Inception Meeting for Thailand GEF Clean and Healthy Oceans

Date:        30 May 2024, Thursday

Time:       10h00 – 16h00

Venue:     Meeting Room H, United Nations Conference Center, UN Building, Radjamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok

Registration:     Seeding a Nutrient Pollution Reduction Strategy for the coastal waters of Thailand (30 May 2024): Indico.UN

Background

Thailand has identified nutrient pollution as a priority issue in the country. In 2023, Thailand established the Sub-Committee on Nutrient Pollution Management in Inland and Sea Water, an inter-agency task force with membership from the Pollution Control Department, Department of Marine and Coastal Resource. The Sub-Committee is mandated to urgently address nutrients pollution in the country and have identified key action points in doing so. Simultaneous to Thailand’s national initiative, the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has also been prioritizing nutrient pollution at the regional level through the Reducing Nutrient Excess in Watersheds and Seas of East Asia (RENEWSeas) Strategy and Action Plan, actions of which thoroughly aligns with Thailand’s interests.

In 2023, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) opened the call for Clean and Healthy Oceans Integrated Programme (CHO IP) national/child projects focused on supporting national efforts on nutrient pollution management. The Thailand Pollution Control Department (PCD) with the support of the UNEP-COBSEA was successful in being selected as one of the CHO-IP recipients for a national project worth USD 3.5 million. As part of GEF funding, a Project Preparation Grant (PPG) is provided to take forward the project and ensure the project’s strategic development, stakeholder engagement, and alignment with priorities and action plans prior to implementation. This Inception Workshop will bring together key stakeholders to launch the project in Thailand, facilitate the PPG, and gather technical inputs to guarantee completeness and appropriateness of the project design.

Objectives

• Formally introduce and launch the new GEF project for Thailand under the CHO-IP.
• Gather inputs, information, and suggestions from key stakeholders regarding the Thailand CHO-IP.
• Agree on next steps forward and gain commitment by key stakeholders in the project preparation grant (PPG) stage for 2024.