Conflicts and Collaboration in Public land Management: The case study of KhokNongsim in Pathumrat District, Roiet

Abstract

The study is the qualitative research with the aims to (1) study the situation of conflict regarding public land management in KhokNongsim. (2) to study the situation of collaboration and roles of stakeholders related to public land management in KhokNongsim. And (3) to explore the guidelines for enhancing sustainable collaboration related to public land management in KhokNongsim. The research begins by conducting data through documentary research and employed interviews with 17 key informants to collect data from the fields. The key informants are selected based on the purposive sampling technique. The research found that, regarding the situation of problems of public land management in KhokNongsim, the research areas is unique but with different interesting issues including: (1) lack of land for subsistence (2) lack of clear rights over public land (3) lack of mutual understanding among stakeholders for KhokNongsim public land management and (4) there is different sources of information input about public land use at KhokNongsim. In relation to the situation of collaboration and roles of stakeholders related to public land management in KhokNongsim, the research revealed that there are two main types of collaborations comprising: the collaboration among the villagers themselves (internal collaboration) as well as the collaboration from external sectors (external collaboration). This research also proposes some recommendations to enhance sustainable collaboration related to public land management in KhokNongsim that the need of more communication within community as well as with more support for meditation process; the need of law for conflict management and also for compensation; the study visit by government sector and workshop for enhancing knowledge about public land utilization and its related laws. The areas of knowledges can include the issues of trespassing on public lands; the interpretation of public land utilization; legally access to public land.