Assessing factors to successful management for small-scale community forest under threat of urban growth: in a case of Ban Na Kham Noi community forest, Mukdahan, Thailand

Abstract

© 2019, © 2019 Taylor & Francis. Many small-scale community forests are being threatened by urbanization, including Ban Na Kham Noi Community forest (BCF), located close to the Mukdahan Special Economic Zone (MSEZ), Northeastern Thailand. Decision makers may experience difficulty in justifying the contributions from forests to local livelihoods and tends to prioritize urbanizing development. This study aims to explore the factors of successful community forest management, apply them to the case of BCF, and accordingly provides suggestions to decision makers. The justifications were based on evidence from field measurements, an analysis of satellite imageries and interviews, collected in 2017. The findings revealed that the BCF management was prominent in cultural roles, especially in positive public attitudes, strong local involvement and knowledge transfer. The incentives from utilizing non-timber resources had also been playing a significant role in successful management. The institutional roles were weak, except for strong leadership. Though the forest size was small, it provided sufficient supplies to households. The findings will assist the Board of MSEZ Committees, forestry sectors and local government the economic beneficiaries of the BCF and offer recommendations for improvement toward sustainable livelihoods.