ECONOMIC INCENTIVES FOR CONSERVING BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN THAILAND

The Thai economy is booming, but much of the rapid economic growth is being fueled by unsustainable use of natural resources (often subsidized by government policies), resulting in a loss of biodiversity. Based on the premise that conservation would be most successful if it were to be promoted by economic incentives, studies were carried out in the fields of forestry, protected areas, marine fisheries, mangroves, and nature tourism. New incentives were defined for each sector, along with changes in government policies to be included in Thailand's Seventh Five-Year Plan.