UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
10/01/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/02/2024 08:11
Lessons from the field: safeguarding biocultural diversity in Thailand
How can mushrooms be gathered sustainably? What are the benefits of traditional rotational farming? And how do local beliefs help safeguard creatures like the dugong? These are just three of the questions members of ethnic communities in Thailand are addressing through a UNESCO-backed project that documents the impact of local ecological management practices passed down through generations.
To celebrate the 2024 International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, members of ethnic groups from upland forested and Andaman coastal areas involved with the 'Field School for capacity-building in safeguarding living heritage of ethnic communities in Thailand' project discussed their work at the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre (SAC) in Bangkok.
Panel discussion at the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre
UNESCO/Chairat Chongvattanakij
On Changnam, a representative of the Urak Lawoi community on Ko Lanta, Krabi Province, said that the Field School played an important role in safeguarding lessons on biocultural preservation. Without it, he said, "we rely on our memory of what our grandparents recounted, such as toponyms, which we may forget with the passage of time or less frequent visits to these sites."
A toponym is a name for a location derived from its geographical features. It can encapsulate the local history and legends associated with a specific site.
Co-implemented by SAC and the Social Research Institute at Chulalongkorn University, the Field School is supported by Thailand's first grant from the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage International Assistance facility.
It engages community members in conducting surveys on natural resource use and indigenous know-how, including through GIS mapping using GPS and satellite imagery.
Fishing equipment and household items of the Moklen people on display at the SAC
UNESCO/Chairat Chongvattanakij
At the SAC, Thitirat Navarak, a representative of the Moklen community in Ban Thap Pla, Phang Nga Province, explained how she documented techniques for sustainable mushroom foraging, which avoids using sharp implements and ensures regrowth for future harvests. Phattaraphaiboon Ruanson of the Pgakenyaw Karen community in Doichang Papae, Lamphun Province, revealed that mapping farmed areas and tracking the carbon footprint of traditional rotational farming helped explain the oft-misunderstood agricultural technique to government officials.
Two upcoming UNESCO-supported projects will harness data collected from the Field School. The first project will draw on local knowledge to enhance sustainable livelihoods for ethnic youth; it is supported by the Siam Cement Group Foundation. The second project-a global pilot under the new Nature Investment Facility, with funding from Cartier for Nature-aims to strengthen participatory management efforts in the Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Ultimately, the documentation methods Field School participants learn and apply help them disseminate valuable lessons that might otherwise be lost. They also help them participate in policy-making that affects their communities, said Yutthapoom Issarapakdeeof the Pwo Karen community in Ban Saneh Pawng, Kanchanaburi Province.
"How do we explain to people outside the community that we take good care of the forest? Spoken words are not enough. We need in-depth data," he said.
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