RUCaS update – Thailand

After spending time in Cambodia, the RUCaS team – Ben Furmage, Michael Simon and regional members working through the International Centre for Environmental Management – also spent a week in Thailand.

The mission had 3 key objectives:

• Facilitate On Nut Case Study Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting
• Co-convene and participate in Scaling Nature-Based Solutions in the Mekong MAP-WEC partner workshop
• Engage with DFAT Thailand on program progress.

Building capacity to create inclusive spaces

Michael Simon (International Lead and RUCaS Program Manager) was pleased to lead a presentation on GEDSI – gender equality, disability and social inclusion – in upscaling nature-based solutions (NbS) at a recent Mekong–Australia Partnership – Water, Energy and Climate (MAP–WEC) partner workshop in Bangkok.

The workshop was an opportunity for us and our Mekong country partners to share insights and strategies to create more inclusive and resilient urban centres using NbS:

• Ms Trịnh Thị Thu Thủy (Hanoi Association of People with Disabilities (DP Hanoi) Lead Researcher and Advocate) outlined our collaborative research looking into disability inclusive disaster response in the context of climate change and water insecurity.
• Dr Song Ha Le (RUCaS Regional Coordinator) outlined emerging lessons on upscaling strategies to advance NbS and GEDSI from our work in the Mekong, particularly in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam.

Our thanks to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Mekong–Australia Partnership, the Australian Water Partnership and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) for organising the event and inviting us to participate.