United Nations Development Programme tie-up to bolster climate change resilience

Efforts are being made to strengthen Thailand’s ability to deal with the increasing threat of climate change.
Thailand has collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under a project called “increasing resilience to climate change impacts in marine and coastal areas along the Gulf of Thailand”.
It is funded by a US$3 million (101.2 million baht) grant from the Green Climate Fund.
Launched in August 2020, this four-year initiative is intended to develop solutions to address Thailand’s climate change vulnerability, with Rayong, Phetchaburi, Surat Thani and Songkhla chosen as pilot areas.
Key partners in the project include the Department of Climate Change and Environment (DCCE) and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, both under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
Phirun Saiyasitpanich, director-general of the DCCE, said Thailand is vulnerable to climate change impacts and was ranked 9th among countries most affected by extreme weather events during the period 2000-2019 by the Global Climate Risk Index Report in 2021.
The increasing impact of extreme climate events such as rising sea levels, storms, flooding, heatwaves and shoreline erosion is creating stress on biodiversity, marine life and resources, mangroves, seagrass, and coral reefs along coastal provinces.
Climate change impacts are also posing a threat to local tourism, agriculture, fisheries, and aquaculture and natural resources, he said.
In light of this, Thailand is working to help marine and coastal areas and communities along the Gulf of Thailand to build resilience to climate change impacts.
The UNDP says the project has developed climate adaptation measures to help boost Thailand’s long-term climate resilience.
They include a climate-risk projection platform called the Thailand Adaptation Platform, available on the DCCE website.
This platform provides access to data on climate change risk projections, vulnerability assessments, and a training manual on climate adaptation planning.
Other measures included the creation of marine resource banks, the construction of sand fences to combat shoreline erosion, and the preservation and replanting of mangroves to protect vulnerable areas.
Mr Phirun said the data collected and best practices developed under the project will also be introduced to other vulnerable coastal provinces to help them build climate change resilience.
During the four-year implementation of the project, provincial and local agencies in the four provinces have been equipped with the ability and knowledge necessary for informed planning for climate change adaptation, he said.