Green List Standard advances Thailand’s marine conservation efforts

The training focused on the Green List Standard, developed by IUCN, which is a globally recognised certification for protected areas that meet four key criteria: good governance, sound design and planning, effective management, and successful conservation outcomes. Areas that achieve Green List status demonstrate they are effectively and equitably managed, balancing ecological protection with community needs.

Professor Sakanan Plathong, researcher from Prince of Songkla University, presented a case study on the application of the Green List Standards in Bo Hin, a township perched on the Andaman Sea on Thailand's southern coastline. Bo Hin has been selected as one of the sites under the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystems Phase II (BOBLME II) project, a five-year initiative which aims to address marine-related challenges and promote sustainability across the Bay of Bengal.

A key highlight of the workshop was Professor Dr Suvaluck Satumanatpan from Mahidol University's presentation on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) in conservation, with a focus on the fishery sector. Participants took part in a "Power Walk" activity – an exercise where individuals assume different community roles and physically step forward or backward based on their access to resources and decision-making power. The activity helped participants understand how gender, age, income, and social status affect people's ability to participate in and benefit from conservation initiatives.

Many participants reflected that they typically work on planning area management with community leaders and had not yet integrated a GESI perspective in planning and implementation processes. This workshop helped to broaden their understanding of how to facilitate more inclusive planning that engages wider and vulnerable local stakeholders in the future.

This Green List workshop marks the beginning of ongoing collaborations between IUCN, DMCR, and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) to enhance the effectiveness of Thailand's national biodiversity conservation agenda. Applying Green List standards aims to strengthen protected area management and support the development of good practices across Thailand's conservation sites.

While government sectors, NGOs, and local communities manage their own sites and systems, shared tools and standards are essential to ensure effective conservation outcomes. These create ecological integrity, good governance, and a balance between nature and human well-being.

Through BOBLME II, national green list trainings have taken place in Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. IUCN will continue working alongside stakeholders to ensure efforts within the project site are aligned with the conservation as well as livelihood needs of the surrounding communities across the Bay of Bengal.