Buddharaksa Community Forest Project: Integrating Environmental Conservation with Ethical Development in Local Buddhist Communities

The Buddharaksa Community Forest Project aims to conserve and restore natural resources while simultaneously promoting ethical and moral development within local communities, guided by Buddhist principles and the Community Forest Act B.E. 2562. The project covers approximately 2,189 rai 3 ngan 93 square wah in the Dong Phaya Yen National Reserved Forest, Sikhio District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, encompassing five villages and fostering collaboration among households, temples, schools and forest areas. Key activities include establishing religious sites within forest areas, constructing forest patrol roads and firebreaks to support monitoring and natural hazard prevention and managing natural resources sustainably. The outcomes demonstrate effective collaboration between communities and governmental agencies, enhancing environmental stewardship, ethical values and social sustainability. This project serves as a model for moral communities in Buddharaksa, integrating environmental conservation with the cultivation of communal ethics.