Norawit Suwannakarn, Agriculture and Food Cluster
Thailand aims to promote climate-smart and sustainable rice farming practices for enhancing farmer’s ability to adapt themselves to more frequent droughts, while helping reducing gas emissions harmful to climate change.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH worked together with the Thai Rice Department to develop the concept for low-emission and climate-resilient rice cultivation. A concept note on“Strengthening Climate-smart Rice Farming in Thailand”, or Thai Rice GCF in short, was recently submitted to the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The GCF aims at supporting the efforts of developing countries facing climate change challenges, said Dr Anja Erlbeck, Director Agriculture Finance of GIZ Thailand’s agriculture and food cluster.
Dr Anja ErlbeckSuch innovative farming practice will enable farmers to efficiently cope with the impact of climate change especially the frequent prolonged drought periods. The five-year project also aimed to reduce estimated 4.6 million tonnes equivalent of harmful carbon dioxide emission to the climate. Climate risk insurance will be strengthened to cover remaining risks for smallholder farmers. Climate and financial vulnerability among as many as 1.25 million household members will be reduced.
Dr Apichart Pongsrihadulchai
This proposed project was developed based on several baseline projects including the Mainstreaming Sustainable Rice through the Sustainable Rice Platform and Thai Rice NAMA project, focusing on mitigation actions.
The concept note for the project was developed in close cooperation with national and international partners including the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, the Department of Agricultural Extension, Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation, the Sustainable Rice Platform, and representatives from private sector and research institutions. GIZ and the Rice Department have been working closely to identify possible activities, target groups and project partners for ensuring effective project implementation and country ownership. The Rice Department will also act as an Executing Entity (EE), the project implementor for assigned activities. GIZ will also act as EE and as Accredited Entity (AE), overseeing the entire project and reporting progress back to the GCF.
Agricultural experts from GIZ Thailand and the Rice Department previously held a virtual meeting with representatives from the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP), where also the National Designated Authority to the GCF is located, to present the concept note and seek consultation on the submission process. The importance of innovative funding mechanism and the benefits to Thailand’s climate action was shared during the meeting. GCF has funded activities carried out by ONEP since 2017. The ‘funding proposal’ will be drafted as a next step after the GCF Secretariat gives a green light to the concept note.
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