Royal Project Foundation and EGAT expand participatory reforestation to create community income and sustainable coexistence with nature
14 January 2022Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and the Royal Project Foundation expand their cooperation on a participatory reforestation project by planting an economic forest. The project aims to recover the ecosystem and environment, generate income for the community, and ensure sustainable coexistence of the highland community and the forest.
On January 13, 2022, Mr. CharantadaKannasoot, PrivyCouncilor and President of the Royal Project Foundation;General KampanartRuddit, Privy Councilor and Executive Chairman of the Royal Project Foundation; and Mr. BoonyanitWongrukmit, EGAT Governor, entered into the cooperation on a participatory reforestation project, held at Operation Building 1, Chanakathibet-damri Royal Agricultural ProjectResearch Center, Chiangmai Province
This signing ceremony marks the expansion of the cooperation between the Royal Project Foundation and EGAT. It focuses on environmental development by creating an economic forest, intending to develop a model of sustainable agricultural land and forest with community participation. Under the project, quality seedlings are nurtured; and the propagation of local plants, economic plants, and others are implemented. With community participation in sustainable forest management, this project will promote reforestation in royal projects’ areas to enhance ecosystem recovery and increase carbon absorption capacity. The project will last from 2022 – 2027, a part of community development under the royal philosophy of Sufficiency Economy that enhances human-forest sustainable coexistence, leading to economic, social, and environmental security.
Over the years, EGAT has supported royal projects in response to the royal initiatives through the development of energy supply and natural water resources. Initially, EGAT constructed Ban KhunKlang Hydro Power Plant in 1982, located in Inthanon Royal Project, an important water source area in Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province. The electricity is generated by the power of Siribhom Waterfall, supplied to nearby agriculture lands,andused for supplying water to Trout and Sturgeon fish ponds of the royal project. EGAT also applies the Smart MicroGrid system, a smart community power system combining hydropower, solar power, and battery storage system, to supply power during on-grid power outages for power security of the royal project. Besides, under the Dark Sky Project, the light bulbs used in Chrysanthemum plantations are changed to LED that can reduce electric bills, carbon emissions, and light pollution during the nighttime, suitable for observing stars. The scheme under this cooperation will be further expanded to other royal projects in the future.