1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Approach

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

Decision Support for Mainstreaming and Scaling out Sustainable Land Management (GEF-FAO / DS-SLM)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

Land Development Department LDD (Land Development Department LDD) - Thailand

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

09/10/2018

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

2.1 Short description of the Approach

Planting perennial salt-tolerant trees in the severely salt-affected area in Lam Satad of Chi-Mun watershed was introduced by the Land Development Department at A. Buayai, Nakhon Ratchasima. This project aimed at promoting the planting of Acacia ampliceps on an area of up to 4,665 rai (approx. 745 ha).

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

Land rehabilitation through Acacia ampliceps planting on severely salt-affected soils has been a subproject of the LDD project on "Planting Perennial Salt-tolerant Trees in Salt-affected Areas in the Northeast of Thailand", which started in 1996. The area of Acacia ampliceps has extended further than 10,000 rai (approx. 1600 hectares) through public relations, demonstration plots, collaboration of community leaders, the local governmental administration, and community volunteers on soil improvement and land users.
The soil salinity map (LDD, 1995) shows that the severely salt-affected land in Northeast Thailand covers 475,200 rai. One of the technologies to address salinity is to decrease the saline shallow groundwater level by planting salt-tolerant trees - which are low input compared with engineering measures. The LDD has been extensively planting Acacia ampliceps through close collaboration and participation of stakeholders and demonstration plots in many severely salt-affected locations of several sub-watersheds, one of the sites being Lam Satad of Chi-Mun watershed. The objectives of the approach are (1) to extend the area of planting Acacia ampliceps to prevent and decrease salination, (2) to maximize the use of salt-affected land for a better environment and crop production, and (3) to extend the knowledge of vegetative measures for salinity control to land users and laymen.
The methods used are through (1) demonstration plots of Acacia ampliceps - planting 2-month-old seedlings in pits as single rows at 80 trees per rai (500 per hectare); (2) the land users got to know the approach through public relations media, local administration, community soil doctor volunteers on soil improvement, community leaders, SLM specialists, and researchers; (3) selection of interested land users under LDD requirements; (4) training of selected land users after joining the project, and (5) monitoring and evaluation after 1 year of planting.
Stakeholders involved are LDD researchers and SLM specialists responsible for establishing planting methods, preparation of land (land leveling and beds for planting), production of seedlings and carrying out demonstration plots, as well as monitoring and evaluation and training at the beginning of planting in new areas. The local administration and community soil doctor volunteers on soil improvement are involved in public relations, recommendations, and strengthening closer participation among farmers. Land users/farmers are to be trained and instructed to follow the technology by SLM specialists. They also participate in the monitoring and evaluation and persuade other land users/farmers to plant Acacia ampliceps.
The land users/farmers favour the technology because they have observed that salinity could be controlled, and they utilize the trees as shade for cattle and the tree branches for producing charcoal. Besides, the land users are self-organized as a group to watch and protect the young trees from being trampled by cattle. The disadvantage of Acacia ampliceps is its sensitivity to flash floods and forest fires. Furthermore, the direct production from the trees is low.

2.3 Photos of the Approach

2.4 Videos of the Approach

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied

2.6 Dates of initiation and termination of the Approach

2.7 Type of Approach

• project/ programme based

2.8 Main aims/ objectives of the Approach

The purpose is to scale-out the approach to persuade farmers on severely salt-affected land in other districts and provinces to grow Acacia ampliceps.

2.9 Conditions enabling or hindering implementation of the Technology/ Technologies applied under the Approach

3.1 Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles

3.2 Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach

	Involvement of local land users/ local communities	Specify who was involved and describe activities
initiation/ motivation	passive	Training and demonstration plot was held in the study area.
planning	interactive	Public hearing planning was set up before the beginning of the project.
implementation	external support	Some farmers were hired labourers in this project.
monitoring/ evaluation	interactive	Volunteer soil doctors and community volunteers were in charge of the coordination.

3.3 Flow chart (if available)

3.4 Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology/ Technologies

Specify who decided on the selection of the Technology/ Technologies to be implemented:

• mainly SLM specialists, following consultation with land users

Explain:

LDD started to do demonstration plots and educate farmers in 2014.

Specify on what basis decisions were made:

• evaluation of well-documented SLM knowledge (evidence-based decision-making)

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Yes

Specify who was trained:

• land users

If relevant, specify gender, age, status, ethnicity, etc.

Mrs. Nurean Tathaisong, female, 56 years old, married, Thai

Form of training:

• demonstration areas

Subjects covered:

The rehabilitation of severely salt-affected soils by growing Acacia ampliceps could reduce household expenditure and is easy to follow.

Comments:

Mrs. Nurean Thathaisong, female, 56 years old, married, Thai, has been playing an important role as a land user who received training and operated demonstration areas since 2014.

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

Yes

Specify whether advisory service is provided:

• on land users' fields

Describe/ comments:

1. LDD officers educate farmers in the study area.
2. There is cooperation among community leaders, volunteer soil doctors (soil improvement volunteers) and successful farmers.

4.3 Institution strengthening (organizational development)

Have institutions been established or strengthened through the Approach?

• no

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Yes

Comments:

LDD officers are in charge of monitoring, investigating survival rates and planning for replanting in the next cropping season.

If yes, is this documentation intended to be used for monitoring and evaluation?

Yes

Comments:

There are many issues in a document, which should be used for monitoring and evaluation.

4.5 Research

Was research part of the Approach?

Yes

Specify topics:

• technology

Give further details and indicate who did the research:

LDD researchers

5.1 Annual budget for the SLM component of the Approach

If precise annual budget is not known, indicate range:

• < 2,000

Comments (e.g. main sources of funding/ major donors):

Land Development Department

5.2 Financial/ material support provided to land users

Did land users receive financial/ material support for implementing the Technology/ Technologies?

Yes

If yes, specify type(s) of support, conditions, and provider(s):

Cost of compost, fertilizer, rice husks, Acacia ampliceps seedlings

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

• labour

• agricultural

• construction

Comments:

There were many subsidies such as labour, agricultural inputs, and construction material, which are free for farmers who have engaged in this project.

5.4 Credit

Was credit provided under the Approach for SLM activities?

No

5.5 Other incentives or instruments

Were other incentives or instruments used to promote implementation of SLM Technologies?

No

6.1 Impacts of the Approach

6.2 Main motivation of land users to implement SLM

6.3 Sustainability of Approach activities

Can the land users sustain what has been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?

• yes

If yes, describe how:

Most farmers have a good understanding of the rehabilitation of Acacia ampliceps on severely salt-affected soils. Moreover, farmers can get benefit of expenditure reduction through utilization of tree branches as charcoal.

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
1) Acacia ampliceps is a perennial salt-tolerant tree, which can grow well in the severely salt-affected area.
2) Desalinization resulted from Acacia ampliceps plantation after 2 years of planting, native grasses return and become grazing land.
3) Tree branches of Acacia ampliceps could be utilized as charcoal; and the land was changed from barren to trees that become shading.
4) Soil doctors (soil improvement volunteers) were in charge of coordination.

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
1) There were LDD officers working with a community leader, soil doctors (soil improvement volunteers) and SAO (Sub-district Administration Organization) officers, who can suggest and support necessary information to the farmer.
2) Land Development Department operates demonstration plots.

6.5 Weaknesses/ disadvantages of the Approach and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
1) If a farmer does not engage with this project, he will have no knowledge how to plant Acacia ampliceps in the farm. Moreover, he will not know where to buy Acacia ampliceps seeds.	The LDD has extensively worked through close collaboration and participation of community leader, soil doctors (soil improvement volunteers) and local administration officers on public relations and persuade other land users/ farmers to plant Acacia ampliceps.

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
1) If a farmer doesn’t engage with this project, they don’t have knowledge how to desalinization by planting Acacia ampliceps. Moreover, they don’t know that severely salt-affected soils become less saline to become rice field after 3 years of planting Acacia ampliceps.	There must have training/ suggesting farmers to know the benefits of Acacia ampliceps planting.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Land Development Department

Available from where? Costs?

http://www.ldd.go.th/

7.3 Links to relevant information which is available online

Title/ description:

Where the land is greener - Case Studies and Analysis of Soil and Water Conservation Initiatives Worldwide

URL:

http://www.ldd.go.th/www/lek_web/