Operation Empowerment: An integral climate crisis solutions

It is clear that humans are the major cause of global warming and therefore it is necessary to create an awareness-raising process that seeks to inform and educate people constantly about the on-going climate crisis as well as its cause and the solution.

What Thailand is facing now is two different consequences of the climate crisis: 1. Extreme weather events, which is a phenomenon that abruptly affects humans mostly are natural disasters, such as flood or drought caused by the heatwave. However, these extreme weathers usually end in a short period of time, being able to assess the impact and manage it to some degree.

2. Slow onset events are the consequence of the climate crisis that occurs slowly, but unstoppable and will gradually accumulate its seriousness. This is considered the most menacing form of global warming since its formations and consequences are unnoticeably at a slow pace. As it is unstoppable and once it happens it would be the point of no return, Therefore the only two ways to deal with these situations are an adaptation to long-term effect and mitigation measures to reduce the severity.

Many instances of slow onset events include the gradual rise of the earth's temperature, loss of biodiversity, melting of polar ice caps, sea-level rise, desertification, changing soil conditions, ocean acidification and saltwater intrusion, etc.

In short, These phenomena are occurring from the mountains to the sea. The question is, how do we handle them?

Mechanisms to help manage the loss and damage from gradual changes are 1. Increasing knowledge and understanding of intensive risk management approaches 2. Strengthening dialogue as well as coordination and connection between stakeholders and 3. Enhance operational practices and financial and technological support including capacity building.

All mechanisms are aiming at enhancing understanding on operational practices and support to avoid, mitigate and deal with the loss or damage from the negative effects of climate change in accordance with Article 12 of the Paris Agreement.

Consequently, the operational practices should be carried out by these mechanisms continuously and it is also necessary to set up more departments monitoring risk and loss from climate crisis especially adaptation in countries so vulnerable to sea-level rise that a large portion of their land has already been submerged.

As for Thailand, the National Climate Change Policy Committee Meeting, held on 20 November 2014, has approved the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion (DEQP) as the National Focal Point to carry out the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) under the Article 6 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) or Article 12 of Paris Agreement.

While ACE activities will be focusing on creating understanding, awareness and participation of all sectors towards adaptation to climate change. The goal is to make a low-carbon society and be resilient to the effects of climate change through 6 mechanisms coordinate with both domestic and international agencies. Activities including learning and training, raising awareness, data access, public participation and international cooperation.

In 2018, a guideline has been developed to enhance cooperation and capability to proactively adapt to climate change. There were meetings and discussions among 40 agencies or over in the country producing a roadmap with 3 phases.

1) Preparedness phase (2020 - 2020) covering the preparation of the ACE action plan that is National integration plans form different sectors and climate change communication data sets that are linked to the daily lives of the people from all walks of life. Including the creation of a climate change education program suitable for systematic education and training organized by various sectors.

2) Operation and extension phase (2021-2025) covering the development of modern climate change education programs in the formal education system as well as develop a stronger potential of change agents covering all levels and in all regions of the country. Furthermore, there will be an enhancement in the capacity of knowledge management and Best practice in terms of penetration and adaptation at the city and local levels. and develop an efficient ACE monitoring and evaluation system.

And 3) the phase heading towards sustainability (2026-2028), aiming at creating Climate literacy among the public and a collaborative mechanism of various sectors that can be sustained further development.

Therefore, implementation of capacity building and empowerment of climate change cooperation regarded as the big umbrella of current environmental operations that affects the survival of the world in this century because the impacts of each environmental issue are all affecting climate change.

The operation of ACE must concern important strategic environmental issues, that is changing people's behavior. The six elements of ACE must be linked to environmentally friendly production and consumption, waste management, urban management, sustainable environment including the embrace and adaptation to climate change.

For that reason, ACE activities are very important factors in raising awareness, promoting participation and capacity building to mitigation and adaptation to climate change. The inaction and delay in action to stop global warming will not just put Thailand in crisis but the world will face the calamity more quickly.