Prime Minister of Thailand proposes pollution mitigation fund

The Prime Minister of Thailand proposed the establishment of a pollution mitigation fund with the United Nations (UN). The proposal by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was made during a recent meeting with Amina J Mohammed, the UN’s Deputy Secretary-General, centred around the discussion of sustainable development.

Post Tuesday’s Cabinet briefing, the 62 year old prime minister revealed how he had presented the fund as a means to offer financial support to economically weaker nations. The goal is to combat pollution, particularly fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), reported Bangkok Post.

He stressed that pollution issues are intertwined with the global economy and should not be viewed as merely domestic affairs. In his homeland of Thailand, pollution escalates when local and neighbouring countries set their agricultural fields ablaze. This burning is primarily caused by the lack of funds to purchase herbicides amid the economic downturn, he explained. Hence, the proposed fund could be instrumental in addressing Thailand’s environmental challenges while fostering national development.

Pollution problems are connected to the global economy and should not be treated as domestic problems, he shared.

Highlighting the severity of the pollution situation in Thailand, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) reported that, as of 8am, yesterday, February 20, 27 provinces had experienced orange-level pollution. This exceeded the safe threshold of 37.5 micrograms per cubic metre the day before. Nakhon Phanom was reported as the worst affected, with a reading of 74.8 µg/m³, followed closely by Amnat Charoen (72.4), Nong Khai (69.6), Mukdaharn (66.6), and Bueng Kan (64).

In the province of Nan, pollution levels have consistently surpassed the safe limit for at least 24 days, largely due to ongoing wildfires in the districts surrounding Si Nan National Park. The resulting smog has blanketed the province, with pollution levels ranging from 41.7 to 51.5 µg/m³ at various measuring points. It is estimated that a minimum of 1,000 rai of forest within the national park has been damaged.

The Director-General of the Nan-Phrae Wildfire Control Promotion Centre, Theraphol Thongmeekhao, admitted that controlling these widespread fires is challenging due to the vast forest area and a shortage of manpower. To combat this, the local authority has banned any burning in the province from March 15 to April 30, threatening legal action against violators.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Bangkok experienced relatively mild pollution, with the city’s Air Quality Information Centre reporting levels between 9.5–25.8 µg/m³.

Amina J Mohammed, in response to the prime minister’s proposal, expressed her appreciation for the Thai government’s initiative.