BANGKOK (AlertNet) Â? For those who know Thailand, the words "Chiang Rai" are associated with mountainous scenery, colourful hill tribes and a well-trodden tourist path.
The small capital of ThailandÂ?s northernmost province is also looking to expand its economy beyond tourism, eyeing a trade corridor with China.
Similarly, the bustling southern city Hat Yai is a magnet for visitors from neighbouring Malaysia. A communication, trading and transportation hub, weekends at this modern, highly urbanised city of almost 160,000 people is filled with revellers enjoying its numerous markets and restaurants.
The parallels do not end here Â? both are low-lying, surrounded by mountain ranges and boast rapidly growing economies supported by highly lucrative trading routes with neighbouring countries.
Both are also seeing the effects of environmental degradation, including climate-change related weather events that experts say could worsen over the next few years.
Now they have been chosen to be part of the Rockefeller FoundationÂ?s climate change project in Asia where 10 cities in India, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia will form a pilot network to prevent disasters and prepare for the impacts of climate change.
The Rockefeller Foundation is providing an initial backing of around $50 million.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
Chiang Rai, a town of 62,000 people, routinely suffers from haze, water and air pollution and landslides while Hat Yai is prone to frequent floods.
In addition, common urban problems such as vulnerable communities, traffic, waste management and lack of town planning plague both cities.
Â?Some of these existing problems will get worse,Â? said Pakamas Thinphanga, project manager from Thailand Environmental Institute (TEI), a Bangkok-based non-government organisation.
Illegal immigration is also rife. Â?This is a hidden population growth because they are not registered. So there are issues with limited natural resources and spread of disease,Â? said Thingphanga.
Â?And changes in temperatures are very important because the diseases will become more widespread, especially mosquito-borne diseases.Â?
GETTING READY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
In the next 10 months, TEI and Rockefeller will be working with city authorities and the private sector to link Chiang Rai and Hat YaiÂ?s problems with predictions on climate trends and conduct local-level impact studies which will help identify priority areas that will make them safer from floods, pollution and diseases.
The aim here is to help communities become more resilient to extreme weather and rising seas, but how does that square with Thailand's and the citiesÂ? aim for further economic development?
Â?This is a really big challenge," Dr. Paul Chamniern, TEIÂ?s senior director, told AlertNet. Â?If they want more tourists to come, they need to make the cities more sustainable.Â?
The Thai government has so far initiated a National Strategy on Climate Change but it has been criticised for being slow to respond to the threat of climate change in a country where a significant proportion is in low coastal zones.
According to a recent editorial in The Bangkok Post ThailandÂ?s carbon footprint is about six tonnes per capita per year, three times that of India and Brazil and four times that of Indonesia and China.
Part of the problem is peopleÂ?s understanding of climate change in Thailand, Dr. Paul Chamniern, TEIÂ?s senior director, told AlertNet.
While people are aware of climate change, the awareness and knowledge is not being followed by actions, he said. Â?We have been too much occupied with the immediate problems rather than long-term ones."
Waste management is an every day issue while a comprehensive urban land use plan requires a longer term commitment, he noted.
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