Role of land tenure security and farm household characteristics on land use change in the Prasae Watershed, Thailand

Land tenure and resource availability can play a critical role in the land use decision-making process, resulting in different types of land use changes. This paper investigates the role of land tenure security and farm household characteristics on land use change in the Prasae Watershed, Thailand, using GIS and farm-level data. Forest conversion to annual crops and subsequently to perennial crops was a typical land use change during 1982–2004. Tenure insecurity is found to be associated with deforestation and forest encroachment. Insecure landholders adopt perennial crops in order to acquire basic land use rights and entitlement to subsequent legal registration, while more secure land tenure is seen to have economic advantages for production and long-term investment. Although land tenure security can act as a crucial factor in land use decision making, farmers opt for different land use options based on characteristics such as farm size and available labor. To advance the economic well-being of insecure and temporary landholders and support forest conservation, this report concludes that an effective policy should aim to improve both farm productivity and land quality while protecting the remaining forest.