BANGKOK, May 7 – 8, 2026 – The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, through the Pollution Control Department (PCD), in collaboration the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), convened an Inception Workshop to officially launch the Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) “Clean and Healthy Ocean Thailand (Thai NuRA)” project.
The event, held at the SKYVIEW Hotel Bangkok, was presided over by Mr. Prasert Sirinapaporn, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Key collaborative remarks were delivered by Dr. Surin Worakijthamrong Director General of the Pollution Control Department, and Dr. Pinsak Suraswadi, Director General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, before an audience over 80 stakeholders.
The project - together with 13 other national projects - is part of the $109 million USD GEF-funded FAO-led Clean and Healthy Ocean Integrated Program, a wider global initiative to address marine hypoxia and deliver transformational change in curbing coastal nutrient pollution from land-based sources.
Project Objectives and Scope
The primary objective of the project is to address Hypoxic Zones (oxygen-depleted areas) in coastal waters. The project focuses on integrating nutrient pollution management and reducing emissions from key sectors, including tourism, agriculture, fishing ports, and seafood processing. Spanning a five-year period (2026 – 2031), the project is structured around four core components:
- Knowledge and Awareness: Enhancing data, scientific knowledge, and public awareness, including the improvement of warning and forecasting systems for Red Tide (algal bloom) phenomena.
- Strategy, Policy, and Frameworks: Developing national strategies, policies, and action plan frameworks for nutrient pollution management.
- Best Practices and Pilot Sites: Developing innovations and implementing practical measures to reduce nutrient discharge from wastewater into the sea.
- Knowledge Sharing: Managing knowledge exchange and fostering meaningful stakeholder participation.
Workshop Highlights
Day 1: Inception Workshop – Participants reviewed the project overview and the Year 1 work plan. Group activities were held to brainstorm policy directions and exchange best practices among central and local government agencies, the private sector, communities, and academic institutions.
Day 2: Project Steering Committee (PSC) Meeting – The first PSC meeting focused on approving the Year 1 budget and activity roadmap to ensure maximum efficiency in achieving project milestones. The committee is chaired by the PCD with COBSEA serving as co-chair.
Executive Statements
Mr. Prasert Sirinaphaporn, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, stated: "Nutrient pollution causing algal blooms (red tide) is a 'silent threat' that directly impacts ecosystems, fisheries, food security, and Thailand’s tourism industry. The Clean and Healthy Ocean Thailand (Thai NuRA) project is a significant step in utilizing the Source-to-Sea strategy to address hypoxic conditions in a targeted and sustainable manner."
Dr. Surin Worakijthamrong, Director General of the Pollution Control Department, stated: "Over the past 10 years, nutrient pollution has intensified, leading to continuous red tide phenomena. The Department is therefore accelerating the 'Draft Framework for the Management of Nutrient Loads in Surface and Marine Waters (2026–2032)' under this project to serve as a compass for all sectors to tangibly reduce excess nutrients from the source to the sea."
Dr. Pinsak Suraswadi, Director General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, stated: "The quality of the Thai seas is quietly deteriorating due to the excess nutrients flowing from the land. Protecting the sea cannot be done at the destination alone. Because the sea will not change... if we don’t change, this project is not only about the environment, but about the 'linking of shared responsibility' of all sectors." inland. This project represents a true link of shared responsibility across all sectors."
Project Summary
Budget: USD 3.5 Million
Duration: 5 Years
Financial Mechanism: Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Implementing Agency: UNEP
Executing Agency: COBSEA and Pollution Control Department (PCD)
Pilot Sites:
Pattaya and Bang Saen, Chonburi Province for tourism
Ban Laem District, Phetchaburi Province for agriculture
Pak Nam Pran, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province for Fishing Ports & Processing
For more information, please contact:
Marine Water Subdivision,
Water Quality Management Division,
Pollution Control Department
Tel: 02-298-2124-5 |
marinepollutionpcd@gmail.com
Wilawan Thanatemaneerat
National Project Coordinator / Project Manager
Clean and Healthy Ocean Thailand - Thai NuRA
wilawan.thanatemaneerat@un.org
