Thailand Promotes Certification of OECMs for Unified Biodiversity Management Laws

Bangkok: The Chairman of the National Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization Committee has taken a significant step towards enhancing biodiversity management in Thailand by promoting the (draft) Biodiversity Act B.E. ... and certifying Thailand's Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs). This effort aims to establish a unified central law for biodiversity management across the nation. According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Suchart Chomklin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, has assigned Ms. Preeyaporn Suwannaket, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, to preside over the 1/2025 meeting of the National Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization Committee. The meeting, also chaired by Ms. Tasanee Muangkaew, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, included experts and relevant agencies. Mr. Bannarak Sermthong, Secretary-General of the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Po licy and Planning, and Mr. Thanit Changthaworn, Director of the Bioeconomy Development Office, served as secretaries. The National Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization Committee (NBTC) has approved the mechanism and procedure for OECMs certification, along with guidelines to promote OECMs in Thailand. Five OECMs have been certified: the Biodiversity and Sustainability Learning Center 'Cheewapaanawet' in Chachoengsao Province, Wangchan Forest Learning Center in Rayong Province, the Bangkok Forest Learning Center, Khlong Khanom Jeen in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, and Singha Park Chiang Rai - 70 Rai Reservoir in Chiang Rai Province. The Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) has been tasked with disseminating data on protected areas and OECMs in Thailand. Additionally, the NBTC has given in-principle approval to the (draft) Biodiversity Act B.E. ..., incorporating feedback from the committee and presenting it to the Subcommittee on Biodiversity Law for further cons ideration. This includes the certification of the threatened species status of Thailand by 2025. The ONEP has also been designated as the agency responsible for sharing information on protected areas and OECMs in Thailand, with a working group appointed to review projects seeking financial support under the international biodiversity framework. This ensures Thailand has a mechanism to enhance access to funding sources. The committee will support the registration of Thailand's threatened species by 2025 and expedite the implementation of the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2023-2027, along with the Kunming-Montreal Framework on Global Biodiversity. In a related achievement, the Royal Thai Army Nature Education Centre (Bang Pu) has been registered as a migratory waterbird network area in honor of Her Majesty the Queen's 72nd Birthday Anniversary in Samut Prakan Province. It is now part of the East Asia - Australia Flyway, marking the 157th such area globally and the fourth in Thailand, as announced at the 1 2th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Partnership for the Conservation of Migratory Waterbirds and the Sustainable Use of Migratory Waterbird Habitats on the East Asia - Australia Flyway (EAAFP MOP12) held from November 8-14, 2025, in Cebu, Republic of the Philippines.