Tucked away in rolling green mountains some 60 kilometres from northern Thailand’s bustling city of Chiang Mai lies an ethnic Akha and Lisu hill tribe village where Meepia Chumee lived in a constant state of uncertainty for more than 30 years.  Born to a mother with Thai nationality and a stateless father, she was abandoned as a baby and her birth was never registered, leaving her with no legal status in the country where she was born. She was raised by her grandmother and uncle, who were also stateless.  Thailand has a registered stateless population of more than half a million – one of the largest in the world. Nearly a quarter of them live in Chiang Mai. They are mostly members of indigenous ethnic minorities from the mountainous border areas. Being registered provides them with some access to education, work, and health care, although their ability to travel between provinces is limited. However, there are an unknown number of stateless people, like Meepia, who are unregistered and face additional challenges accessing their basic rights to education, work and health care.   Meepia was forced to leave school after second grade and later could only find labour-intensive farming work for which she received at most a hundred baht (less than US$3) a day. She was terrified to venture out of her village after being stopped at a police checkpoint and fined for not having an ID document. When her husband, who was also stateless, managed to gain citizenship, their children were able to claim nationality from their father, but not Meepia.
 
“It was extremely difficult,” she sighs. “Sometimes I felt disheartened and asked myself why I didn’t have the same things as everyone else.” Thailand has endorsed the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR’s #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness by 2024 and has gradually reformed its nationality and civil registration laws to make it easier for people to claim their citizenship and rights. Over 100,000 stateless people have acquired Thai citizenship since 2008. However, in practice, procedures are often difficult to access, bureaucratic and complex. When Meepia was 30, by a stroke of luck, someone from her village met her mother in the nearby province of Chiang Rai. Without hesitation, Meepia seized on the chance to start the process of applying for nationality. She plucked up the courage to contact her mother and ask her to do the DNA test that would prove their relationship. She then gathered all the documents she had and travelled to the district office 17 kilometres away – a big risk as an unregistered stateless person.  But after three years of waiting, her application was not accepted and she was told to restart the process in her mother’s province, hundreds of kilometres away. 
 
Meepia’s story travelled through her village and reached the ears of Meefah Ahsong – a community casework volunteer working for Legal Community Network (LCN) and Legal Advocacy Walk (LAW) – two grassroots NGOs which work alongside UNHCR in supporting people to navigate the process of applying for legal status and nationality.  “I’m illiterate. I knew enough to understand what certain documents were, but I didn’t really understand them 100 per cent,” says Meepia. “Meefah called me and told me that her organization could help.”
 
Meefah had been stateless herself and knew full well the struggles Meepia was facing. She is among around 20 to 30 community volunteers in ethnic villages across five of Chiang Mai’s districts who are the unsung heroes working to end statelessness in Thailand. All previously stateless themselves, they are nominated by other villagers and then trained by LCN and LAW on nationality laws, how to collect information, and how to work with government officials at district offices.  Meefah helped Meepia with her paperwork and accompanied her to the same district office, but this time with backup. “Meefah told me to bring my mother along, so I called her to come,” Meepia recalled. “On the day, Meefah brought along my village elder, other volunteers in the NGO, and even officials from the Department of Provincial Administration, and I was able to be registered into the system.” Meepia finally acquired her Thai citizenship in August this year at the age of 34. Meefah describes helping others in her community to gain citizenship as “a blessing”.  “I’m happy that they have a new life, they have better work, and access to health coverage” she says. “I want stateless villagers to be more aware of the rights that they are entitled to.”  As for Meepia, she hopes her hard-won citizenship will open the door to job opportunities with the many resort hotels in the region, which would not hire her before without an ID. She also says her official status has given her newfound confidence. “The day I held the Thai ID card in my hand, I felt happiness and massive relief. Even though I may not have money like others, I now have the same rights as them. I don’t have to live in fear anymore.”

San Lin is a mother of two, living in Thailand’s Umpiem Refugee Camp, 12 kilometres from the Myanmar border. Her daughter has severe autism, and her son suffers from polio. She’s stressed and worried about her children, and she suffers from insomnia as a result.  Thailand currently hosts over 90,000 refugees across nine refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border. Many refugees – who mainly consist of Karen, Karenni and Burmese ethnicities – have lived in these camps since the mid-1980s after fleeing conflict between ethnic armed groups and the Myanmar military.  Like San Lin, many refugees are faced with daily stress-inducing factors that inevitably compound and impact their mental health. Furthermore, with widespread misconceptions and a general lack of knowledge about mental health issues, only 2 per cent of camp residents have registered to seek Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services this year.  In response, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency via its implementing partner, Humanity & Inclusion, launched a new dedicated programme on MHPSS. The programme objectives are to raise awareness and strengthen community support – allowing camp residents to not only have a better understanding of mental health but also be empowered by strategies to cope. Recently, San Lin was visited by Do Nu Ei, 25, a new camp-based mental-health staff. She is part of the eleven newly trained MHPSS refugee staff across Thailand’s five refugee camps. Do Nu Ei was selected based on her educational background and her aptitude in working with people with disabilities.  She listened attentively to San Lin’s troubles, provided her counsel, and ended the session by teaching her some deep breathing techniques to manage her anxiety. For San Lin, regular home visits by the Humanity & Inclusion staff offer her “comfort and encouragement”. Home visits aren’t the only activities arranged by staff like Do Nu Ei. They also organize regular workshops for camp residents to increase their awareness of mental health issues, learn how to alleviate them and methods to help members of their own community.  Tami Lu, 23, the camp-based mental-health staff in Mae La Camp – Thailand’s largest refugee camp – recently organized a workshop for ten participants. Participants in these workshops are selected based on a mental health assessment conducted by the Humanity & Inclusion team.  Even before enrolling into the MHPSS programme, Tami Lu used to provide an attentive ear to his neighbours and siblings to relieve stress. Now, his skills serve the community at large.  During his workshop in Mae La, he began the session by asking participants how much they knew about mental health. They knew very little.  To allow them to understand, Tami Lu draws on their daily experiences as examples. “For instance, we start with a situation and dissect their thinking, feeling and reaction – including physical reaction,” he explains. “The objective is to get participants aware that mental health illnesses can trigger bodily reactions such as pain or insomnia. The consequence is physical, but the cause is mental.” Physical activities are also used to better explain how mental health illnesses arise. During one of their stress management sessions, Do Nu Ei asked participants in the Umpiem workshop to stand on one leg while holding a book in one hand. She gradually gives the participants more books and items to hold. Once unable to take the load, all the items would eventually drop to the floor. “Afterwards, I restart the same exercise, telling participants that they can ask for help from someone else,” said Do Nu Ei. “When they receive support, they realize they can stand on one foot for longer or carry more items. The purpose of this analogy is for them to understand that negative thinking is like a pile of books. If they are already in a fragile position and carry on, the stress accumulates, and you may collapse with time. Whereas if you ask for help, someone can take the load off your hands – literally and figuratively.”  “In the past, when I was overwhelmed by negative feelings, I sometimes stayed home not doing anything, not moving, not eating and not sleeping,” said a young female refugee who took part in the activity. “By joining the workshop, I understand these coping mechanisms are toxic but also other people feel the same way as I do. We learned that we can support each other.” Art therapy workshops are conducted as well to help camp residents channel their energy and frustrations. Creating art, as many studies have found, can be highly therapeutic. The act of drawing, painting and other forms of creativity can significantly reduce cortisol or “stress hormone” levels.  Do Nu Ei had Umpiem camp residents create “hapa-zome” – or leaf-dye art. Participants were handed blank tote bags and taped flowers and leaves on top. Then, they smashed the flowers and leaves onto the fabric with a hammer, transferring their natural pigment into the cloth. To further let loose, they were encouraged to yell “troubles, go away” while smashing their bags. With easily found tools and materials, participants were empowered to both manage their stress and create art.  Considering the challenges and stressors that refugees in the camps face daily, community-based psychosocial support is essential. The strategies that Tami Lu and Do Nu Ei are simple, but they empower refugees – providing them with the tools and knowledge to manage and improve their own mental well-being, as well as being able to help their fellow community members in need.  By the end of the home visit, San Lin’s breath slowed and she felt more appeased. “The breathing exercise helps me control my thoughts,” she says. “When I overthink, cannot sleep and feel anxious, I do the exercise and it helps me calm down, reduce my heartbeat, and relieves anxiety”.

HIGHLIGHTS Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha presided over GCNT Forum 2022 during which GCNT members committed to “finding solutions to global warming and biodiversity challenges.” The event was attended by Varawut Silpa-archa, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment; Gita Sabharwal, the UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand; and prominent GCNT members. GCNT encompasses more than 100 leading agribusiness, food, energy, finance, technology, and industry companies. The declaration of commitment by GCNT members highlights the importance of the private sector to enact measures to reduce and offset greenhouse gas emissions and to protect and revive natural habitats and biodiversity resources so as to help Thailand protect at least 30% of its land and marine areas by 2030 as per the national goal. View event photos November 2, 2022 — The Global Compact Network Thailand (GCNT) and United Nations Thailand hosted the high-level sustainability leadership conference GCNT Forum 2022: Accelerating Business Solutions to Tackle Climate & Biodiversity Challenges with Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha presiding over the event. Together with Varawut Silpa-archa, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, and Gita Sabharwal, the UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand, the prime minister was witness to a declaration of commitment by GCNT members to enact measures to reduce and offset greenhouse gas emissions, revive natural habitats and biodiversity resources, and contribute to Thailand’s national goal of protecting at least 30% of its land and sea areas by 2030. Prime Minister Prayut delivered a keynote address on “Thailand’s commitment and action to reduce global warming and damage to nature,” emphasizing that by alleviating climate change, not only can we solve natural crises but also ensure sustainable economic growth. At the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, which is scheduled to take place in Bangkok on November 18-19, Thailand as the host country has included the principle of its Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economic Development and the balance between economic growth and natural integrity in the main content of the APEC Output Document, known as the “Bangkok Goals on BCG Economy,” or simply “Bangkok Goals.” This will be the main agenda among the leaders from this economic zone. The success of the “Bangkok Goals” will pave the way for concrete and sustainable regional cooperation to tackle global crises such as climate change and biodiversity loss. To this end, all partners must transition toward clean energy, the sustainable management of forests and marine resources, waste reduction and improved waste management, and the promotion of green trade and investment. These objectives are in line with Thailand’s efforts in its collaborations with the international community to solve the climate crisis and achieve Thailand’s Carbon Neutrality by 2050 and Net Zero target by 2065. The Prime Minister stated that Thailand has great potential for enhancing biodiversity and can derive advantages from it, which is why it is important to optimize this national strength through creating added value from biological resources, upgrading agricultural and food products, investing in renewable energy sources and sustainable materials, and promoting responsible tourism. Thailand is a party to international cooperation under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and is actively collaborating with other nations to establish a global biodiversity framework after 2022, to be approved at the CBD COP15 meeting this December, General Prayut said. The Prime Minister also noted that the Thai private sector has started to adjust its business model with regard to resource security and sustainability. He stressed that it is essential that the entire sector move forward in unison so that small and medium-sized enterprises, which make up the bulk of businesses in Thailand, are supported in their transitioning efforts. This process will create strong and much-needed groundwork for Thailand, built with the cooperation of all businesses and sectors. “Development that focuses solely on growth and profits while overlooking the environment does not lead to sustainability but will only deepen inequality,” Prime Minister Prayut said. “It’s time we rethought our mindsets, lifestyles, economic models and business models, and achieved that sustainable balance. Profitability can go hand in hand with conservation of resources, environment, and society, and so must be.” In his own address at the event, Mr. Supachai Chearavanont, President of the Global Compact Network Association of Thailand and Chief Executive Officer of the Charoen Pokphand Group, highlighted the sustainability mindset of GCNT members, citing their declaration of commitment last year to advance Thailand toward the Net Zero goal by pledging to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, or at the latest by 2070. To date, GCNT members have reduced their GHG emissions through various projects by at least 8 million tons of CO2, which is equivalent to 1.6 million cars being taken off the country’s roads, Supachai explained. The GCNT Forum 2022 was held before the APEC meeting in Thailand in order to raise awareness and demonstrate that the Thai private sector is ready to take concrete steps in accordance with the government’s BCG model and the concept of “Open. Connect. Balance,” which is the main theme of Thailand as the APEC host country. A primary factor of success lies in mutual awareness and trust, especially as the world is currently facing political strife, armed conflicts and economic slowdowns in addition to environmental risks resulting from the mismanagement and overexploitation of natural resources. All sectors, including businesses and the government, must be prepared to cope with the impacts in a timely manner, Supachai stressed. Crucially, an emphasis must be on solving problems creatively and building a new generation of forward-thinking and dedicated leaders. The adoption of innovative technologies by large enterprises and SMEs alike is also key. Effective marketing and financial mechanisms as well as regular reporting are indispensable for enhanced transparency and performance monitoring. “Environmentally responsible business practices, coupled with the development and delivery of social values, will be able to meet consumer needs and open up business opportunities for sustainable growth and organization resilience that benefit the overall economy,” the GCNT’s President said. Gita Sabharwal, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Thailand, highlighted three key areas for tackling the global crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. First, the private sector, particularly GCNT members, can play an important role in advancing sustainable development goals by investing in cleaner technologies, optimizing resource utilization, and increasing responsible investment to accelerate an environmentally-friendly transition through the tangible reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, Sabharwal explained. Second, financing from the domestic financial market towards sustainability-related projects can make a marked difference in accelerating progress on the SDGs. Third, partnerships with the UN system can facilitate Thailand in gaining access to the knowledge base and experience of global experts, including technical expertise in carbon and energy markets, best low-carbon technologies, waste management, eco-friendly construction, sustainable tourism, and protection of biodiversity and endangered species. The UN stands with the Thai government and businesses to help them reap the benefits of sustainability in an efficient and cost-effective manner while also taking best practices to the global stage, the Resident Coordinator noted. “The world can learn from the role of the Thai private sector and the driving force of the GCNT members on the global stage to achieve the SDGs. This is an example of hope and strong leadership of Thailand. It is telling us that change can happen if all stakeholders work together and leave no one behind,” she explained. Mr. Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, said that his ministry would operate in several key areas: 1) policy, 2) application of technology in trade and investment, 3) development of domestic and international mechanisms for carbon credit market, 4) increasing GHG storage and reabsorption facilities, and 5) passing the Climate Change Bill to enhance the participation level of Thailand from voluntary to mandatory. Thailand will establish provisions on carbon credit management and necessary financial mechanisms, GHG emissions reduction targets by sectors, and target transmissions. “Thailand has the potential and readiness for development. I believe in the capacity of the Thai people. Cooperation from all sectors will guide Thailand to sustainable Carbon Neutrality. We have to join hands and protect this world for our children and grandchildren,” Varawut said. A highlight of the GCNT Forum 2022 was the declaration of commitment by GCNT members to tackle climate change and protect nature in a concrete, measurable, and scalable manner. Realizing the key role that biodiversity and ecosystem services play in sustainable business operations, the members of the Global Compact Network Thailand (GCNT) have been striving for concrete actions in partnership with all stakeholders to protect and revive natural resources and biodiversity, reduce and offset greenhouse gas emissions, promote nature-based solutions, mitigate the impacts of climate crisis, and increase biodiversity. The members of the GCNT will formulate a policy to manage and utilize biodiversity resources sustainably and fairlythroughout the supply chain. They will put in place a biodiversity value monitoring system, and engage communities and stakeholders from all sectors through financial support, scientific management, and international cooperation to help Thailand achieve its goal of protecting at least 30% of targeted land and marine areas by 2030. The GCNT Forum 2022 took place at the United Nations Convention Centre and via an online platform in a sustainable event format, in line with the guidelines of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB). Among over 100 sustainability leaders from all sectors who attended the event were Ms. Ruenvadee Suwanmongkol, Secretary-General of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Dr. Pakorn Peetathawatchai, President of Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), as well as senior executives of top Thai businesses such as the Charoen Pokphand Group, Charoen Pokphand Foods, CP All, NR Instant Produce, ThaiBeverage, True Corporation, Bangchak Corporation, IRPC, PTTEP, PTT, Huawei Technologies (Thailand), Kasikornbank, L’Oreal (Thailand), Pranda Jewelry, PTT Global Chemical, SCG Packaging, Thai Oil, and Thai Wah. The event consisted of five forums for five topics: 1. Solutions to mitigate climate change; 2. How to support businesses by sector in reversing biodiversity loss (2.1 energy and transport, 2.2 smart cities, real estate, retail, and consumer products, 2.3 investment options and the role of the capital market); 3. Defining biodiversity strategies and targets – the role of business and consumers; 4. How to engage the business sector in climate and nature protection; 5. Conclusion and next steps. ……………………………………………………………………………… Note to editors: GCNT (Global Compact Network Thailand) was officially established in December 2018 by 15 founding members in Thailand. Currently a 110-member organization, GCNT is one of the local networks of the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest sustainable development network that campaigns worldwide for the private sector to formulate strategies and adhere to sustainable economic principles. Under 10 universal principles, covering four areas (human rights, labor standards, the environment, and anti-corruption), the UN Global Compact carries out activities that help advance UN development goals such as the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. The United Nations in Thailand has been working with the Thai government and the people of Thailand for over 50 years to establish inclusive and sustainable development based on national agendas and frameworks. The UN Country Team consists of 21 UN agencies, each conducting its own specific projects and activities in Thailand through cooperation with the Thai government, national stakeholders, civil society, academic institutions, private donors, and the media. It also works closely with United Nations ESCAP and UNFCCC RCC Bangkok.

Whenever floods ravage Thailand, we hear many calls to enlarge drainage channels, construct new riverside barriers and build more pumping stations. But despite years of heroic engineering work, floods keep wreaking havoc. To be sure, managing water is not an easy task. Climate change makes weather unpredictable. Many different public agencies and officials are involved, so it becomes difficult to coordinate the work. But should we place our faith solely in bigger, smarter forms of conventional infrastructure? Or could we consider another approach? Are there other responses that are more attuned to ecology and local conditions? "Nature-based solutions" has been a buzzword in environmental and urban management circles in recent years. In essence, this means harnessing the power of nature to tackle problems such as disaster risk management. Reviving mangroves along coastal areas can help reduce the impact of storm surges. Soil contaminated by industrial pollutants can be treated using plants, micro-organisms, natural materials, and wind or solar energy. Such eco-friendly methods are often more cost-effective and sustainable than ordinary techniques. Conventional solutions tend to be expensive, require high energy input, and sometimes have unintended consequences like generating other forms of pollution. In a similar vein, "heritage-based solutions" can also help. Heritage includes both our natural and cultural assets. So heritage-based solutions rely on nature as well as cultural know-how. Historic buildings, settlements and landscapes were designed based on a deep understanding of pre-existing natural systems related to land, water and climate. Traditional water management systems relied on the slope of the land, gravity, and the seasonal ebb and flow of water to function, with the aid of basic mechanics. This is in sharp contrast to a contemporary engineering mentality, which goes to great lengths to overcome the forces of nature, often in ways that are ultimately unsustainable. Following the catastrophic floods that engulfed the Ayutthaya World Heritage site for over a month in 2011, Unesco supported the Thai government's Hydro Informatics Institute and Fine Arts Department to work alongside hydrological experts from the Netherlands to find solutions. One of their recommendations was to revive the ancient network of ponds and canals in the historic capital to increase the city's capacity to temporarily store water in times of acute flooding. Urban planners pointed out the need to maximise the green area surrounding the city. These green spaces historically served as Ayutthaya's flood plain, but are today home to industrial estates paved in concrete. By understanding and enhancing the character of the "historic urban landscape", planners could get better results from new infrastructure projects, such as Bang Ban-Bang Sai Drainage Canal Project, which is now underway. In other cities around the world, a combination of heritage-based solutions and technological innovation is gaining a stronger foothold. In Venice, also a World Heritage property, scientists have calculated that reviving the ancient system of cisterns for collecting rainwater (which numbered over 6,000 in the 19th century) could effectively fulfil modern water demands. Following Superstorm Sandy in 2012, the New York City metro region has been rebuilding using so-called "blue-green infrastructure", ie a network of waterways and green spaces. Hard infrastructure, such as floodwalls, is being combined with soft landscaping, such as dunes along the coast. Ponds with aquatic plants and green roofs help to store, slow down and treat stormwater run-off. Across Europe, the concept of "room for the river" requires creating open space along rivers to accommodate their natural swelling during rain events. Doing so has proven more effective than trying to build more dykes, channelise rivers or protect vulnerable buildings along the river that end up getting flooded anyway. Here in Thailand, the application of heritage systems and indigenous and local knowledge is slowly gaining recognition. At Mrigdayavan Palace in Cha-am, coastal erosion is being managed by removing concrete embankments and other structures introduced after tropical storm Linda in 1997, which actually exacerbated erosion along the entire beachfront. The beach ecosystem is also being restored by removing alien species that were introduced over the years, such as pine and mangrove. Native beach plants have since naturally returned, attracting local birds and other species as well. Mrigdayavan Palace garnered a Special Recognition for Sustainable Development in the Unesco AsiaPacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2021 for integrating new architecture harmoniously into the natural and historic context. Similar efforts to "go with the flow" can be seen elsewhere too. The Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park, for instance, embraces the nature of Bangkok as an urban wetland. Its design co-opts rather than fights flooding by capturing rainwater through an extensive system of water retention and treatment. While flooding is the pressing issue of the moment, heritage-based solutions can meet other challenges. Traditional Thai methods of architectural construction rely on natural ventilation and renewable materials. They could help address Thailand's low carbon and climate change adaptation commitments by reducing energy use and waste. Other local knowledge and living heritage can also improve health care, food security and biodiversity conservation, as we've seen with the Moken people in the Andaman Sea or the Karen people in forest areas. Heritage is still mostly considered a niche agenda in Thailand. But in fact, the 20-Year National Strategy and the 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan both flag the importance of enhancing local heritage across the country, not only for the sake of conservation but also for the sake of sustainable development. As the fallout from the pandemic shows, the generative potential of heritage can no longer be limited to just the tourism sector, which is still struggling to revive and in some areas may never recover. Incorporating heritage-based solutions into a variety of sectors could help Thailand achieve a more sustainable future in line with its Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) vision and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This piece was originally published on the Bangkok Post. Montira Horayangura Unakul works on the safeguarding and sustainable development of cultural heritage at Unesco Bangkok. Heritage Matters is a monthly column presented by The Siam Society Under Royal Patronage to promote public awareness and discussion on sustaining the architectural 4/4 and cultural heritage of Thailand and the region. Each column is written by a different contributor and appears on the third Thursday of the month. The views expressed here are those of the author.