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.
Translated from Thai · reviewed by the CF team
The timing gap in government budgets
A recurring problem raised at Forest Guardian network review meetings is the “timing gap in government budgets”. Funding for wildfire suppression is often not actually disbursed until May, when the rains have begun and the fires are starting to subside. But the most critical period is “January to April”. Forest guardian communities therefore have to rely mainly on their own efforts, especially during the transition between fiscal years, when approvals and disbursements often run into delays.
From donations to equipment on the ground
This is where the power of civil society and the Forest Guardian Project comes in. Donations and resources from fundraising campaigns have been turned into essential equipment to strengthen community-led defences in several areas. These include two-way radios for volunteers in places without mobile phone coverage, and food and welfare support that helps “community fire volunteers” keep fighting fires for weeks. This is in addition to targeted equipment such as leaf blowers provided to the community of Ban Huai Pla Lod.