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 Ngop Subdistrict, Thung Chang District, Nan Province, is one of 25 communities supported by the PES mechanism in B.E. 2569, with RECOFTC as its mentor organisation. The community’s fire prevention plan began with a discussion forum to establish firebreaks in areas around the community forest at high risk of forest fires, organise forest fire monitoring teams and help extinguish fires when they occur.

Alongside fire prevention, the community is also planning sustainable management, including putting up signs publicising the rules for entering and leaving the community forest, installing camera traps to photograph wildlife, setting up a radio communication system between monitoring and firefighting teams, and developing an ecotourism learning site and a learning site for the community’s coffee bean production. These approaches offer alternative sources of income without requiring forest burning or agricultural expansion.