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โครงการหนังสืออิเล็กทรอนิกส์ด้านการเกษตร เฉลิมพระเกียรติพระบาทสมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัว

Abstract

The research project “Policies for allocating arable land on Class 1 and Class 2
watershed areas : Critical or sustainable” has seven objectives, namely: (1) to review the
policies for managing watershed areas in Thailand, especially in Class 1 and Class 2

watershed areas as a whole; (2) to create a database of management policies for Class 1
and Class 2 watershed areas, arranged chronologically in an archival form; (3) to review
international experiences in watershed management and its linkage with agriculture;
(4) to review the current status of the Class 1 and Class 2 watershed areas, including those

that remain in the original state and those that have now changed the use to agriculture
and other activities, as well as the impact on agricultural activities in the lower basin and
disasters; 5) to identify problems and obstacles in managing the Class 1 and Class 2
watershed areas that cannot be enforced by law; 6) to draw lessons learned from the

impact of management of Class 1 and Class 2 watershed areas on agriculture and
disasters from the past to the present; and 7) to formulate policies and measures for
managing the Class 1 and Class 2 watershed areas that are linked to the Thai agricultural

sector and to reduce future disasters.
The conceptual framework of this study stems from the cause of the problem,
that is the inappropriate use of the watershed area. According to the Cabinet Resolution
on July 27, 1982, the government determined that watershed areas with the quality
classified as Class 2 and Class 2 should be kept as water sources. It is strictly forbidden to

change the feature of the forest area to other forms. Subsequently, on November 26,
2018, the government passed a resolution allowing the use of Class 1 and Class 2
watershed areas as arable land. It is operated under the “Land Allocation for the

Community” project by the National Land Policy Committee.
However, Class 1 and Class 2 watershed areas are the highest watershed forest
areas of the entire watershed area. They serve both as a reservoir and water supply to the
lower parts of the basin, which are mostly agricultural areas. There is concern that if such

land is used without proper measures, it will affect agriculture areas in the lower
basin in terms of disasters, specifically landslides and soil erosion, as well as water
shortages and floods in the lower watershed areas in the future. Therefore, it is necessary
to formulate specific policies to manage Class 1 and Class 2 watershed areas.

The main goal of this research project is to manage Class 1 and Class 2 watershed
areas so as to achieve a balance between the ecosystems and the quality of life of those
who have been allocated the arable land. We reviewed the literature on watershed
management policies in the past and conducted field surveys on physical, economic, and

social aspects of three groups of stakeholders, as follows: (1) government officials, the
private sector, and local administrators; (2) farmers in the North and (3) farmers in the South.

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