On 8 March 2023 Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Director-General of Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), joined Mr. Reinhold Elges, Thailand Country Director of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (German Agency for International Development - GIZ), on a visit to the Thai Rice Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (Thai Rice NAMA) project site at the Global Warming Mitigation Learning Center at Doem Bang Nang Buat District, Suphan Buri Province. Mrs. Arunee Hiam, Deputy Director-General of TICA, Lt. Sorawud Preededilok, Minister, attached to Thailand International Cooperation Agency, along with relevant officers also joined the visit.

During the visit, Mrs. Saowanee Pothirang, a role-model farmer and Doem Bang Nang Buat Rice field manager, provided background information on the project. She explained how she and other farmers had realised the importance of the project and decided to participate in it. She proudly presented details of her individual success, which had served as the trigger point for other farmers to follow and join the project.

DG. Ureerat has had the opportunity to see for herself the outcome of joint efforts to promote a low-carbon economy by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Thailand. Given the tangible and positive results, in collaboration with TICA’s potential partners, she plans to explore the possibility of extending the project to other developing countries.

The Thai Rice NAMA Project is one of numerous cooperative projects between TICA and GIZ in response to the negative impacts of climate change. The aim of these projects is to promote farmers’ access to farming technology that, in combination with traditional farming practices, can produce low-emission rice production with increased yields.