Forest Guardians
Raise funds from the public, private sector and various organisations to support 25 forest guardian communities in 4 provinces to fight fires, restore forests and earn income in ways that support the forest.
Translated from Thai · reviewed by the CF team
Payments for ecosystem services
Under the PES system, we do not focus only on planting trees. We support forest guardian communities with funding to reward their efforts in effectively protecting forests, measured by the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and reductions in burned areas (burn scars).
Local mentoring organisations
The project supports mentoring organisations to build communities' capacity for systematic management, including group formation, good governance, community rules, and finance and accounting.
Care for forests under shared community responsibility
Create firebreaks, stand watch and fight fires, insure firefighting teams, and patrol to prevent encroachment.
Restore nature
Enrich and restore forests in degraded areas and build check dams to retain moisture.
Economies that support forest care
Regenerative tourism, no-burn agriculture, tea and coffee grown beneath large trees, and handicrafts.
Monitor results scientifically
Use satellites together with AI to analyse NDVI and burn scars, drones to survey forest conditions, and bioacoustics to measure bird diversity.
Hotspots in Ban Khun Chang Khian fell by 94%
From 38 hotspots to 2 in 2025, while Ban Mae Sa Noi, Mae Hia Nai and Ban Pang Wa kept burned areas at zero.
9 of 10 community forests in Mae Chaem have been registered
Covering more than 18,500 rai under the Community Forest Act 2019.
Huai Pla Lod household income exceeds 14 million baht per year
From agroforestry combining forest trees with cash crops, on land that was once opium fields and barren hills.
The 2026 figures above come from the PES project research report prepared by ChangeFusion and submitted to the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), one of several research funding sources supporting the Forest Guardians project. They cover only 42 communities in 6 provinces working through the six mentoring organisations mentioned above, and do not include communities in other provinces supported by other project funding sources, such as Saraburi.
Steering committee
Bantoon Setthasirote (GSEI), Sunit Shrestha (ChangeFusion), Rujipan Chuengrungrueangkit (private sector), Bunwara Sumano (TDRI), and Paisit Phanichkun (Faculty of Law, Chiang Mai University).
Implementation partners
Good Governance for Social Development and the Environment Institute, ChangeFusion, Taejai, ROLD X Celerate and FORRU, together with mentoring organisation networks in each area. Officially supported by ThaiHealth, TSRI and OPDC.
Co-funders in 2025
Donors on Taejai, Khon Kaen Sugar, Double A (1991), Chueng Phatthana Holding, Mitr Phol Sugar, Siam Kubota, Thailand Investing for Impact, TNP Group, Vanachai Group, Khon Thai Chai Di Fund, and the National Research Council of Thailand.
Field mentoring organisations (2026)
Six organisations work on the ground with their community networks in each province to develop PES plans and monitor implementation: Chiang Mai Breath Council (Chiang Mai), Samakhom Phuea Kan Phatthana Thi Yangyuen Phak Nuea (SDF) (Mae Chaem), Nawattakam Chao Ban Co., Ltd. (Tak, Lamphun and Lampang), The Next Forest (Phrae and Nan), Hug Muang Nan Foundation (Nan), and RECOFTC (Nan).
For the 2026 fire season, part of the funds raised in 2025 has been set aside to support communities during the 2026 fire season, alongside expanding the use of monitoring technology and building on community enterprises in each area.
Expand the target to 50 communities, as originally planned (from 42 communities for which plans were drawn up in 2026).
Move from PES agreements with individual communities to landscape-level agreements covering several communities together.
Develop multi-year PES agreements instead of renewing them year by year.
Expand monitoring using AI with satellite and drone imagery.
27 entries
Everything the field team has recorded, newest first
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What change does this work create, and how do we know it is effective?
We track hotspots, burned areas and forest greenness, while also looking at outcomes in communities. For example, hotspots in Ban Khun Chang Khian fell from 38 to 2 in 2025.
We use satellite data to track the NDVI greenness index and burned areas, alongside hotspot data, and have also begun trialling bird sounds as an indicator of biodiversity. This Project UpdateTrialling forest sound monitoring: piloting bioacoustic technology to measure biodiversity at Ban Mae Sa
- Ban Khun Chang Khian Hotspots fell from 38 to 2 in 2025, while Ban Mae Sa Noi had no burned areas throughout the 2025 dry season. This Project UpdateGood news from Mae Sa Noi: no burned areas throughout the 2025 dry season
- Ban Pak Kong Tawan Ok Satellite imagery confirmed that there were only 9 hotspots throughout the fire season, after the community received funding and equipment for firebreaks, patrol teams and communications. UpdateBan Pak Kong Tawan Ok, Lampang: Hotspots fall to just 9 after joining the PES mechanism
- Ban Huai Pla Lod Households earn a combined income of over 14 million baht per year from agroforestry, and the project supports water sources and wet firebreaks. UpdateHuai Pla Lot: from a bald mountain to forest and coffee beneath large trees
We interpret the figures alongside their context, as the 2025 fire-season report notes that earlier and more continuous rainfall than in the previous year was one factor related to the outcomes observed. UpdateDoi Suthep-Pui: Hotspots at Ban Khun Chang Khian fell from 38 to 2
How is this work carried out, and what lessons can be applied going forward?
We work with communities through PES mechanisms and mentor organisations, from fire-prevention plans to developing income-generating activities that support forests. The lesson is that tools and plans need to fit each community’s context and capacity.
We use PES mechanisms to support forest guardian communities, monitoring results through NDVI and burned areas, and work with mentor organisations to develop group formation, governance, community rules, and finance and accounting. This Project In 2026, 6 mentor organisations worked with 42 communities to develop PES plans, before 25 communities were selected to receive actual funding. UpdateExpanding to 42 communities in 6 provinces: Developing PES plans with 6 mentor organisations across the North
Our work on the ground includes creating firebreaks, patrolling, forest restoration, and developing local economies through activities such as no-burn farming, ecotourism, and shade-grown coffee, selected to suit each community. This Project For example, Doi Chang Pa Pae uses firebreaks that every household helps maintain, supported by sensors, sprinklers, and cameras. In Ban Muak Lek Nai, natural trails have been developed for tourism, with the income going into a forest management fund. UpdateDoi Chang Pa Pae and Mae Pok: Firebreaks built on a village-wide pledge, backed by sensors, cameras and water management systems UpdateMuaklek Nai: From firebreaks to a green economy, and the Muaklek Nai Nature Camp, 2-4 May
Key lessons are that mobilising community members helps make it possible to act in time, technology should reduce risks for those doing the work, and funding should fill gaps that are essential to on-the-ground work. UpdateLessons from the 2026 fire season: Success is measured by community capacity, not just the number of fires put out
What types of areas is this approach suitable for, and what is needed to get started in our area?
This approach is suited to communities that help care for forests and already carry out fire prevention or forest restoration work. It starts with a community plan and a mentoring organisation. We have not yet recorded readiness criteria or minimum resources for each area.
This approach is suited to areas where communities play a role in caring for forests and need to address forest fires or encroachment alongside nature restoration. Project examples include communities in hilly areas, such as Doi Chang Pa Pae, which worked together to build a firebreak more than 30 kilometres long, and Ban Huai Pla Lod, which combined agricultural land with a sprinkler system to create a wet firebreak. UpdateDoi Chang Pa Pae and Mae Pok: Firebreaks built on a village-wide pledge, backed by sensors, cameras and water management systems UpdateHuai Pla Lod: Wet firebreaks integrated with farmland, with donated equipment reducing the time needed to create firebreaks
We start by developing fire prevention and management plans together with the community and a mentoring organisation. These plans identify activities such as building firebreaks, monitoring and patrols, while also considering restoration or income-generating activities suited to the area. UpdateExpanding to 42 communities in 6 provinces: Developing PES plans with 6 mentor organisations across the North Tools range from IP cameras and drones to IoT sprinkler systems, with communities choosing what to use based on the characteristics of their area and their ways of working. UpdateJoin us for a discussion forum on lessons from community-led wildfire technologies in Lamphun and Chiang Mai, 21 November 2026 Progress can be tracked using satellite data such as NDVI and burn scars, and monitoring may be supplemented by drone surveys or bioacoustics. This Project
We have not yet recorded readiness criteria, minimum resources or the budget needed to begin implementation in a new area.
What methods or tools can we start using straight away?
Start by organising a team and planning firebreaks and patrols, then choose tools suited to the area, such as two-way radios, cameras, drones or sprinkler systems.
The initial tools should support work that the community is already doing, such as creating firebreaks, monitoring and patrolling. Organise people and work plans alongside this; do not start by choosing technology alone. UpdateJoin us for a discussion forum on lessons from community-led wildfire technologies in Lamphun and Chiang Mai, 21 November 2026
- Communication and monitoring: Two-way radios help teams coordinate in areas without mobile phone coverage, while IP cameras are used to monitor conditions and support planning alongside wind-direction data. UpdateCivil society fundraising fills the wildfire budget gap, Jan–Apr 2026 UpdateDoi Chang Pa Pae and Mae Pok: Firebreaks built on a village-wide pledge, backed by sensors, cameras and water management systems
- Fire prevention: Create firebreaks and patrol high-risk areas, or use sprinklers alongside agricultural land to create wet firebreaks. For example, Ban Huai Pla Lod has firebreaks extending 10-20 kilometres. This Project UpdateHuai Pla Lod: Wet firebreaks integrated with farmland, with donated equipment reducing the time needed to create firebreaks
- Surveying and planning: Thermal imaging drones help locate fire hotspots beneath smoke and tree cover, and help teams assess areas before carrying out operations. UpdateBan Doi Pui: Thermal drones locate fire fronts beneath smoke, reducing risks to volunteers
Equipment that supports routine tasks also makes a difference. For example, a leaf blower at Ban Huai Pla Lod reduced the time needed to create firebreaks from 1 day to just a few hours. UpdateHuai Pla Lod: Wet firebreaks integrated with farmland, with donated equipment reducing the time needed to create firebreaks
How does this work connect to systemic issues, and what kind of collaboration is needed?
This work addresses the gap that leaves communities having to respond to forest fires before government funding can be disbursed, by connecting funding, partners and mentoring organisations with practical work, including equipment, firebreaks, monitoring and the community economy.
The systemic problem we are addressing is that government capacity is insufficient to care for forests, and funding for forest-fire suppression can often only be disbursed in May, while the most critical period is January to April. Communities therefore have to rely on their own resources and on support that is available in time. IssueForests and Community Livelihoods UpdateCivil society fundraising fills the wildfire budget gap, Jan–Apr 2026
Several forms of collaboration help fill this gap, including fundraising for firefighting equipment and maintenance, firebreaks and patrols, as well as developing economic activities that support forest care. IssueForests and Community Livelihoods Mentoring organisations work with communities to develop group management, good governance, community rules, and financial management and accounting. Technical supporters help monitor outcomes using satellite data, drones and biodiversity measurements. This Project
One lesson from this work is that donations can help provide essential equipment and welfare support during urgent periods, while technology should reduce risks to volunteers, and income from forest-friendly activities can give forest care an economic foundation within communities. UpdateLessons from the 2026 fire season: Success is measured by community capacity, not just the number of fires put out For the 2026 fire season, we are raising funds to support forest guardian communities and mentoring organisations in the area. The matching funds for 25 communities have already reached 100% of the target. IssueForests and Community Livelihoods This Project