Tim Forsyth

Science, myth and knowledge: Testing himalayan environmental degradation in Thailand

Abstract This paper examines recent debate concerning the concepts of ‘sustainable knowledge’ and ‘hybridity’ in environmental research. Hybrid studies employ local, indigenous knowledge alongside global, scientific techniques to achieve guidelines for sustainable development. The paper discusses the value of indigenous knowledge in testing theories of environmental degradation, and the problems of overcoming socio-political constructions of environmental problems over wide time and space scales, as identified by Regional Political Ecology. The paper focuses on the so-called theory of Himalayan environmental degradation and illustrates the study with a case from northern Thailand. In Thailand, upland shifting cultivators are blamed for causing lowland sedimentation and water shortages, and have been considered by lowland communities to lack awareness of environmental degradation. The study used indigenous knowledge alongside GIS analysis and the Caesium-137 technique for measuring soil erosion to test the assumptions that land shortage has increased cultivation on steeper slopes, and that erosion is a problem for upland degradation. This is the first time these new techniques have been used in testing assumptions related to Himalayan degradation. Results indicated that upland farmers deliberately avoid erosion by increasing frequency of cultivation of flatter slopes rather than steeper slopes, and consequently the problem of erosion is overstated. However, this does not imply that their local knowledge is useful over larger areas, but instead shows the adaptability of local communities and their awareness of environmental risk. It is therefore argued that developing effective management techniques depends on differentiating more clearly between locally-based knowledge about environmental processes; politically-constructed statements about the environmental impacts of other groups; and falsifiable scientific assertions aiming to develop effective management techniques with reference to several communities.

Community-based adaptation to climate change: strengthening resilience through development.

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In the Eyes of the State: Negotiating a "Rights-Based Approach" to Forest Conservation in Thailand

Abstract Recent debates about governance, poverty and environmental sustainability have emphasized a “rights-based” approach, in which equitable development is strongly associated with individual and communal rights. This paper reviews this approach and explores its practical application to Thailands “Community Forestry Bill,” which seeks to establish communal rights of access and conservation in forest reserve areas. The paper examines conflicts concerning watershed forests and mangroves in Thailand, and argues that efforts to support rural livelihoods through community rights have been undermined by a state that has frequently supported commercial interests or opposed decentralization to minority groups. The paper documents how civil society organizations may negotiate rights within the wider public spheres in which rules, rights, and “community” are established, and defended.

Business attitudes to sustainable tourism: self-regulation in the UK outgoing tourism industry.

Much debate about sustainable tourism has focused on how to change business practices which lead to environmental and social damage in tourist destinations. There is much disagreement between campaigners, who wish to make industry more responsible for sustainable tourism, and companies, which fear regulations may damage business performance. Many companies have adopted their own practices of sustainable tourism. Yet these are sometimes criticised by campaigners for being superficial. This paper describes research undertaken to list current practices of self‐regulation adopted by the UK outgoing tourism industry, and to identify how far these satisfy principles of sustainable tourism identified by campaigners. The research also identified perceived obstacles to the adoption of sustainable practices, and how practices could operate in the commercial favour of companies. Results indicated that many companies saw sustainable tourism practices to be of commercial benefit; in particular, they could add value to...

Tourism and agricultural development in Thailand

Abstract The adoption of tourism by agricultural communities may increase or decrease environmental degradation by affecting the frequency of cultivation or perceived value of soil conservation. Research undertaken in a prominent “hill tribe” village in northern Thailand indicated that tourism was only adopted by those with available cash and labor, and did not present a viable alternative to agriculture. However, households which did adopt tourism increased frequency of cultivation by hiring agricultural labor and dividing land within families to maximize use of land. Tourism has, therefore, been unavailable to the poorest small landowners who most need a new source of income, but it has generally increased frequency of cultivation among those who have adopted it.

International Investment and Climate Change : Energy Technologies for Developing Countries

Preface * Executive Summary * Part I Themes - Introduction * International Investment and Climate Change Mitigation * Decentralized Electrification and Climate Technology Transfer * Electricity Investment and Privatization in South-east Asia * Part II: Case Studies - Introduction to the Case Studies * Building Renewable Energy in Grid-Dominated Areas: the Experience of Thailand * Renewable Energy Investment Under Dominant State Ownership: the Case of Vietnam * Renewable Energy Investment Under Strict Bureaucracy: the Case of Indonesia off-Grid Renewable Energy Under Active Investment: the Philippines * Part III: Conclusions - Renewable Energy Investment and Technology Transfer in South-East Asia * Redefining International Investment and Technology Transfer for Climate Change Mitigation * Enhancing Public-Private Synergy in Climate Change Policy * Appendix 1 Article 1: Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol: the Clean Development Mechanism * Appendix 2: Brief Summary of Renewable Energy Technologies * References

Sustainable livelihood approaches and soil erosion risks : who is to judge?

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to contribute to debates about environmental policy in developing countries by examining how far sustainable livelihoods approaches (SLAs) to development may allow an alternative and less universalistic approach to environmental changes such as soil erosion. Design/methodology/approach - The paper provides an overview of debates about environmental narratives and SLAs. There are tensions in both debates, about how far local institutions represent adaptations to predefined environmental risks, or instead enable a redefinition of risks according to the experience of poor people. In addition, there is a tension in how far SLAs should be seen as a fixed institutional design, or as a framework for organizing ideas and concerns about development. The paper presents research on soil erosion in Thailand as a case study of how SLAs can redefine risks from erosion for poor people. Findings - SLAs provide a more contextual analysis of how environmental changes such as soil erosion represent risk to different land users, and hence SLAs can make environmental interventions more relevant for reducing vulnerability. But this approach can only succeed if intervener agencies are willing to consider challenging pre-existing environmental narratives in order to empower local livelihoods. Originality/value - The paper adds to existing research on SLAs by exploring the implications of SLAs for redefining environmental assumptions. The paper forms part of work aiming to make debates about the politics of environmental knowledge and science more practically relevant within development policy.

What happened on "The Beach"? Social movements and governance of tourism in Thailand

Debates about ecotourism are futile without an understanding of how concepts of ecologically acceptable and unacceptable forms of tourism are developed. This paper assesses the case of public opposition to the filming of the Hollywood film, The Beach, in Thailand on grounds that it caused environmental degradation. Evidence suggests that campaigners overstated the films environmental impact in order to empower criticisms of the state. Yet the impact of the overstatement may strengthen other campaigns elsewhere in Thailand to exclude economic activities in national parks. The paper consequently argues that debates about environment and tourism need to assess the underlying implications of the environmental discourse used, and the extent to which this has been democratically constructed.

Environmental Social Movements in Thailand: How Important is Class?

This paper argues that current academic approaches to environmentalism in developing countries understate the role of class in either dominating political alliances, or in constructing underlying environmental discourse. The paper uses examples of various social movements in Thailand to illustrate the diverse ways in which environmental activism may represent or support different political objectives. It is proposed that analysts need to pay more attention to the origin of much environmental discourse from new, or identity-based social movements both within Thailand and elsewhere, and to seek ways to understand the ‘co-production’ of social activism and environmental knowledge.

Politicizing Environmental Science Does Not Mean Denying Climate Science Nor Endorsing It Without Question

This paper argues that the resistance to climate science from so-called deniers cannot be explained by drawing an imaginary line between two fields of science and politics and then investigating each for malfunctions. Instead, there is a need to understand the co-evolution of scientific knowledge and political norms more holistically, and to identify how simple classifications of right and wrong reduce discussion about climate risks and policies. This paper makes three recommendations. First, the debate about climate denial is a question of how science and politics connect, rather than a moral choice in accepting or rejecting science. Second, different ideologies (including “deniers” or “acknowledgers”) will always make simplistic statements about climate science. Third, there is a need to open up the discussion of climate risks beyond one master statement that humans have caused global warming to consider how to reduce emissions and vulnerability, which can include industrialization in developing countries.