For many years, residents of Sub Tai village, Thailand were forced to supplement their incomes by poaching in nearby Khao Yai National Park, a repository of rare species and Thailand's oldest national park. This all began to change in 1985 when the Population and Community Development Association of Bangkok launched CBIRD Center in Sub Tai to deal with issues of economic indebtedness and poaching. In this participatory project, villagers signed a commitment not to cut trees or hunt in the park in return for low-cost loans.



To ensure that the rich biodiversity of Khao Yai National Park is protected, loans are disbursed for ecological income generating activities such as tree-planting and trekking services. As a result, income in Sub Tai has nearly doubled and many community members are free from debt.



Through greater community involvement in park management, illegal logging in the park has fallen by 75% and the many rare species of Khao Yai National Park, including the Asian elephant and tiger, now have a more secure future.