Reporter: Dr. Chanyut Sudtongkong
Evidence Date: May 15, 2024
Related SDGs: SDG 14
Related SDGs:
Related Indicator: 14.3.4
Thailand Mangrove Biodiversity Database through the Coastal Biodiversity for Sustainable Development Goals Workshop
October 25, 2025
Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya (RUTS) and Chulalongkorn University wrapped up an important five-day event focusing on the health of Thailand’s coastlines. From May 9th to 13th, 2024, the RUTS Trang Campus hosted the “Coastal Biodiversity for Sustainable Development Goals Workshop”. The workshop brought together top executives and biodiversity specialists from the Mae Fah Luang Foundation under Royal Patronage.
The purpose of the gathering was simple yet vital: to study and summarize coastal nature (biodiversity) and the critical habitats that serve as learning sites for achieving Thailand’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Participants spent significant time addressing the pressing challenges, specifically identifying the primary threats facing coastal diversity. They also focused heavily on the unique importance of seagrass and dugongs in Trang Province and how crucial they are to the area’s coastal ecosystem.
This wasn’t just a meeting in a classroom. A key part of the workshop involved crucial fieldwork. Participants went out to survey coastal areas and mangrove ecosystems. Most importantly, they worked directly with local, traditional fishers, exchanging knowledge and surveying coastal fishing grounds. This hands-on data collection helps analysts study fishery resources, a key element in driving Thailand’s progress toward its national SDG targets.
.
All the efforts from this workshop are leading toward a major initiative: the creation of a standardized “Mangrove Biodiversity Database of Thailand,” a collaborative project between RUTS, Chulalongkorn University, the Mae Fah Luang Foundation, and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources. This powerful new database is designed to be utilized for future planning and management of marine and coastal resources. The project activities are comprehensive, covering the assessment of biodiversity, calculating the economic value derived from using mangrove resources, and building a geographic (spatial) database. Trang Province is leading the way, with its mangrove areas serving as the pilot site for this work before the entire conservation project is expanded nationwide.
Related Links:
