There has been a regional presence since the early 1990s with the emerging Thailand Program beginning in 2001. Currently, IUCN Thailand has three staff members with a current portfolio of eleven projects with a focus on post-tsunami related projects.
The Need
Thailand is endowed with rich biodiversity and natural resources, which are important sources to support rural livelihoods and national development. For example, more than 900 bird species, 300 species of reptiles, 107 species of amphibians, 1,900 species of fish, approximately 10,000 vascular plants, and thousands of insects and invertebrate species are found in Thailand. This includes well known and rare species such as the Mekong Giant Catfish and Irrawady Dolphin. Over 47 species in Thailand are threatened and listed on IUCN’s Redlist.
Core Functions
- Protected Area Management
- Capacity Building
- Assisting with laws updating and regulating
- Convention related work
- Acting as a coordinating body
Summary of Projects
Short to mid-term projects involving IUCN and other members in Thailand centre around post-tsunami environmental rehabilitation and restoration. Landscape/city planning projects include the formation of a land use plan for the tsunami affected Koh Phra Thong Island in Phang Nga province.
Livelihood projects have included animal husbandry and organic farming demonstration sites with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid Division and training workshops and small ecosystem restoration grants distributed with the Green Coast for nature and people after the tsunami, a project of Wetlands International. Ecosystem projects involved GIS mapping and mangrove restoration. There have also been various economic assessments conducted under Post Tsunami projects.
