Report of ERECON programs in 2009
Following programs were implemented in the program
year of 2009 from April 2009 to March 2010.
1. Programs on environment rehabilitation and conservationin Asian countries
1-1 Encouragement Program on Rehabilitation of Soil
Environment in Salt Affected Area of Northeast Thailand
This program aimed to rehabilitate soil environment in salt
affected area on Kham Pom of Khon Kaen, Northeast Thailand
through applying agro-forestry system and managing organic
model farms.
In 2009, the training for local farmers was conducted
through the field tour at other villages in which organic
agriculture has been promoted, as well as supporting organic
model farm management.

Photo. 2 Program (2-1) conducted in Nan
2-2 Research Program on Land Use and Natural Resource
Utilization and Management in Kampong Cham, Cambodia
This program dealt with the research on land use andnatural resource utilization and management in Kampong Cham,Cambodia.
The forest land in Wat Chas village has decreased due tothe human activities in the last 40 years. In particular, during theperiod of Khmer rouge from 1975 to 1979, people were forced
to move from cities to rural or remote areas in order to constructwater reservoirs, irrigation systems with deforestation foragricultural purpose. Much of the biodiversity and many
ecosystems were destroyed in large areas, including the area ofWat Chas village or its surroundings.
After the interview/questionnaire survey and the workshop
on the Satoyama Initiative in November 2009 at Wat Chasvillage, the villagers decided to pay more attention tosustainable use and management of natural resources, inparticular to sustaining the variety of plants in woodlands
around the dwellings. At the moment in Wat Chas village, there
are 24 compost boxes, 10 organic farms and one commercial
poultry farm with 500 ducks. Through adding various activities
on sustainable use and management of natural resources, Wat
Chas village will be a model case of sustainable agriculture ofCambodia in future.

Photo. 1 Program (1-1) conducted in Khon Kaen
2. Programs on sustainable use of natural resources in Asiancountries
2-1 Guidance of Sustainable Organic Agriculture andReforestation for Local Farmers (Phase 3)
The sloping area in Pua district of Nan province has been
suffered from big damage by heavy rainfall events. The damagetends to be accelerated by deforestation and burning practices.
For this situation, this program dealt with the conservation ofnatural resources through reforestation and sustainable organic
agriculture for local farmers.
The following activities were implemented in 2009;
conducting reforestation in desolated land at 5 ha, setting up thepellet compost center, establishing agro-forestry model farms
and conducting workshops/leader training for deeper perceptionof local people on sustainable agriculture and reforestation.

Photo. 3 Program (2-2) conducted in Kampong Cham１3. Programs on illuminating campaign of environment in
Asian countries
3-1 Technical Guidance of Eco-Agriculture for Local Farmers(Phase 5)This program aimed to enhance organic farming forsustainable agriculture in Khiri Mat district, Sukhothai province,
Thailand. Local farmers in this area depend on chemicalfertilizers and pesticides. It causes soil degradation as well aswater quality degradation with nutrients discharged into further
downstream. So, organic farming has been promoted for the past
four years.
In 2009, following contents have been conducted; holding
the workshop on organic agriculture at the schools with thefarmer’s group of Thung Yang Mueang sub-district, guiding how
to manage the model farms and the compost processing center,
conducting the leader training as well as distributing theguidebooks and the pamphlets.

Photo. 5 Program (3-2) conducted in Phitsanulok
3-3 Encouragement Program on Enhancing Composting in
Organic Farming to Reduce Burning in the Mekong River Basin(Phase 3)
This program dealt with the illumination on how to makecompost at 2 sites in Mekong River Basin in Thailand andCambodia for promoting sustainable agriculture through organic
resource circulation. In this program, Khon Kaen and Kampong
Cham were selected from Thailand and Cambodia, respectively.
In the program year of 2009, following activities wereimplemented; establishing the pellet processing center in
Cambodia, managing 20 model organic farms including thefarms set up last year at two sites through making and applying
compost and bio-pesticide, holding the workshops onsustainable agriculture for environmental conservation withvillagers at 2 sites and distributing 20,000 copies of the revised
pamphlet for enhancing organic farming.

Photo. 4 Program (3-1) conducted in Sukhothai
3-2 Encouragement Program on Enhancing Organic Farming
for Sustainable Agriculture for Local Farmers and Elementary
School Students (Phase 3)
This program aimed to promote sustainable agriculture tolocal people in Bangrakam district, Phitsanulok province,
Thailand. The target local people were not only farmers but also
students in the elementary schools, as most of students in thisarea become farmers after graduating from the elementaryschools.
The achievements in 2009 were to hold the workshops
under the collaboration between farmers and school teachers, toconduct the leader training through field training tour and crosssession meeting as well as symposium at Naresuan University
and to distribute the guidebooks and the pamphlets. Additionally,organic agriculture at the organic model farms at 5 villages andthe organic gardens at 6 schools were promoted through making
and applying compost and bio-pesticide.

Photo. 6 Program (3-3) conducted in Kampong Cham
3-4 Guidance of Sustainable Organic Agriculture for Students
The degradation of natural environment has been
advancing even in rural area, because of agricultural chemicals
applied in farmlands. As most of students in Phnom Penh andKampong Cham of Cambodia become farmers after graduatingfrom the elementary schools, the attention was paid to theenvironmental education through guiding organic farming forsustainable agriculture at the elementary schools.

２Following activities were implemented in 2009; holding theworkshops on soil and water conservation at five schools fordeepening perception of students concerning the bio-diversity,
promoting sustainable organic agriculture through making
bio-pesticide at each school with students, conducting theEco-contest, editing the textbook on environmental education,
distributing the pamphlet on sustainable agriculture and water
environment and conducting the leader training for teachers
regarding environmental education at their schools.

3-6 Encouragement of Environmental Education Program using
School Garden to Solve Regional Problems
This program aimed to enhance the knowledge andtechnique of environmental education for the elementary school
teachers in Cambodia. Also, the children who cannot attend
elementary schools by being left in development and being put
on bad living condition were involved in this program. School
teachers were encouraged to produce environmental education
programs not only for school students but also for children whocannot attend school. In this program, the contest ofenvironmental education programs which were made by school
teachers was held in addition to editing a draft of the guidebook
titled “Environmental education program”.

Photo. 7 Program (3-4) conducted in Kampong Cham
3-5 Program on Enhancing Food, Agriculture and Environment
Education for Elementary School in Developing Country
This program aimed to make a model for enhancing thefood, agriculture and environment education for the elementary
schools in Cambodia.
UNU-IAS, TUA, RUA and several NGOs such as ERECON,AERD and so on, joined this program through the food,agricultural and environment education at the elementaryschools and the facilitator training for elementary school
teachers under the collaboration with local governments andNGOs in Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham. Additionally,“International Conference on Environmental and RuralDevelopment” was held at Cambodia as a part of establishingprocess of RCE Greater Phnom Penh in ESD.

Photo. 9 Program (3-6) conducted in Phnom Penh

Photo. 8 Program (3-5) conducted in Phnom Penh３