Chula and the World Bank Convene Workshop to Advance Climate Resilience for Vulnerable Populations in Thailand 

The College of Population Studies, Chulalongkorn University, together with the World Bank, organized a workshop on “Driving Systems for Tangible Outcomes in Addressing Climate Change.” The event was attended by Asst. Prof. Dr. Rukchanok Karcharnubarn, Dean of the College of Population Studies; Prof. Dr. Vipan Prachuabmoh, Director of the Chula Ari Project, College of Population Studies; and Ms. Pamornrat Tansanguanwong, Senior Social Development Specialist at the World Bank. The workshop was held on February 19, 2026 at the CU Social Innovation Hub, Visit Prachuabmoh Building.

Climate change has become a critical challenge with severe and ongoing impacts on Thailand, including floods, droughts, heatwaves, and increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events. These impacts disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including low-income groups, the elderly, persons with disabilities, children, and households with limited adaptive capacity. 

Asst. Prof. Dr. Rukchanok, Dean of the College of Population Studies, stated that the workshop aimed to disseminate key findings from the report “Building Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Populations and Communities in Thailand” to support policymaking on climate resilience. It also sought to exchange approaches and operational mechanisms to strengthen adaptive capacity among vulnerable groups and communities, foster inter-agency collaboration, and define actionable pathways toward concrete implementation. 

“This workshop aims to establish clear implementation directions. Key agencies expected to carry forward the outcomes include the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Participation from representatives of these agencies will help ensure that disaster preparedness plans for vulnerable groups can be practically implemented at the local level,” the dean said. 

According to the World Bank’s Country Climate and Development Report 2025, if climate challenges are not effectively addressed, Thailand’s GDP could decline by 3–5% by 2050. 

Ms. Pamornrat Tansanguanwong, Senior Social Development Specialist at the World Bank, revealed, “Based on a 2015 database of approximately 9.4 million vulnerable individuals under the care of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, around 8 million were found to be living in climate-risk areas. Currently, the capacity to identify target groups may cover up to 18 million people. Having an accurate database of vulnerable populations is the most fundamental requirement for the country to ensure preparedness—providing knowledge and understanding to people in at-risk areas, delivering urgent assistance, and enabling timely evacuation or support during disasters. It also supports effective and appropriate post-disaster recovery planning tailored to individual circumstances.” 

Prof. Dr. Vipan, Director of the Chula Ari Project, added, “This initiative uses the Chula Ari Project as a platform to integrate multiple dimensions—health, economy, society, environment, and technology. Key partners include the World Bank, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Chulalongkorn University’s College of Population Studies, and the Faculty of Engineering, working together with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security to develop a database and disaster risk maps.” 

“Following this workshop, outcomes will be elevated to the policy level through a Social Policy Forum platform to gather input from policymakers, practitioners, and affected communities. The focus will be on producing concise, practical, and actionable policies and recommendations to sustainably guide Thai society through demographic and climate change crises,” Prof. Dr. Vipan concluded. 

The workshop also featured presentations on plans to develop climate change and vulnerable population risk maps, governance and community resilience in high-risk areas, strengthening disaster management and climate adaptation systems, and collaborative brainstorming of innovative policy proposals, with strong participation from academics and social network practitioners. 

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