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Good practice Imported

Thailand Coastal Community Mangrove for Carbon Credit — DMCR/T-VER Programme

Thailand · Bangkok · See the Thailand profile · See the Bangkok profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 47% 47/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Thailand's national coastal mangrove carbon scheme (T-VER, March 2023): 98 communities enrolled protecting 34,456 ha under 30-year agreements paying US$78/ha year 1 then US$35/ha; researchers flag the 70/20/10 revenue split and monitoring capacity as key weaknesses.

98 communities
Communities enrolled (2023 (first reporting period))
34,456 ha
Mangrove area registered for carbon credits (2023 (first reporting period))
80,000 ha
National target by 2031 (by 2031)
20 %
Community share of carbon-credit revenue (2023–present)

Details

Maturity
Scaling
Promoter
Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR)
Period
2023–present
Keywords
coastal management, blue carbon, community forestry, voluntary carbon markets, mangroves

Context

Thailand's Coastal Community Mangrove for Carbon Credit programme was launched in March 2023 by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. It uses the national T-VER (Thailand Voluntary Emission Reduction) carbon standard to register coastal mangrove conservation agreements between local fishing communities and private companies.

Objectives

The programme aims to protect and restore mangroves for carbon credit generation, targeting 500,000 rai (80,000 ha) nationally by 2031, while providing income to coastal communities for conserving blue carbon ecosystems.

Activities

Communities enter 30-year protection agreements with private companies, receiving THB 450/rai (~US$78/ha) in year 1 and THB 200/rai (~US$35/ha) in subsequent years. Programme revenue is split 70% to private companies, 10% to DMCR and 20% to communities. In one documented case, a three-village conservation group in Ranong province registered 1,881 rai (301 ha), earning THB 391,875 per year plus a THB 200,000 signing bonus.

Results

As of the programme's first reporting period, 98 coastal communities have enrolled, registering 215,348 rai (approximately 34,456 hectares) of mangrove forest for carbon credits, against a national target of 500,000 rai (80,000 ha) by 2031.

Conclusions

Independent observers have raised concerns about the 70/20/10 revenue split limiting community financial benefit, persistent land disputes, restrictions on traditional wood harvesting, and limited technical capacity for independent carbon verification. Thailand's Climate Change Act, expected in 2024, is intended to strengthen the regulatory framework before the programme scales further.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Medium (€50k–€500k) — Communities receive THB 450/rai (~US$78/ha) in year 1 and THB 200/rai (~US$35/ha) in subsequent years, funded through sale of carbon credits by private partner companies (who retain 70% of revenue).
Time to results
Long (> 3 years) — Launched March 2023; agreements run for 30 years; national enrolment target of 500,000 rai (80,000 ha) by 2031.
Staffing & skills
DMCR programme officers, private carbon-credit companies (marketing/verification partners), community conservation groups

Conditions for success

  • clear community land/resource tenure
  • credible independent carbon verification capacity
  • revenue split perceived as fair by communities

Common failure modes

  • land disputes between communities and conservation authorities
  • restrictions on traditional wood harvesting causing community pushback
  • limited technical capacity for independent verification
  • the 70/20/10 split leaving communities with a small share of revenue

Where it fits

Governance type
national government programme with private-sector partnership
Scale
national (98 communities, 34,456 ha)
Income level
upper-middle-income

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

Indicative funding routes for practices of this type — always check each programme's current calls and eligibility rules.

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

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