COP26 has committed to end deforestation by 2030, however this has had far ranging unintended consequences for forest dependent people and forest health. A globally recurrent theme in forest conservation are the struggles between Indigenous lands, state claims over the land and the sustainability of natural resources. Such issues characterise for example the northern Thai province of Chiang Mai, where exclusion from forest protected areas has made it increasingly difficult for Indigenous peoples to manage both their land and their environment. Violent conflict with the Thai State over land and forest use has started to undermine human security and development, while lessons for the peaceful resolution of these frictions would generate important insights into the future achievement of COP26 policy commitments.

A University of Warwick Project, supported by the Policy Support Fund and led by Professor Ivo Vlaev, Professor of Behavioural Science at Warwick Business School, assembled a consortium of internationally acclaimed researchers, Indigenous scholar-activists, media producers, NGOs, and members of local communities and State agencies in northern Thailand. Building on years of participatory research in the Southeast Asian region, the collaborators and partners interweaved policy engagement into a broader international programme of work on the livelihood consequences of land use change and conservation experienced by forest-dwelling Indigenous peoples – with the long-term aims to contribute to conflict resolution and to inspire more inclusive conservation policy.The project has engaged in a range of participatory and consultative activities to achieve its ambitious objectives. Among others, the collaborators have been developing a four-chapter investigative documentary "Nurturing lives in the forest” under the directorship of renowned independent film maker Nontawat Numbenchapol and his Mobile Lab Project production company.

Based on the experiences of four highland communities in northern Thailand, drafts of the film have been showcased and developed through international film festivals such as the Docs by the Sea workshop, and further development is now geared towards international broadcasting. An online media archive will be made available with the official release of the documentary.

While documentary production enables broader public access to the research topic and the debates surrounding it, the project also contributed directly to local policy discussions between Indigenous groups, forestry departments, and state agencies. A series of online workshops have taken place to engage international researchers in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Madagascar and France and the UK to drive collaborative research. The collaborative work has yielded a policy statement published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, which culminated in a 3-day policy conference with local and international partners on “Natural Resources and Indigenous People.”

On 11 August 2022, a team of Chiang Mai researchers with scholars from the University of Warwick and Monash University Indonesia embarked on a field trip to consult with highland communities in Samoeng and Mae Rim districts of Chiang Mai, as well as to interview government authorities concerned with the land and forest use of Indigenous peoples in the highlands.

The field trip was followed by a 2-day policy-oriented conference, in which 50 participants including highland communities in Chiang Mai, the civil society and NGO sector, scholars, political activists, government agencies, local politicians, artists, and students gathered online and in person at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University, to discuss security, culture, and livelihood challenges in preserving and reviving natural resources.

Caption: Dr Chayan Vaddhanaphuti gives keynote remarks to open the policy conference on “Natural Resources and Indigenous People.”

Credit: Marco J Haenssgen.

Caption: Discussions of conference participants

Credit: Marco J Haenssgen

Building on the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Thailand, the Southeast Asian region, and broader international cases, the conference reflected on directions for inter-sectoral collaboration, network-building, and policy. The conference was kicked off by Dr Chayan Vaddhanaphuti, distinguished scholar and Director of the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD). The innovative format of the conference included demonstrations of policy tools, the sharing of case study experiences, discussion-based panels, film screenings, and was accompanied by additional media work to document the discussions and interviews with participants. Inspiring conversations and dialogue during the conference enabled participants to reflect on directions of future conservation policy, the support that academic researchers can provide for local communities, and deliberations about behavioural intervention design spearheaded by project leader Prof Ivo Vlaev. An evening event in which young members of Indigenous communities discussed identity in the digital age – including digital content creators, artists, and film makers – rounded off the series of events.

Caption: Footage from conference and evening programme including reflections by project leader Professor Ivo Vlaev.

Credits: Nontawat Numbenchapol.

Work has engaged stakeholders from the local communities, related state authorities, and national, regional, and international non-governmental organisations and scholars to make conservation policy more inclusive. 

The research team will continue to develop documentary films, feeding them back to villagers. Once the films are released it is anticipated they will have an ongoing influence on policy and public audiences. The content will also be diffused among nonconventional international audiences at film festivals. A project conference will also take place with stakeholders.