The Interior Ministry and German Corporation for International Cooperation GmbH (GIZ) signed an agreement to advance the integrated urban climate action for low-carbon and resilient cities (Urban-Act) project in Thailand.
The signing, which took place in Bangkok last week, was joined by representatives of the German Embassy in Bangkok, the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning (DPT), the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (Onep), and the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD), as the project implementing partners in Thailand.
Representatives of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the Asia-Pacific Regional Organisation for Local Government also joined the ceremony as regional project partners.
Chamnanwit Terat, deputy permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry, said Thailand is highly vulnerable to climate change.
As such, he said, the country needs to accelerate its efforts to meet sustainable development goals (SDGs), develop more resilient cities, promote sustainable living, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to further adapt to climate change.
"Climate change has significantly affected operations and the well-being of the people," he said. "So collaboration from all stakeholders is needed to drive urban development solutions which align with environmental principles."
He said the ministry is fully committed to supporting the initiative to address critical challenges faced by the country and achieve sustainable development.
The Urban-Act project is a regional, climate action initiative with projects currently ongoing in China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
The initiative is financed by the International Climate Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action until December 2027. Its goal is to support the countries' transition towards a low-carbon and more resilient urban development.
Pongrat Piromrat, DPT director-general, said the initiative is a crucial step towards decreasing Thai cities' carbon emissions.
"The project will focus on Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Phuket as pilot cities, and local authorities will carry out research on how climate change has affected the cities," he said.
The studies, he said, will form the basis for further action.
"DPT will come up with regulations that help turn these cities into climate resilient cities. Our department has many regulations in place to help lower carbon emissions in urban area, but we still need to improve these rules," he said.
"Once we receive and process the information from the studies in the pilot cities, we will use [the data] for city planning and development in other provinces," he said.
Jarukan Rassiri, the GIZ Cluster Coordinator for Environment, Energy and Mobility, said the initiative is also being implemented in other major cities in India, China, Indonesia and the Philippines.
"Asia is a hub of the world, and it has strong growth potential. So, the question is, how it will grow in the future?" she said. "[The answer is] with low carbon emissions and strong resilience," she added.
"It is not just about having innovative plans or practices, it is also about how various agencies can work together and find mutual solutions," she added.
Johannes Kerner, Counsellor for Economic Affairs, German Embassy in Bangkok, said Germany recognised the importance of cities as well as the need for strong collaboration across government agencies to achieve global climate and sustainable development targets.
"We are a proud initiator and donor for the regional Urban-Act project through the International Climate Initiative," he said.
