Community forests to produce significant carbon credits for communities

About 100,000 rai of these forest areas, most of which are in Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Amnat Charoen and Yasothon provinces, will be eligible as carbon credit providers, generating income for some 12,000 local households who will be taking care of the forests, he said.

The foundation has been working with 14 leading companies and several communities nationwide since 2020 under the project that aims to expand carbon credit trading in Thailand while providing additional income for local communities.

The 52 community forests of 51,354 rai and 12,361 households which joined the campaign in its development phase (2020-2022) established the infrastructure for the project.

In the second phase, which started this year, the number of participating forests jumped to 77 to a total of 129, thanks to continued support from public and private partners, said Dispanadda.

With combined areas of nearly 200,000 rai, these community forests can generate credits equivalent to 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year and benefit some 25,000 households, he added.

The foundation aims to secure another 150,000 rai of forest areas for the project next year, which will push the carbon credit generation closer to the target of 1 million tonnes per year by 2027.

“The direct benefit of this project is to generate income for communities, from 500 to 630 million baht in 10 years,” he said. “The indirect benefit, meanwhile, is to help reduce forest fires as a result of proper maintenance of the forests.”

Dispanadda said forest fires reported in the project’s areas last year reduced by 6,500 rai compared to the year before, saving the country from an economic loss of about 191 million baht.

Established in 1972, the Mae Fah Luang Foundation is a private, non‐profit organisation aiming to improve the quality of life of people in poverty and deprived of opportunities, with numerous projects in Thailand as well as other countries in Asia.