Thailand

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Region: South-Eastern Asia

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Summary:

Sharing a northern border with Myanmar, Lao PDR and Cambodia, and a southern border with Malaysia, Thailand covers an area of 513,120 square kilometers and has a population of 66.7 million people (CIA, 2011). The country is situated in the South-Eastern region of Asia and lies between latitudes 5o40’ and 20o30’ N and longitudes 97o20’ and 105o45’ E. It is divided into five regions: North, Northeast, Central, East and South. The Northern region is generally mountainous and the Northeast is on a high plateau, whereas the Central region is relatively flat fertile land. The land in the East is highly fertile and has a long coast line. The Southern Peninsula consists of a narrow strip of land. Thailand is located in the Monsoon region, although there are three distinct seasons in Thailand: hot, wet and cool. The mean annual temperature is between 22-32 degrees celsius. Thailand has seen a marked increase in temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns over the past thirty years. Both of these changes have a significant effect on food production, particularly rice—the yields of which are essential to national food security (MSTE, 2000).Thailand’s long coastlines, fragile agriculture system and susceptibility to extreme weather events make it vulnerable to the effects of climate change.Thailand has a rapidly expanding economy which has led to a significant demand for energy. In order to adapt to climate change and address the increasing need for further energy Thailand has implemented a demand-side management program and an energy conservation program. For many of these resources it was concluded that more research was necessary to provide a sufficient basis to recommend adaptation options. The Global Environment Facility has provided funding to Thailand to enable it to launch national climate change strategies. Thailand is susceptible to extreme weather events such as tropical storms, floods and drought. The main natural resources in Thailand are the fishery resources, offshore oil supplies, fertile agriculture land in the central and eastern regions and the large areas of land covered in forests. There has been a problem with deforestation despite the government banning logging in 1989.

ADAPTATION NEEDS AND PRIORITIES:

Thailand submitted its First National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in November 2000, and its second in March 2011. Within its First National Communication, Thailand highlighted its barriers to adaptation at that time. These barriers included a lack of sufficient research and technological development to be able to accurately identify which adaptation measures were most necessary and would have the most impact. Given these limitations, Thailand’s highest identified adaptation priority was to enhance its research and development capacity to better develop adaptation strategies and projects. Increased public awareness about the threats of climate change is also viewed as a necessity (MSTE, 2000).
As well, in its First National Communication, Thailand identified the following sectors as being priorities for adaptation: agriculture (particularly because of its potential negative impacts on rice yields), water management and coastal regions. Specific adaptation measures for each of these sectors were also identified (MSTE, 2000):

Agriculture: proposed actions included: conservation and improvement of local drought resistant varieties of crops; improvement of cropping practices to minimize water use; application of risk averse cropping systems; analysis of potential crop substitution in different regions; and promotion of crop diversification programs.
Freshwater Management: proposed actions included: addressing water pricing and rights; integrated watershed management; community-based resources management; and water conservation and crop diversification initiatives in agriculture.
Coastal Regions: proposed actions included: establishing a coastal hazard management subcommittee to develop policies, strategies and guidelines for coastal hazard management; providing guidelines on management and development of coastal areas; improving drainage and flood control facilities; and using organic matter to improve salty soil conditions.

Within its Second National Communication to the UNFCCC, Thailand outlines some changes and progress made since submission of its first report. The document reiterates that adaptation to increasing climate variability and extreme weather events remains Thailand’s greatest climate change challenge. It highlights that Thailand has made significant strides to increase its technological capacity on impact analysis, vulnerability assessments and actions as a result of placing adaptation as the highest priority in Thailand’s National Strategy on Climate Change. It also stresses a need for further bilateral and multilateral cooperative projects through the UNFCCC. The Second National Communication also assesses potential impacts and climate trends in sectors of importance, including agriculture, water resources, health, forestry and wildlife, and marine and coastal resources (MNRE, 2011).

Thailand also identified four main constraints to adaptation within its Second National Communication (MNRE, 2011):

The level of uncertainty in climate scenarios, and an inability to downscale information that is available;
Research techniques to prioritize key sectors and analyze best alternatives for adaptation;
Integration of adaptation options into the socio-economic development of risk-prone communities; and
Technology options for villages in disaster-prone areas.

To address these limitations, the priorities for adaptation identified by Thailand focus on monitoring and measures, including (MNRE, 2011):

Uncertainties in downscaling the global climate change scenarios to national and regional scenarios;
Meaningful behavioral linkages between climate factors and key sectors of the economy, such as climate change and cash crops, paddy and fruit trees;
Socio-economic scenarios for vulnerability analysis in all sectors; and
Integration of vulnerability and adaptation strategies into different sectors and stakeholders.

NATIONAL LEVEL POLICIES:

Within Thailand, the National Committee on Climate Change has primary responsibility for developing its national strategy on climate change issues, including adaptation. Established in 1993, adaptation, mitigation and other climate change issues are all considered under the work plan of the Committee (MSTE, 2000). In 2008, the Thai Cabinet approved its National Strategy on Climate Change for 2008 to 2012 (Thaweema, n.d.). This strategy contains six components (Tummakird, n.d.: 3):

“build capacity to adapt and reduce vulnerability to climate change impacts;
support greenhouse gas emissions reduction and address more carbon dioxide sinks on integrity development;
support research and development to better understand climate change, its impacts and adaptation and mitigation options;
raise awareness and promote public participation;
Build capacity of relevant personnel and institutions and establish a framework of coordination and integration; and
Support international cooperation to achieve the common goal of climate change mitigation and sustainable development.”

In the area of adaptation, the strategy aims to improve capacity to assess climate change impacts (such as through the development of impact assessment models); reduce the damage caused by climate change impacts (such as by installing early warning systems); increase adaptive capacity in all sectors (such as through reforestation efforts); improve climate change related knowledge (such as by developing weather resistant crops); and development appropriate mechanisms to support policy-making (such as through establishment of a research network) (Thaweema, n.d.).

CURRENT ADAPTATION ACTION:

A moderate number of adaptation projects, relative to other East and Southeast Asia developing countries, are currently underway in Thailand. The majority of these projects are being implemented in partnership with other countries in Asia and around the world. Nationally focused projects are engaged in policy integration and capacity building activities within the areas of coastal zones and tourism. Multi-country projects are addressing needs in a range of sectors, including water, agriculture, risk reduction and policy formation, as well as (to a lesser extent) coastal zones, forestry, urban issues, natural resources and ecosystems. Their activities general involve capacity building, vulnerability assessment, research, and policy integration and formulation. Funders of more than one adaptation project in Thailand include the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN), Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the governments of Australia, Germany, Sweden and the United States.

PROPOSED ADAPTATION ACTION:

No projects in development were identified through this review.

ASSESSMENT:

Thailand is transitioning from a country heavily dependent on official development assistance to a more market based economy. Through modeling, it has built capacity on which it can make projections and determine the most appropriate ways to address its adaptation needs. A firm national policy commitment is in place in relation to climate change, and a growing focus on adaptation within the government’s approach. While further developed than some of its neighbors, it still faces financing and technical gaps that prevent it from fully addressing its adaptation requirements. A well-defined adaptation strategy may assist Thailand with developing adaptation projects and accessing funding sources.

Thailand’s identified adaptation priorities are being addressed through one or more active projects, including activities in the areas of water, agriculture, and coastal zones, as well as through existing efforts to improve scientific and technological capacity in anticipating future climate impacts as well as through policy formulation and integration activities. There is, however, seemingly a need to expand adaptation efforts within the areas of forestry, wildlife and coastal zones and marine resources. Additional sectors that currently appear to be underrepresented in the country’s active projects are gender issues and the health impacts associated with adaptation to climate change; neither of these issues appears to be addressed within Thailand’s current adaptation projects.

Primary Source: Gass, Philip; Hove, Hilary; Parry, Jo-Ellen. (2011) “Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action: East and Southeast Asia.” Adaptation Partnership / International Institute for Sustainable Development.

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