Bangkok: As Thailand faces continuously extreme heat, resulting in a global heatwave, the impact is not limited to land but is spreading to the oceans, leading to the metaphor of "the boiling sea." Associate Professor Dr. Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a leading expert in marine resources in Thailand, reflects on the alarming reality of this crisis and proposes strategies for adaptation and survival.
According to Thai News Agency, Associate Professor Dr. Thon recounted how, 40 years ago, sea temperatures in Thailand rarely reached 30 degrees Celsius. However, during El Ni±o events, water temperatures in coral reefs at depths of 2-3 meters soar to 34.8 degrees Celsius. Although El Ni±o is a long-standing natural phenomenon, global warming is disrupting it, causing it to occur more frequently, intensely, and severely. He predicted that 2027 could be the hottest year in human history for the oceans.
When a crisis strikes, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thon emphasizes the need to adhere to three principles: reduce, adapt, and cope. While reducing greenhouse gas emissions is crucial for future generations in 50 years, adaptation and coping are urgent necessities for the present era. A concrete example is the underwater project at Koh Tao, which involves creating artificial diving spots using sculptures. With 700,000 tourists annually and one of the highest proportions of scuba divers in the world, allowing everyone to dive in the natural coral reefs, which are already experiencing bleaching from warm waters, would further deteriorate them. Therefore, constructing large-scale underwater art is a strategy to attract tourists and distribute them elsewhere, mitigating the impact on natural coral reefs and preserving the local economy's multi-billion baht economy.
Dr. Thon pointed out the limitations of the Thai bureaucratic system in solving environmental problems, stating that relying solely on government funding may fail from the start, as environmental budgets are frequently cut. Associate Professor Dr. Thon's approach, therefore, focuses on bridging knowledge with the private sector, such as PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTT EP), and various universities, to create successful models as examples. Furthermore, he has developed innovations such as a portable seagrass cultivation facility, the first of its kind in the world, which has been patented.
Even though the overall picture over the next 50-60 years shows a continuing trend of global warming, severely impacting future generations, new opportunities also arise from this crisis. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thon explains that his current students are not only studying to work in the Department of Fisheries, but are also entering the field of Sustainable Development (SD) in the business sector. This is because the world now has stricter regulations, such as carbon taxes for exported goods or green hotel standards, to attract customers and investors. Therefore, the skills that the market will demand in the future are not just knowledge of marine life, but also an understanding of the Blue Economy, maritime logistics, and sustainable development.
However, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thon also stated his mission today is to plug the sinking ship and keep it afloat for as long as possible through innovation and adaptation. Although global warming is a major challenge that is difficult to solve within a single generation, starting with prototype models and passing on knowledge to future generations will be key to human survival in this era of turbulent seas.