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Publication of the first-year Sea Guardians Impact Report 2024-2025
TSWA and ChangeFusion have officially published a summary report on the first year, covering 15 communities, 24,987 rai and 6 MOUs, with endorsements from independent marine scientists.
First-year lessons: Uneven understanding of LMMA and overlapping government mandates are the biggest challenges
The first-year summary report identifies 4 areas for improvement, from uneven understanding of LMMA and overlapping government mandates to community economic enterprises that are still at an early stage and limitations in follow-up data, with a monitoring period that is too short.
Survey results from the first 6-7 months of community economic enterprises: Supplementary income has started coming in, but it is still supplementary, not the main income
A survey in May B.E. 2569 of economic enterprises in 3 provinces found that income from new activities still made up a much smaller share than income from fishing, but helped increase savings and bring some younger people back to their communities.
Designing provincial-level forest finance tools: PES, carbon credits and Sustainability-Linked Bonds with Chiang Mai University and the Provincial Administrative Organisation
The Project held a workshop with Chiang Mai University, the Provincial Administrative Organisation, the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC), and the Royal Forest Department and Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to design financial tools for community forest stewardship. These cover the PES mechanism, provincial-level carbon credits and local-level Sustainability-Linked Bonds.
Nan Forum: Bringing partners together to develop financial mechanisms for payments for ecosystem services in Nan Province
The project, together with Hug Muang Nan Foundation, RECOFTC and local partners, held the Nan Forum to develop financial tools to support community forest management in Nan Province.
Civil society fundraising fills the wildfire budget gap, Jan–Apr B.E. 2569
Government funding for wildfire suppression is often not actually disbursed until May, while the most critical period is January to April. Donations from the Forest Guardian fundraising campaign have therefore been turned into two-way radios and food and welfare support, helping community fire volunteers keep fighting fires for longer.
Joining the Invest for Nature forum: 20 organisations mobilise collaboration to expand investment in nature
The project team took part in the Invest for Nature Outing and Workshop in Chai Nat Province with 34 representatives from 20 organisations, developing strategies to expand collaboration on investment in nature through the PES approach
14 years, 123 Champions, 1.4 million lives: BC4C’s impact at a glance
An overview of the programme’s cumulative impact across 14 cohorts, from B.E. 2554 to B.E. 2568, covering both incubation and acceleration programmes
Latest lessons: From an alumni network to issue-based impact clusters and in-depth mentoring
The B.E. 2569 impact assessment report concludes with recommendations for both the incubation and growth acceleration programmes, reflecting the direction BC4C is moving towards.
Expanding to 42 communities in 6 provinces: Developing PES plans with 6 mentor organisations across the North
In B.E. 2569, the Project expanded from Chiang Mai alone to 6 northern provinces, developing PES plans with 42 communities through 6 mentor organisations before selecting 25 communities to receive actual budget support.
Ban Mani Phruek, Nan: From firebreaks to a learning centre for coffee under the forest canopy and ecotourism
The Ban Mani Phruek community forest in Thung Chang District, Nan Province, is planning fire prevention alongside the development of an ecotourism learning site and coffee production under the forest canopy, with RECOFTC as its mentor organisation.
Alumni returns accelerate growth: as Toolmorrow and a-chieve take a leap forward
Self-reported revenue data from 15 alumni of the growth acceleration programme (B.E. 2566-2568) show an overall positive growth trend, with some recording particularly sharp growth.
9 of 10 community forests in Mae Chaem have been registered
Covering more than 18,500 rai; Ban Sam Sop is still going through the process
Department of Marine and Coastal Resources adopts 19 LMMA assessment criteria for development into a national standard
The 19 LMMA assessment criteria developed by TSWA from field experience have been endorsed by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources as a basis for developing a national LMMA certification standard.
Huai Pla Lot: from a bald mountain to forest and coffee beneath large trees
The Black Lahu community in Tak Province restored the forest with more than 400 check dams, generating total household income of more than 14 million baht per year. The Project supported 2 water sources and a 5-kilometre wet firebreak.
Huai Ikhang: a “women’s forest” of 60 rai and a community food bank
The Paka Koenyo women’s group in Mae Wang District decided to organise the collection of forest products to reduce losses from fires, alongside a land stewardship fee of 2 baht per rai.
Saraburi: 12 camera traps capture images of clouded leopards in community forests
Ban Khlong Rabang and Muak Lek Nai, an ecological corridor between Khao Yai and limestone mines, collect biodiversity data to submit a carbon credit project
Lampang: Mae Tha primary care unit’s field data collection system works well; identifies demand for 3 new Micro-apps
Discussions with the Near-home Primary Care Unit (NPCU) at Mae Tha Hospital found that its field data collection system, using village health volunteers and Google Forms, is already well suited to the local context. The team also explored demand for Micro-apps for food calculations, comparing diabetes assessment results, and educational materials for areas with slow internet.
Nakhon Phanom: Nakhon Phanom University indicates readiness to host project service-user data
The team visited Nakhon Phanom University and the Primary Care Unit team at Phon Sawan Hospital to discuss the needs they identified for food menus and diabetes education, which could be developed into new Micro-apps.
Beginning work with the first 15 communities in 4 southern coastal provinces
In the project’s first year, 15 pilot communities were selected in Satun, Songkhla, Phatthalung and Nakhon Si Thammarat Provinces, covering both open-sea coastal areas and the Songkhla Lake ecosystem.