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 B.E. 2568, 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 B.E. 2562.
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 B.E. 2569 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 B.E. 2568
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 (B.E. 2569)
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 B.E. 2569 fire season, part of the funds raised in B.E. 2568 has been set aside to support communities during the B.E. 2569 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 B.E. 2569).
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.
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What change does this work create, and how do we know it is effective?
Communities are supported to prevent fires, restore forests and build forest-friendly livelihoods, while monitoring hotspots, burned areas and the greenness index.
We use the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) mechanism to support communities in caring for forests, and track results using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and burned areas (burn scars), as well as hotspot and biodiversity data. This Project Reported results include a reduction in hotspots in Ban Khun Chang Khian from 38 to 2 in B.E. 2568, and no burned areas in Mae Sa Noi community forest throughout the B.E. 2568 dry season. This Project Ban Pak Kong Tawan Ok had 9 hotspots throughout the fire season after receiving a budget and equipment for firebreaks, patrol teams and communications, with the results confirmed by satellite data. UpdateBan Pak Kong Tawan Ok, Lampang: Hotspots fall to just 9 after joining the PES mechanism
We measure success not only by the number of times fires are extinguished, but also by community capacity, reduced risks for those carrying out the work, and the development of an economy that rewards forest stewardship. UpdateLessons from the B.E. 2569 fire season: Success is measured by community capacity, not just the number of fires put out The figures from the B.E. 2569 PES research report cover only 42 communities in 6 provinces working through the six mentor organisations, and do not include communities funded by other sources within the Project. This Project
How is this work carried out, and what lessons can be applied going forward?
We work through the PES mechanism with communities and mentoring organisations, from fire management and forest restoration to livelihood development. The lesson is that technology and funding should respond to on-the-ground needs and safety.
We use the PES mechanism to support Forest Guardians, monitoring outcomes through NDVI and burned areas, and working with mentoring organisations to strengthen group formation, governance, community rules, and financial management and accounting. This Project In the areas, communities create firebreaks, patrol and prevent encroachment, restore forests and build check dams, and develop livelihoods such as no-burn agriculture and regenerative tourism. This Project Monitoring uses satellite imagery alongside AI, drones, and experiments with recording natural sounds to assess bird diversity. UpdateTrialling forest sound monitoring: piloting bioacoustic technology to measure biodiversity at Ban Mae Sa
A lesson from the B.E. 2569 fire season is that communities that mobilise the whole village to create firebreaks do not necessarily have to wait for government budget disbursements, while sensors, sprinkler systems, and drones help reduce the need to enter dangerous areas. UpdateLessons from the B.E. 2569 fire season: Success is measured by community capacity, not just the number of fires put out Donations used to buy communication equipment, food, or leaf blowers can help meet immediate needs, while income generated from forest stewardship helps provide an ongoing economic basis for prevention. UpdateLessons from the B.E. 2569 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 has examples in both community forest areas at risk of fire and areas developing forest-friendly livelihoods. It requires community plans and work with mentor organisations. We have not yet recorded general criteria for starting work in a new area.
Our examples cover areas where communities jointly care for forests and need to prepare for fires, such as Doi Chang Pa Pae, where every household works together to create firebreaks and uses sensors and a sprinkler system, as well as Ban Huai Pla Lot, which connects agricultural areas with wet firebreaks. UpdateDoi Chang Pa Pae and Mae Pok: Firebreaks built on a village-wide pledge, backed by sensors, cameras and water management systems Some areas also develop income alongside this work. For example, Ban Lao Nuea has adapted its patrol routes into hiking trails, and Ban Mani Phuek is planning an ecotourism learning centre and coffee production under the shade of trees. UpdateBan Lao Nuea, Phrae: Turning forest-fire patrol routes into hiking trails to channel income back into forest protection UpdateBan Mani Phruek, Nan: From firebreaks to a learning centre for coffee under the forest canopy and ecotourism
Under the PES mechanism in B.E. 2569, mentor organisations worked with 42 communities to develop plans, before 25 communities were selected to receive actual funding. The plans cover both fire prevention and management for sustainable development. UpdateExpanding to 42 communities in 6 provinces: Developing PES plans with 6 mentor organisations across the North Methods used include GIS maps for area planning, firebreaks and patrol teams, as well as monitoring with satellite data. UpdateMae Chaem: A subdistrict-level forest fire management planning forum using GIS maps We have not yet recorded general criteria specifying the conditions or minimum resources a new area needs to start this approach.
What methods or tools can we start using straight away?
Start by creating firebreaks and patrolling, equipping the team with communication devices, or using a leaf blower to reduce the time needed for the work. Areas that are ready can add water systems, sensors or drones.
Basic methods used by communities include creating firebreaks, setting up watch shifts and patrolling to prevent encroachment, with plans based on the area's risk points. This Project Ban Huai Pla Lot uses sprinklers together with agricultural land to create wet firebreaks, and uses a leaf blower received through fundraising to reduce 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 Two-way radios and food allowances are other examples of support that help volunteers work during crises and in areas without mobile phone coverage. UpdateCivil society fundraising fills the wildfire budget gap, Jan–Apr B.E. 2569
Where water systems and equipment are available, Doi Chang Pa Pae uses heat and smoke sensors connected to sprinklers that can be switched on by smartphone, while Ban Doi Pui uses thermal-imaging drones to find fires beneath smoke and vegetation. UpdateDoi Chang Pa Pae and Mae Pok: Firebreaks built on a village-wide pledge, backed by sensors, cameras and water management systems UpdateBan Doi Pui: Thermal drones locate fire fronts beneath smoke, reducing risks to volunteers Monitoring can be done using satellite data on hotspots and burned areas, and natural sounds are being recorded to assess bird species. UpdateBan Pak Kong Tawan Ok, Lampang: Hotspots fall to just 9 after joining the PES mechanism UpdateTrialling forest sound monitoring: piloting bioacoustic technology to measure biodiversity at Ban Mae Sa
How does this work connect to systemic issues, and what kind of collaboration is needed?
This work links forest care with the challenges of forest fires, PM2.5 pollution and the budget gap at the beginning of the year. It requires joint support from communities, civil society, the private sector and mentoring organisations.
More than 102 million rai of forest needs communities to help care for it, because government personnel alone are not enough, and forest fires are a major cause of PM2.5 pollution. IssueForests and Community Livelihoods Another systemic gap is that government funding for firefighting can often only be disbursed in May, while the crisis period runs from January to April. This means communities have to rely on themselves and need resources they can use in time. UpdateLessons from the B.E. 2569 fire season: Success is measured by community capacity, not just the number of fires put out Support therefore links fire prevention with protecting water sources and ecosystems, as well as generating income that supports forest care. IssueForests and Community Livelihoods
What we are fundraising for the B.E. 2569 fire season is support for Forest Guardians and local mentoring organisations. This covers the cost of firefighting equipment and maintenance, firebreaks and patrols, as well as developing an economy that supports forest care. IssueForests and Community Livelihoods Existing forms of collaboration include fundraising from the public, the private sector and various agencies, as well as the work of mentoring organisations that help develop community management. This Project