Project Overview

The project will pilot a set of business models between smallholders and local private sector actors that reflect the local context. These models, and their ensuing partnerships, will be supported by NGOs, local governments, and universities. The focus of such models will be on the production, harvesting and processing of durable wood and bamboo products. By facilitating these partnerships within an Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) approach, this project will focus on reducing forest fires, restoring forest productivity, conserving biodiversity, and providing a commercial safety-net to local communities through food security. In so doing, these outcomes will enhance the local communities’ capacity to adapt to climate change. Lessons from the project will be synthesized to generate policy recommendations, knowledge and capacity development products, as well as academic papers.

Project goal

Enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation potential of forests in Greater Mekong Sub-region countries through innovative and production-driven forest landscape restoration.

Project outcome and outputs

Outcome: Private sector and local communities form production driven equitable partnership with government support leading to economically viable forest landscape restoration pathways.

Output 1: Capacity development and forest resource assessment

Output 2: Enhance private sector and community engagement

Output 3: Inform and distribute acquired knowledge of value chains

Output 4: Communications and outreach

Project interventions

1. Collect and analyze project baseline information to ensure project is sustainable following completion. The project will assess readiness and build capacities of smallholders, identify and screen potential private sector actors associated with forest restoration models, and seek prior permission and support from local governments to build on existing local forest
   restoration programs or initiatives in the three pilot sites.

2. Develop and pilot forest restoration and forest product business models in the project sites. The project will introduce a range of forest production driven best practices and added value processing techniques to strengthen stakeholders capacity and role in both FLR and associated business models.

3. Document and disseminate the well researched and tested community-business models implemented in this project. These documented models will be used to develop targeted communication strategies for wider promotion of innovative restoration pathways to attract investors interested in forest landscape restoration.

Project location

The target project area is Santisuk district in Nan province (northern Thailand). Nan province is one of the major timber producing regions (especially teak) with plantations operated by smallholders and the Forest Industry Organization-a state owned enterprise.