The Doi Inthanon Business Plan : How The National Protected Areas System Plan Can Contribute Workshop By Prof. Jeffrey A.McNeely on April 28, 2014 at The Empress Hotel, Chiang Mai

1. THE DOI INTHANON BUSINESS
PLAN:
HOW THE NATIONAL PROTECTED
AREAS SYSTEM PLAN CAN
CONTRIBUTE
By
Prof. Jeffrey A. McNeely

2. The 2007
Constitution
National Parks
Act BE 2504 &
Wild Animals
Reservation &,
Protection ACT
BE 2503
(revised 2535),
plus other
relevantt Acts
The 2012-2016
National
Economic and
Social
Development
Plan
The National
Protected
Areas System
Plan
Protected Area
Policies
Protected Area
Site
Management
Plans
Protected Area
Site Business
Plans

3. The first principle of fund-raising:
Start by securing your base

4. What are the assets
that Doi Inthanon
could market?

5. What “products” is
Doi Inthanon trying
to “sell”?

6. Judging from Internet
images, Doi Inthanon
is a cultural landscape.

7. Visitors like to see the
summit of Thailand

8. And of course they like to eat….

9. …especially with locally
grown organic vegetables…

10. …and they like to visit the Royal
Garden Siribhum…

11. …and see some waterfalls..

12. For this, they are
willing to pay.

13. Build a strong working relationship
with the tourism industry.

14. Visitors also like to shop, with some of the
profits going to support the national park.

15. Can more products be sold?

16. Local handicrafts
benefit villagers and
make money.

17. And the hill tribe villages are part
of the attraction of Doi Inthanon National Park
How to manage the
sharing of benefits?

18. Local products demonstrate
the value of nature to both
the buyer and the seller.

19. Is full
advantage
being
earned from
private
sector
donors?

20. Bring the social media into Doi Inthanon

22. And use the social media to
reconnect people to nature.

23. The radar station provides a
valuable and unique service.
How can the National Park be
compensated for its
contribution?

24. Is the National
Observatory part of
Doi Inthanon’s Management
Plan and Business Plan?

25. Can the National
Observatory be
incorporated into
the Park’s attractions?

26. Some ideas for new funding

27. Use Doi Inthanon as
an advertising brand

28. Carbon sequestration and storage
Soil formation and fertility
Plant pollination
Watershed protection and regulation
Air quality Pest & disease control
Decomposition of wastes Landscape beauty
An innovative funding mechanism:
Payment for ecosystem services
Conservation of biodiversity

29. Water may be
Doi Inthanon’s
most valuable
“product”

30. King Inthawichayanon
was the last ruler of
Chiangmai, reigning
from 1870 to 1897. He
was particularly
concerned about the
mountain forests of the
North, for their
ecosystem service of
watershed protection.
No surprise that the
mountain is now named
after him.

31. But visitors to his shrine learn
little about Doi Inthanon’s value
in providing water.

32. The Bhumipol Dam depends
on water from Doi Inthanon
National Park.

33. The “user pays principle” says that
those who benefit from a good or
service should pay for it.

34. Bhumipol Dam generates 743.5 megawatts of energy,
about 20% of Thailand’s hydroelectricity

35. Nakai Nam Theun National Protected Area in Laos
receives US$ 1 million per year for protecting the
watershed of the Nam Theun Dam, which sells 7,000
megawatts of power to Thailand. How much
should Doi Inthanon NP receive for the benefits it
provides to EGAT?

36. Doi Inthanon NP also
supplies water to farmers
in the surrounding agricultural
lands, with Bhumipol dam
providing water to 12,000 km2.

37. Conserving plant genetic resources
is an important service. Modern
biotechnology is growing in
Thailand, so how can the valuable
genetic resources of crop wild
relatives, medicinal plants, and
ornamental flowers be managed to
benefit both the nation and the
national park?

38. Climate change is coming to
Thailand, so how can Doi
Inthanon contribute, and
be compensated for its
contributions???

40. Its size, location, habitat
diversity, and altitudinal range
make Doi Inthanon a unique
partner in Thailand’s efforts to
adapt to climate change.
Projects to enhance the park’s
capacity to adapt to climate
change would be attractive.

41. Fund-raising needs attractive projects.
How about restoring some of the
species that have been lost from Doi
Inthanon?

42. Doi Inthanon once
had a large population
of gibbons. It can
support them again.

43. Doi Inthanon once
had hornbills. It
could have them again,
making the park more
attractive to birdwatchers.

44. Brown Great Pied
Wreathed
Refous-
necked
Five Hornbill species
once lived on Doi
Inthanon

45. Doi Inthanon National Park makes many
contributions to Thai society. Resources are
required to manage this valuable source of
water, food, inspiration, knowledge, climate
change adaptation, and cultural heritage.
These are best provided by efficient,
transparent, and credible ways of collecting
and spending the funds that are raised.