Adaptation and Negotiation of Ethnic Communities Towards State Policy on Natural Resource Management: Case Studies of Ban Klang Community and Ban Mae Hang Community, Lampang Province

Abstract

The research found that the state policies on natural resource management such as Forest Land Expropriation Policy, Land Allocation Project in Accordance with Land Reform Area Policy, and Land Use Measures in River Basin areas are the key factors affecting the communities. Ban Klang and Ban Mae Hang communities have lost their land, faced threats to traditional shifting cultivation, and banned from collecting forest products. In turn, the communities have adapted and negotiated, and there are similarities and differences in their adaptation and negotiation. Similar adaptations include reducing the number of years of shifting cultivation or reducing the area dedicated to shifting cultivation. However, the differences are that Ban Klang community continue to practice shifting cultivation even though they must adjust the pattern and timing, while Ban Mae Hang community turn to growing mixed crops and using tourism as a source of additional income. However, the two communities cannot go to collect forest products as usual and are unable to pursue their traditional way of life. The two communities also negotiate through joining land movement, communicating through online social media, creating community information, managing community resources, developing community's sample/model, and promoting their identity. These negotiations are for demanding the rights of the communities and showing their ability to stand up to maintain the identity of the people who can live in harmony with the forest. The results after community adaptation and negotiation are that the state compromise some access to natural resources, for example, allocating limited forest collection area and excluding certain community area from Tham Pha Thai National Park demarcation area. Both communities participate in state activities like reforestation activities, and exchange information with the state. The state also involves in certain community activities like forest ordination rites and do not interfere with culture-based forest management. The state starts to have more understanding about traditional forest conservation. However, the state has major role in natural resource management through laws and policies, and the communities still do not have land and livelihood security, so they continue to demand for land allocation in the form of community title deed and for decentralization of natural resource management to local administrative organizations. Although a small part of land in Ban Klang and Ban Mae Hang has been excluded from National Park demarcation, the major part is still within the boundary of the National Park, and currently in the process of land rights verification.