Mapping Future Pathways for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems in Thailand’s National Ecosystem Assessment
- News
With inputs from Thailand National Ecosystem Assessment Team
Marking a pivotal step to strengthen the resilience of biodiversity and human well-being in Thailand, over 60 experts and stakeholders gathered for the Second Participatory Workshop on Scenario Development under Thailand’s National Ecosystem Assessment process. Held in Bangkok on 15 August 2025, the workshop was supported by UNEP-WCMC’s National Ecosystem Assessment Initiative (NEA Initiative), as part of the Biodiversity Ecosystem Services Network (BES-Net).
Led by Thailand’s Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) in collaboration with the Maritime Administration Graduate Program (MARAD) at Chulalongkorn University and other partners, the national ecosystem assessment process aims to deliver the country’s first comprehensive assessment of coastal and marine ecosystems and their services for human well-being. The assessment will inform decision-making that balances conservation and sustainable development.
Building on the outcomes from the First Participatory Workshop in May 2025, participants – including representatives from government agencies, academia, the private sector, NGOs, and ethnic and local communities – collaborated to improve scenario narratives and explore their implications for ecosystems and biodiversity services. A new scenario “Local Resilience and Empowerment” was proposed alongside the existing alternatives, providing a stronger focus on community-led management and adaptive governance.
Dr. Benchamaporn Wattanatongchai, Director of the Biodiversity National Focal Point Section at ONEP, highlighted the importance of flexible, area-specific conservation strategies that balance protection and sustainable use. “Conservation, through various forms of area protection, should be implemented continuously without limiting to 2030, but with flexibility in utilization according to the characteristics of each area,” she said. “The focus should not be solely on protection, but rather a thoughtful balance between conservation and utilization,” she added.
No Single Scenario or Approach Fits All Contexts for Biodiversity and Ecosystems
The workshop explored approaches for combining and sequencing scenarios across time (2025-2050) and space (Thailand’s five coastal regions). The discussions underscored that no single scenario could fit all contexts; instead, adaptive pathways that evolve over time will better reflect Thailand’s diverse coastal and marine realities. “Current approaches to marine ecosystems remain dominated by economic growth priorities, while fragmented actions across agencies have accelerated resource decline,” said Dr. Padermsak Jarayabhand, Co-chair of the National Ecosystem Assessment and Lead Author. “To move forward, we must clearly define the boundaries of each scenario—especially the Blue Economy, which is often interpreted differently. Without a shared understanding, projections risk losing realism.” He also emphasized the need to reflect different governance levels in scenario planning: “National decision-makers operate on shorter policy and economic cycles, while local communities live with long-term consequences, as their livelihoods are deeply tied to the surrounding environment.”
Another key outcome from the workshop included refining and identifying the impacts of each scenario on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Interactive polling during the workshop helped cluster scenarios that best align with Thailand’s policy priorities and ecosystem conditions. Importantly, the scenarios were not treated as academic exercises but as practical tools to bridge science and policymaking – guiding inclusive and balanced futures for Thailand’s coastal and marine ecosystems.
Looking Ahead
Insights and lessons from this second workshop will inform Chapter 7 of Thailand’s National Ecosystem Assessment Technical Report and the Summary for Policymakers. These scenarios will serve as a foundation for policy recommendations aimed at guiding coastal and marine ecosystems toward resilience, productivity, and sustainability by 2050.