Yellowed and parched: These are images of denuded mountains in many of Thailand's northern provinces that have sparked a nationwide debate on forest encroachment and environmental conservation. Many urban dwellers were shocked to see such a state of deforestation, and they feel there must be something that they -- and everyone -- can do to help.
One such project that emerged in response to this growing environmental concern is Plook Loei (Let's Grow) -- a campaign led by rapper Apisit "Joey Boy" Opasaimlikit and DJ Suharit Siamwalla. In mid-April the rapper posted a message in response to the governor of Nan, who challenged those who had criticised him for poor management of his province's forestland.
Soon the campaign to revive Nan forest took momentum -- thanks to the high-profile Apisit and Suharit -- and they aim to regrow 500 rai of forest in Santi Suk district, the source of the mountain imagery. Monday was the first day that Apisit went out to the field to visit farmers in Nan's Wiang Sa district.
More than 1,000 young perennial plants like tamarind, mango and lemon were also given to local people to encourage them to grow these long-standing trees instead of short-lived ones like corn.
The green effort has, however, become a public debate: some suspect that this is just fashionable activism of urban people and that man-made reforestation may not be a practical solution, while supporters scoff at such cynicism and stress that everyone should lend a hand instead of just criticising.
Sombat Boonngam-anong, a grassroots activist who is also known as Bor Kor Lai Jud, is among the first to say that reforestation is not a sustainable solution to the problem and that we should, in fact, tackle the structural poverty of rural villagers, which will prevent encroachment and debilitating agricultural practices.
With his hashtag #don'tgrowit, Sombat said the best way to regrow a forest is to allow nature to rehabilitate itself.
The argument, fortunately, ended in peace with both parties respecting each other's viewpoints. The Plook Loei team has announced July 9-10 as their planting days, where volunteers will be welcomed to join the team on a tough day under the sun.
The team has also invited netizens to post photos of themselves raising five fingers -- a sign language that means "tree" -- to show that Thai people are supportive towards environmental conservation. Thousands of people have joined the online campaign.
Still, the debate continues as to whether short-term tree-planting, such as this campaign and countless other CSR programmes by big corporations, can significantly contribute to sustainable reforestation.
"We want to raise people's awareness, get them involved, as well as educating them on how this issue came to be and how we're going to regrow our experimental plot in Nan," said Suharit.
In this 500-rai area in Nan, which is divided on two sides of the mountain ridge, Suharit explained that about 200 rai was already reclaimed by the authorities. However, the other 300 rai is where forest encroachment still occurs.
The area is occupied by corn plantations that belong to local farmers. Negotiations are in progress to find solutions on how the project can be beneficial to the farmers, too.
"We want to get the locals involved, and we hope for them to trust us -- that we're not there to take the land away from them. We can all live comfortably together while keeping the forest green," Suharit said. The actual solutions to the problem are still being finalised by the team.
Thailand only has 102 million rai of forest left. About 1 million rai is being destroyed a year. If the trend doesn't change, Thai forests will disappear after a century.
"From aerial satellite images, what's left of our forest is still pretty good to an extent. But, while it looks green, is it really as green on the inside? That's what we still have yet to find out," said Ornyupa Sangkamarn, chief of the academic section at the Seub Nakhasathien Foundation. From people cutting down trees for wood to farmers claiming unprotected land to grow crops, the issue of forest encroachment in Thailand comes down to the fact that the country's forest protection system -- especially the Royal Forest Department -- receives an inadequate budget and resources that render its protection and patrol capability ineffective.
Thailand's law enforcement is feeble. The price insurance programme for cereal crops by past governments also contributes in encouraging farmers to continue with their illegal practice as they're guaranteed to be able to sell their crops at a good price.
Ornyupa advised that the government -- and the people -- need to step in and sort out this ongoing problem.
Plook Loei is by no means the first attempt the urban society has tried its hand at salvaging. Over the years, there have been several CSR projects that revolve around regrowing the forest. While some people are in support of Plook Loei, such as The Big Tree group, which comprises professionals from various fields working to preserve trees, others have started to question if all these attempts by urban society to reforest actually work in the long run.
"In some projects, after people plant trees and take nice pictures, how many actually go back and see the trees they plant?" asked Ornyupa.
But, there are also successful reforestation projects, too. Khao Pang Ma in Nakhon Ratchasima -- once a bare mountain -- is an example Ornyupa gave for a successful restoring attempt.
"That project has the staff working continuously with collaboration from the locals, which was how Khao Pang Ma was able to restore itself," said Ornyupa. "In the end, it takes the locals to get involved and be part of the process, not just Bangkokians going in with their idealism. You have to look further into how the locals can live their lives afterwards."
Plook Loei team claims it also aims for the locals to be the ones taking care of the new forest.
"To me, growing back the forest is solving a problem as a last resort. What we have to really consider it how to make it last," commented Suharit. "There's no way we're going to sit there and keep watching over the land and preside with laws. The people who can best conserve the area are those who actually live there. They have to protect it. That's the only way.
"In the end, we hope for this project in Nan to be a model that everyone can replicate in other provinces and regions."
With this ongoing deforestation issue, many people are now quick to judge the farmers and blame their actions for killing the forest. But Ornyupa urged people not to forget where these farmers' products end up. From maize that is used to feed animals to the meat on our plates, everybody is part of the production line and no one is blameless.
Ornyupa is of the opinion that to grow back the forest requires those with well intentions to see beyond the trees into the people living in surrounding areas. Solutions must also be thought out for them.
For example, if they're encouraged to engage in other types of work, or to produce local products, there must also be a market to support them. As Ornyupa puts it, the locals should not just be blindly encouraged to make something that they won't be able to sell.
"The locals will need to have a steady income source -- an alternative option from farming -- or what will prevent them from reverting to growing corn in the affected area again?"
Denuded mountains in the northern province of Nan.
