Walailak University Sustainable Development

Walailak University Collaborates with Local Communities and Government Agencies to Develop Climate Change Disaster Preparedness Plan for Fiscal Year 2023 

12Oct 2024 by Kittipong Bunlear

Outreach and Engagement

Walailak University Collaborates with Local Communities and Government Agencies to Develop Climate Change Disaster Preparedness Plan for Fiscal Year 2023 

Walailak University has undertaken a project addressing climate change and has played an active role in planning responses to climate-related disasters, engaging both the community and government sectors. In 2023, the university participated in meetings with the Federation of Thai Industries, Nakhon Si Thammarat Chapter and local business operators to develop a greenhouse gas management plan for the industrial sector, which accounts for 21% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the province. The sources of emissions in the industrial sector, categorized by factory boundaries, include direct emissions from energy use, production processes, wastewater management, and leaks, as well as indirect emissions from the import of electricity and external heat energy. Therefore, managing greenhouse gases in the industrial sector is crucial to mitigating emissions that contribute to climate change.

Figures: Walailak University participates in a meeting with the Federation of Thai Industries, Nakhon Si Thammarat Chapter and local business operators to develop a greenhouse gas management plan for the industrial sector. 

Walailak University has taken steps to drive carbon-neutral tourism in Krabi. In 2023, the university, through the Center of Excellence for Tourism Business Management and Creative Economy, School of Management, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to declare its commitment to advancing Krabi as the first carbon-neutral tourism destination in Thailand (Krabi Carbon Neutral Tourism 2040). This regional collaboration involves 22 organizations, including 10 national and 12 provincial agencies, from both the public and private sectors. The goal is to promote sustainable, environmentally friendly tourism by managing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in areas such as transportation, accommodation, food services, activities, and other supply chains that contribute to emissions. The aim is to balance tourism with reduced carbon footprints to achieve carbon-neutral and sustainable tourism.
The objectives of the MOU are to:

1. Build a network of partnerships among organizations involved in Thailand’s tourism industry, fostering knowledge creation through research and innovation while promoting integrated efforts to support carbon-neutral tourism in Krabi.

2. Enhance the capacity of various stakeholders—government agencies, private sector businesses, tourism communities, travelers, tourists, and tourism sites—in managing carbon-neutral tourism, thereby mitigating the impacts of climate change.

3. Drive the development of Thailand’s tourism industry in line with the Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG Economy) policy and increase competitiveness in the market, elevating Thailand as a premier destination for carbon-neutral tourism and high-quality international events.

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Figures: Walailak University partners with 22 public and private sector organizations through an MOU to drive carbon-neutral tourism in Krabi province.

Moreover, Walailak University has partnered with Phatthalung Province Climate Change Working Group, which consists of 44 agencies established by the province, to assess provincial-level greenhouse gas emissions and forecast future emissions. The goal is to develop and implement strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. This initiative also extends to ethnic communities living in Phatthalung, such as the “Mani” people, an indigenous group residing in the Cardamom Mountains across Trang, Satun, Songkhla, and Phatthalung provinces. The Mani people, who rely on foraging and hunting for their livelihood, have been affected by the degradation of forest resources due to climate change. This has impacted key survival factors, such as a reduced supply of food, as wildlife and medicinal plants have become scarcer.
To prepare for the impacts of climate change, Walailak University has collaborated with the Provincial Office of Natural Resources and Environment Phatthalung to develop a provincial-level climate change action plan. This plan includes compiling greenhouse gas emission data and formulating a strategy to reduce emissions at the provincial level. The aim is to mitigate the potential impacts of climate change within the province and achieve the emission reduction targets set for Phatthalung.

Figures: Walailak University presents the results of greenhouse gas emissions and the projected forecasts of emissions in Phatthalung during the Phatthalung Province Climate Change Working Group meeting.

Related links:

https://cas.wu.ac.th/archives/21510 

Walailak University (wu.ac.th) 

https://cas.wu.ac.th/archives/21643 

https://cas.wu.ac.th/archives/21518 

https://cas.wu.ac.th/archives/22775 

https://www.wu.ac.th/th/news/22842/index.html

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