7 November 2023 – Reinhold Elges, Country Director of GIZ Thailand, held fruitful discussions with Suttipong Juljarern, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior (MoI), on GIZ’s cooperation strategies geared towards achieving concrete milestones in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promoting climate-sensitive urban development. Heinrich Gudenus, Director of the Integrated Urban Climate Action for Low-Carbon & Resilient Cities Project (Urban-Act), along with Anchalee Tanwanich, Senior Advisor on Town and Country Planning from the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning (DPT), Second Lieutenant Soramongkhon Mangalasiri, Director of the Foreign Affairs Division from the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, and other relevant officials, participated in the discussion held in the reception room of the Ministry of Interior at City Hall.

The Permanent Secretary thanked GIZ for recognising the Ministry’s role as a political partner under the Urban-Act project. This collaboration aligns with the Ministry of Interior’s aim to work with partners in all sectors, in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 17, at both the national and local levels. One crucial goal is to transform Thailand into a low-carbon nation, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero and thus contribute to restoring balance to the world’s climate. This commitment extends to every region, encompassing not only major urban centres but also rural areas.

Elges stated that GIZ in Thailand places strong emphasis on climate change mitigation and adaptation, and urban development relating to environmental and well-being issues. GIZ is actively engaged in collaborating with Thai government agencies to focus endeavours on the extended process of policy and strategy formulation, ensuring the seamless translation of these plans into practical execution at the local level. He also thanked MoI for being the project’s implementing partner and noted that both parties share the goals of driving transformation towards low-carbon and resilient urban development, aligning with national climate change targets and the Sustainable Development Goals. The collaboration will extend to the implementation of national climate change goals and sustainable development goals across all dimensions.

Gudenus, Director of the Urban-Act Project, highlighted the opportunity to establish a long-term partnership with the Ministry of Interior and support the advancement of SDGs in the context of the MoI. Additionally, the collaboration with DPT will focus on evidence-based and inclusive climate-sensitive spatial and urban planning, enhancing mechanisms for vertical and horizontal integration to drive urban development. The project will commence in three pilot cities across three provinces: Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, and Phuket. The scope of the Urban-Act project extends to countries in Asia and the Pacific, namely China,  Indonesia, India, as well as the Philippines. The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is one of the consortium partners, fostering national action through information exchange and partnership. GIZ and ESCAP will collaborate in enhancing knowledge through regional networking, exchange, and learning.