common-pool resources.
Regulations and penalties are clearly defined. Norms are of great importance for
controlling the use of resources, e.g. issuing rules prohibiting the utilizing of
resources in community graveyards, which have been abided by from generation to
generation. This is more effective than imposing penalties and collecting fines. The
third factor involves mechanisms for reducing the factors that promote encroachment and protections against the over-use of resources beyond the defined rules. For
example, cooperative groups generate income for community people. If they have
sufficient incomes they can reduce their use of resources, regardless of future damage.
As a result, those resources are sustainable.
As for recommendations regarding the review of laws relating to public land
management, in order to enable communities to take part in practically managing
public lands, the researcher suggests the following: 1) laws, especially pertaining to
community rights, should be issued by pushing for a Community Rights Act, 2) all
laws pertaining to forests and national parks should be revised, to be consistent with
the constitution, 3) laws on public lands should be amended so that they do not
contradict each other, and 4) the possibility of adding measures or sections in the
Land Code on rights and ownership on community lands should be studied so that
land rights documents can be issued in the form of community rights documents or
title deeds.
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Thesis (D.P.A.)--National Institute of Development Administration, 2020