Story and Photos: Chawanrat Trivimol / Agriculture and Food Cluster, GIZ Thailand
The public-private delegation from Singapore visited Nakhon Sawan Province to observe climate-smart rice production using Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) methods. The visit aimed to foster technology transfer, climate investment, and market-based mechanisms to facilitate the Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) under the bilateral implementation agreement, thereby accelerating the pursuit of both nations’ net-zero targets.
This marks the first time that a delegation from Singapore comprising representatives from the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), Enterprise Singapore, the National Environment Agency (NEA), and the private sector has had the opportunity to meet with provincial executives and agricultural agencies at the Nakhon Sawan City Hall, alongside public, private, and community representatives from Thailand’s rice sector. The meeting served as a platform to exchange information on sustainable resource management projects, low-carbon rice production, and ongoing local greenhouse gas emission reduction initiatives.
Additionally, the delegation visited Phayuha Khiri District to observe AWD water management practices using pani pipes and the production of biochar from rice straw, offering an alternative solution for post-harvest agricultural waste management instead of open burning. These field visits and projects were facilitated by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Thailand, encompassing three key initiatives: 1) the Strengthening Climate-Smart Rice Farming (Thai Rice GCF), 2) the Thai German Cooperation Project on Energy, Mobility and Climate (TGC EMC), and 3) the Regional Collaboration on Global Carbon Market (RC-GCM). These projects are supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action through the International Climate Initiative (IKI).
The governor of Nakhon Sawan, Ms Chutiporn Sechang, said: “Nakhon Sawan is proud to serve as a model for climate-smart agriculture. Our co-operation with GIZ demonstrates how local farming practices directly support global greenhouse gas reduction while strengthening the economic resilience of our farmers.”
Ms Esther Tan, Deputy Director of Trade at Enterprise Singapore, stated, “The visit provided a valuable opportunity to understand how the adoption of innovative sustainable and climate-smart rice production relies on the active participation of local communities. Such exchanges facilitate knowledge sharing and dialogue among stakeholders as Thailand and Singapore explore opportunities for cooperation in carbon markets und er Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. We hope to collaborate with more like-minded partners across the carbon ecosystem to support innovation, investment and sustainable growth that will benefit both Thailand and Singapore.”
