Faculty of Law, Khon Kaen University organized “The project of the conference on the development of knowledge of law and environment with public participation” In collaboration with the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion and the Human Rights and Environment Promotion Association at the Huai Thon River Basin Development Project (Upper Section) initiated by His Majesty the King, Phra Phutthabat Subdistrict, Sri Chiang Mai District, Nong Khai Province.
On December 12, 2019, the Faculty of Law, Khon Kaen University organized “Project on the Development of Legal and Environmental Knowledge and Public Participation” In collaboration with the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion and the Association for the Promotion of Human Rights and the Environment at the Huai Thon River Basin Development Project (Upper) under the royal initiative, Phra Phutthabat Subdistrict, Si Chiang Mai District, Nong Khai Province, with lecturers and students visiting the area to provide legal advice to the community, as well as learning about forestry and land laws and policies, especially the Community Forest Act of 2019, and listening to the problems of the community in participating in community forest management in the area.
In the morning there was a discussion. “People’s Participation in Natural Resources and Environmental Management in the Mekong Basin” Speakers included government, academics, and civil society. The discussion focused on creating an understanding of the Mekong Basin cultural ecology that must maintain balance and how to use it sustainably, and guidelines for solving land issues and forest resource management according to the National Park Act, Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act, and the new Community Forest Act, the process and procedures for requesting the establishment of community forests, the benefits that communities will receive, and the practices and authority for exercising community rights according to the Community Forest Act 2019.
Later in the afternoon, there was a group exchange of experiences in conserving community forests in all 15 villages in 4 sub-districts on the topics of lessons learned and experiences in conserving community forests, community forest management plans, and suggestions from the community. It was found that the community had problems with not having rights to farmland, which resulted in problems with not being able to access sources of loans and assistance from the government. Some of the community forest areas overlapped with farmland. The community made the following suggestions: The community should have a plan for managing the entire community forest system, have rights over the trees planted, clearly demarcate the boundaries between conservation forest areas and agricultural areas, create diversity and abundance of the community forest, manage the forest as a learning resource and ecotourism site, and have tools/equipment to support the management of the community forest, as well as develop the skills and knowledge of the community forest committee, etc.
The Faculty of Law, Khon Kaen University, has provided academic services to society by emphasizing “academic services in creating shared value” (CSV) and creating learning spaces for students to have a legal perspective to serve society (Social Engagement). The Faculty acts as a learning bridge between the university and the community (Co-Creation) for students to learn about social facts and social justice and participate in solving social problems in the legal dimension.
