Project Developers Perspective Andrew Steel- Equitech 02-11-2011

1. THE PROJECT DEVELOPERS
PERSPECTIVE ANDREW G . STEEL
Chief Executive Officer
The TREEDOM Group
andrew.steel@treedom.biz

2. INTRODUCTION
Project Developer
“Plantation Management”
Consultancy
Carbon Forestry
“Investment Advisor to the Asia
Renewable Resources Fund (ARRF) ”
“UK Charity & Thai Foundation”

3. AIMS/OBJECTIVES
Six Senses Reforestation Project

4. EDUCATION
 Educating the client
 Long lead time
 Educating Govt departments
on carbon offsetting
 Pioneering - No Govt policy
 Speaking Swahili

5. DOCUMENTATION
 Translation (500 pages)
 Removal of key sentences from
our documentation
 Procedures
 Story changing
 Satellite imagery

6. PARTNERS
 Sourcing the right partners
 FORRU, DNP
 Go to ground first
 bottom up approach
 Corruption
 Going it alone takes a lead time
of around 2-3 years
 Government department acts as
Project Lead 18 months

7. SOURCING LAND
 Sourcing the land
 Costs – high ($20k Ha – without
land title)
 Difficult locations
 Accreditations Criteria
 Teak plantations
 Land Sizes
 Ask for 500 Rai you get 500 Rai
lost in translation?

8. RECRUITMENT
 Getting the team in place
 Signing contract to getting project
started
 Sourcing skilled forestry staff proving
difficult
 Lack of forestry personnel - only 274
forestry students from Kasetsart
University
 Villagers difficult to recruit in fruit
harvesting season

9. LOGISTICS
 Equipment
 Storage
 Seedlings
 10,000 a day from nursery
 Villagers
 Door to Door service!
 Walk up the hill……..
 Bathrooms

10. WEATHER …. FLOODING
 Adverse climate conditions
(persistent rainfall)
 Access to Areas
 Flooding of roads restricted
area access (Mae Wa)
 Bridge taken out (Doi Pa Ma)

11. WEATHER …. FLOODING
Water level started to rise …………….
21st Sept 2011

12. WEATHER …. FLOODING
Water level rose tenfold causing bridge neck collapse
28th Sept 2011
Only 7 Days later

13. VILLAGERS…. positives
Supportive
Employment Opportunity
Education
Environmental
Harmony

14. OTHER LAND USE…..
Common cattle & elephant grazing ground

15. VILLAGERS…. ISSUES &CONFLICTS
 Payments
 No ATM – Cash!
 Working with hill tribe
groups
 Lack of lead time to
conduct Participatory
Resource Assessments
(PRA)
 Knife threats
 Threats to take out the
bridge
 Threats to burn down the
site

16. CONCLUSION
Not for the faint hearted or people with high blood pressure!

17. THANK YOU
ANDREW G . STEEL
Chief Executive Officer
The TREEDOM Group
andrew.steel@treedom.biz