A Study Project in “Format and Direction for Development in Networking of Community-based Environmental Activities in Thailand by applying Japanese Experience”

  Project History  

Presently, many countries are accepting of the importance of environmental management by communities. And also many of communities incline to start congregation in networks for supporting the capability in solving of environmental problems in communities. The changes begin to have a clear format in Japan by the struggle to develop of community-based networks aiming to construct a sustainable society respectively. The experiences from the community-based networks in Japan are the interesting topics and consideration for application for the advantages to the management in other countries properly.

Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) observed the significance of the development of community-based networks for experiences of communities in Japan . So JBIC was the sponsor for in conduction of the project study in “Formatting and Direction for Development in Networking of Community-based Environmental Activities in Thailand by applying Japanese Experience” for one year (May, 2005 to April, 2006) targeting for knowledge management from experiences of community-based environmental network of Japan and taking it back to broadcast and exchange in environmental communities in Thailand. Moreover, it was the encouragement of the creative activities in sustainable environmental communities and the bridge for the similar networks internationally in the future.

Details and Activities  

The project has the characteristics of cooperation and management between non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and universities. The management is classified into 2 categories:

  • Group 1 (Term of Reference (TOR) 1) - The group will study the format and direction in construction of a sustainable environmental community-based network in Thailand . It is responsible by Genki Net for Creating Sustainable Society and Environmental Education and Human Resources Development Center (EEHRDC) of Thailand Environment Institute (TEI.)
  • Group 2 (TOR 2) – The group will investigate, demonstrate, and pilot of the transmission of the natural fertilizer technique. It is responsible by Imari Hachigame plan group and Saga university of Japan in cooperation with the science department, Chulalongkorn University of Thailand.

Main Activities of Group 1 are:  

  1. Study and make the data base for an environmental community-based network in the middle part of Thailand due to the restriction of the management budget. And it may widen the border to other environmental communities in other areas due to the chances and appropriation. The target in management is congregation of the environmental community -based networks at least 35 for the activity for studying the format of the congregation and developing the direction into the support of the cooperation among the networks including the binding of knowledge and shares the experiences with the environmental community-based network for more than 175 networks per activity in Japan. At the same time, TEI will be responsible for the cooperation of information among network and make the data base exclusively in the article that TEI gives the importance. The most important plans are supported by JBIC under the accompanied management by the plan and policy department of the ministry of natural resources and environment, Thailand .
  2. Set up the 1 st workshop conference in August 2005 for the sake of Thai and Japanese assemblers to learn and share the experience in setting up the sustainable environmental community-based networks. The assemblers will be the community leaders and nationally acceptable environmental community-based networks for 17 communities/networks (2 representatives per each community) and the Japanese representatives of environmental community-based networks for about 50. At the end of the conference, the estimated result is the ability of the community leaders and networks to take the knowledge and information to widen the activities and report in their communities and networks.
  3. Select the representatives of the community leaders/sponsors in setting up the Thai community-based networks to train in Japan for around 2 weeks (September-October 2005.) The training program will aim at the opportunity to understand in the process of setting up of the sustainable environmental community-based network that successfully done in Japan including the sharing comments and experiences with the Japanese network representatives. The final estimation is both Thai trained representatives will fully understand for the advantages of the development in the sustainable network and also ready to be responsible for being the hub of cooperation in setting up the sustainable environmental community-based network successively after flying homeward Thailand .
  4. Set up the 2 nd workshop conference in January 2006 for Thai communities/environmental community-based networks that join the program from the beginning to have a chance to present the progress and hear the comments of related and interested sectors including to the share of experiences from governmental and communities/community-based networks representatives that execute the environmental works from Thailand and Japan. The result will lead to the increase of abilities in performing the environmental community-based activities and development in setting up of the environmental community-based networks and the support of the cooperation among the environmental community-based networks of Thailand and Japan for the sustainable succession in the future.
  5. Study and survey the possibility of the determination of supporting processes in budget and conduction aiming for the successively smooth and touchable execution of the environmental communities/community-based networks' activities. The aim is arousing the interest of the Japanese private sectors and investors.

The main activities of group 2 are:  

  1. Have a basic survey for gather the garbage management of communities in 2 pilot areas at Warinchamrab municipal area, Ubonratchathani and management organization of tambon Klongyang, amphur Lanta , Krabi. Afterwards, there will be cooperation with the area in the supporting form and advising techniques of fertilizers successively (the advising committee will visit the area at least every 3 months.)
  2. Support the community leaders in pilot areas at 2 areas to participate in the 1 st workshop conference in August 2005 set up by the group 1 above to share the learning of community management/ environmental community-based network in Thailand and Japan .
  3. Select the representatives of the community leaders from the pilot areas for 2 to train in Japan by joining the same courses as the community representatives/environmental community-based networks from the group 1 for around 2 weeks.
  4. Make a report out of the activity procession and the training of fertilizer technology in 2 pilot areas. And also broadcast via the internet as Best Practices (BP) include the joint of the foundation of the Thai environmental community-based network according to the target of group 1

Related Institutes/Organizations and Sectors (click here to detail).

  • Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC)
  • Department of Environmental Quality Promotion, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
  • Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
  • Genki Net for Creating Sustainable Society
  • Imari Hachigame Plan
  • Saga University
  • Environmental Education and Human Resources Development Center, Thailand Environment Institute (TEI)
  • Science Department, Chulalongkorn University

Estimated Results 

  • Thai environmental community-based networks that have a structure and process of clear work and accepted by communities and Thai environmental community-based networks in middle area and all in Thailand join the permanent members can proceed the efficient rehabilitation, restoration, and natural resources and environmental management in local areas successively.
  • Supporting processes in budget for environmental activities of communities/community networks that join the figurative project can proceed successively .
  • Pilot areas in garbage management –Make fertilizer in Ubonratchathani and Krabi .
  • Reports of final results of the management of developing activities in Thai environmental networks and broadcast in every website .