Approximately 300 eco-conscious students and professionals came together for the June 11 program, which featured talks interspersed with short videos, quizzes, music by “the Evergreens” from the NIST International School and an awards presentation for innovative student ideas to combat climate change. The message was clear from the start.

"This is an emergency," said U.S. Ambassador Glyn T. Davies of the challenge posed by climate change. "It needs to be fixed, and we need to address it. If we don't start now to change the world, we won't be able to."

Guest speakers explained various ways how climate change is already impacting communities in Southeast Asia and how everyone can get involved to mitigate or adapt to these changes.

The event keynote speakers included: Jude Defensor, a business start-up promoter from the Philippines, who talked about “Incubating technology start-ups that address climate change causes or effects.”

Associate Professor Seree Supratid, Thailand’s renowned expert on natural disasters, presented on “Floods and Droughts: Are these New Norm for Thailand?”

The Ven. Mae Chee Sansanee Sthirasuta, a Buddhist nun, Founder and Director of Sathira-Dhammasathan Center, in Bangkok, taught with simple words:  "We can plant the forest in the big city and make residents understand that the forests help enrich our hearts. We must live with the nature in a humble way. If we want to defeat the nature, the result will be natural disasters for human beings."

Pran Siamwalla, finance expert, explained how he personally addresses climate change just by painting his roof white, which helps cool the building and surrounding area by reflecting the sunlight.

Pimonrat Tiansawat, a lecturer at the Biology Department of Chiang Mai University, explained her fascination for seeds and trees, and how she now plants ideas in the minds of university students for them to engage and act on climate change.

Quentin Vaquette a Belgian engineer based in Bangkok, Project Manager for Hydrogen Solutions at ENGIE Asia- Pacific talked about how countries can move away from generators and invest in a greener energy.

And finally, Khun Jesdaporn (Tik) Pholdee, the green-Y celebrity guest and actor, producer and television presenter of the popular television show, “Navigator,” talked about his personal experience while filming his program and the importance in understanding the risk of forest fires and doing something to stop them.

"Where a forest fire starts, all big and small trees will be burned," he said. "The soil will be destroyed, and then small animals living under the soil die. Birds, reptiles and insects also die. The forest fire creates a chain reaction on our ecosystem and our abundant biodiversity is vanishing. All climate change effects such as flood and drought all are caused by deforestation. The work of protecting our forest is, therefore, not limited only to government agencies. All of us need to lend a helping hand."

The event closed with awards for the green-Y Student Challenge. After watching two-minute videos by the finalists, the audience voted and selected students from Assumption University’s Preservers Club for the top prize of 100,000 THB for their proposal to organize youth camps to educate their peers about the environment and climate change and ways they can help protect our planet. Chiang Mai University’s Theatre for Social Change will use its 50,000 THB prize money for theater to relay important messages on taking action against pollution. Third place winners, Eastern Asia University’s Social Development and Environment Club, will use its 25,000 THB prize money to help restore plants and trees by building a natural checked dam to fight erosion.  Torge Gerlach, president of AECOM International Development, who sponsored the awards, Ambassador Davies and Jesdaporn (Tik) Pholdee presented the Student Challenge prizes.

Throughout the afternoon guests viewed a photo exhibition by Bangkok-based photographer Luke Duggleby entitled “Climate Change through the Lens” and network and learn more about various environmental solutions presented by business and nongovernmental organization partners in an adjacent exhibition. 

Acting USAID/Asia Mission Director Todd Sorenson acknowledged the work of USAID’s project teams, which have carried out vital work around Asia to help address the effects of climate change. They include: USAID Adapt Asia-Pacific, implemented by AECOM; USAID Low Emissions Asian Development, or USAID LEAD, implemented by ICF; USAID Lowering Emissions in Asia's Forests, or USAID LEAF, implemented by Winrock International; USAID Mekong Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change, or USAID Mekong ARCC, implemented by DAI; and USAID Private Financing Advisory Network-Asia, implemented by Deloitte.

View more photos of the green-Y event here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskBoZnYQ

For more information, please contact: bangkokusaiddocs@usaid.gov