COMMUNITY RIGHTS AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE PROTECTION OF NATURAL WORLD HERITAGE AREAS

Abstract

This research aims to study the concepts, the theories, and the history of community rights and the participation of people in the protection of Natural World Heritage. This includes the study of international and foreign laws such as Australia’s law and India’ law in order   to compare with Thailand’s legal context.
It analyses legal issues related to community rights and the participation of people in the protection of Natural World Heritage.

            The dissertation also provides recommendations to improve legal to be more appropriate for community and current situation. The study shows the best solutions for Thailand in the area of community’s legal rights and the participation of people in the protection of Natural World Heritage are:
1) The law should be enacted to clearly identify the rights of community and how it could participate in the protection of Natural World Heritage, other than those specified in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand Buddhist Era 2560 (2017) . 2) The Thai Government should establish a committee with direct responsibilities and full law enforcement authority. In the researcher’s point of view, the committee should include the Director General of The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department or The Director General of The Royal Forest Department, community’s leader and representatives from related Ministry.  This committee will propose practical community’s participation and right and punishment when the law is broken. This extends to government agency and public officer due to its ignorance. 3) Thailand should improve community’s policy, allowing Engaging Local Communities in Stewardship of World Heritage. (A methodology based on the COMPACT experiencea is the project related to the experience of community management that relies on conservation areas And take care of the natural heritage from various countries (Community Protected Areas Conservation: COMPACT) by giving importance to community participation as a guideline for the protection of world heritage sites Which has every coverage Steps of the World Heritage Process From nomination, Follow-up management and reporting Want the world heritage site to be sustainable And received support from agencies to help supervise the natural world heritage) For example, public is allowed to propose how the Natural World Heritage should be protected.