UNDP Presents Climate Adaptation, Risk Projection, and Investment Solutions for Thailand’s Gulf Amid Climate Hazards

Bangkok, 21 October 2024 – With the recent flooding situation in Thailand underscoring the severe impact of extreme weather on people’s livelihoods, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with Thailand’s Department of Climate Change and Environment (DCCE) and the Department of Coastal and Marine Resources (DMCR), presents three key solutions to strengthen Thailand's capacity to adapt to climate change and increase its climate resilience: a climate-risk projection platform, climate adaptation measures, and financing strategies for climate change adaptation in marine and coastal areas. These long-term solutions range from policy to digital and financial approaches. They have been developed and achieved through the project “Increasing Resilience to Climate Change Impacts in Marine and Coastal Areas along the Gulf of Thailand,” funded by the Green Climate Fund. The project focuses on enhancing planning and capacity, mainstreaming climate adaptation, and creating strategies for future financing.

Launched in August 2020, this four-year initiative is working to integrate climate change adaptation into planning and budgeting processes for Thailand’s marine and coastal areas. Four provinces—Rayong, Phetchaburi, Surat Thani, and Songkhla—were prioritized to develop sustainable solutions, particularly for the vulnerable Gulf of Thailand region, aimed at addressing Thailand’s climate vulnerability. Thailand ranks 9th globally among countries most affected by extreme weather events from 2001 to 2020.

 

“The rise in extreme weather events globally, including in Thailand, highlights the pressing need for countries to enhance their ability to adapt to climate challenges like floods, storms, and heatwaves, which are growing more unpredictable.

At UNDP, we integrate climate, nature, and development, offering support to Thailand at both policy and community levels. Our efforts aim to align National Biodiversity Strategies (NBSAPs) with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), focusing on sustainable land management, ecosystem restoration—particularly marine ecosystems—and solutions that serve both people and the planet.” said Irina Goryunova, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative to Thailand.

 

"I am very pleased to be a part of the development of this project in collaboration with UNDP and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). This project is extremely important in light of the various disasters we face.

What we design will help build resilience to prepare for future disasters that may occur, such as rising global temperatures, sudden flooding, and the loss of marine ecosystems, including coral bleaching. Therefore, it is crucial that we seek new balanced approaches for a sustainable ecosystem. The success of this initiative relies on partnerships with all sectors: government, private sector, and the public," said Dr. Pirun Sayasithpanit, Director-General of the Department of Climate Change and Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Thailand’s coastal areas are among the most affected. According to studies, significant damage has been observed in approximately 74.8 square kilometers of coral reefs, 150 square kilometers of seagrass, and 2,502 square kilometers of mangroves. Thirty-nine coral bleaching hotspots have been identified in the Gulf of Thailand, with the most severely impacted areas located in Chumphon, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Si Thammarat provinces. Additionally, coastal erosion, exacerbated by the removal of beach and dune sediments, affects around 230 kilometers of Thailand’s coastline, particularly in the upper Gulf region.

The three key solutions proposed by the project aim to contribute to Thailand’s long-term climate resilience:

• To support better decision-making and design climate-responsive policies, the project offers a climate-risk projection platform called the Thailand Adaptation Platform, available on the DCCE website. This platform provides access to data on climate risk projections, vulnerability assessments, and a training manual on climate adaptation planning, equipping decision-makers at the sub-national level with the knowledge needed for informed planning and sustainable solutions.
• To enable marine and coastal areas to adapt to climate impacts, the project proposes climate adaptation measures that have been introduced, developed, and tested in the four pilot provinces mentioned above, with plans to scale them up to other coastal areas. These measures focus on nature-based solutions, including the creation of marine resource banks, the construction of sand fences to combat shoreline erosion, and the planting of coastal forests to protect vulnerable areas.
• To ensure sufficient investments in climate adaptation, particularly in marine and coastal areas, the project presents two financing strategies aimed at enabling public-private collaboration, leading to funding initiatives that enhance resilience in coastal and marine areas.

To ensure lasting impact, the project emphasizes a localization approach, fostering collaboration with local institutions, including academic institutions and sub-national government entities. In Songkhla, through meaningful engagement with local communities, Prince of Songkhla University’s Faculty of Fisheries has recognized the urgency of climate adaptation and is developing a new course on the topic, currently pending approval from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation. Meanwhile, Burapha University in Chonburi Province will invest further in grassroots innovative solutions for shellfish aquaculture.

 

The localization effort has also led to concrete outcomes in provincial planning. In Songkhla, the Marine and Coastal Resources Management Office 5 will integrate a climate adaptation plan into the province's overall strategy, potentially inspiring private-sector engagement in future initiatives. Similarly, the Nern-Pra Municipality in Rayong has already implemented a nature-based solution—a sand fence to mitigate shore erosion—blending seamlessly into the natural landscape.

The knowledge and capacity built through these efforts will continue to drive climate adaptation and resilience in Thailand’s marine and coastal regions. With the success of these pilot initiatives, there is growing potential to expand and replicate such efforts across other vulnerable provinces, ensuring that Thailand remains at the forefront of climate adaptation.

Read the press release in Thai here.

For further information and media enquiries, please contact: 

Karnklon Raktham, Head of Communications, UNDP in Thailand

karnklon.raktham@undp.org