The Chaipattana Foundation, via the Royal Project on Laem Phak Bia Environmental Study and Development, in collaboration with Thai environmental networks and WEEC Network will host the 10th World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC2019) between 3 and 7 November 2019 at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Center (BITEC Bangna) to foster academic cooperation among congress participants, academics, and local scholars, and also to engage youth from developing nations in the exchanges of knowledge and joint formulation of solutions to environmental issues that exist today or may emerge in the future.

Dr. Sumet Tantivejkul, Chaipattana Foundation’s board member and secretary-general

Dr. Sumet Tantivejkul, Chaipattana Foundation’s board member and secretary-general (see photo) in his capacity as the honorary chair of the WEEC2019 steering committee, says environmental problems are now important issues in the society and everyone undeniably must be responsible for addressing environmental concerns. He emphasizes that the inculcation of green mind to conserve and develop the environment is not the duty of any specific person, but the shared duty of all sectors in the society.

Recognizing the need for environmental conservation, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has granted a royal permission for the Chaipattana Foundation via the Royal Project on Laem Phak Bia Environmental Study and Development to co-organize WEEC2019 for the purpose of showcasing HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great’s talents in nature-based environmental management. The showcase, when done through international environmental networks, promises to create awareness of the need to conserve natural resources in the way that may upgrade relevant knowledge further.

Organisers and supporters
WEEC2019 will be held through the collaboration between the Chaipattana Foundation and relevant organizations from various sectors. Among them are the Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Environment, the Thailand Global Warming Academy (TGWA) by the Napamitr Foundation, the WEEC Network Office, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, and the Power for Sustainable Future Foundation. Many other organizations from both the government and the private sectors have also supported the event.
These supporters are: Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, C asean, PTT Public Company Limited, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, TTW Public Company Limited, Sahaviriya Steel Industries Public Company Limited, Namyong Terminal Public Company Limited, Siam Cement Public Company Limited, and Top Gun Company Limited. N.C.C. International Event Company Limited, meanwhile, serves as the organizer.

Goals

The goals of WEEC2019 are to encourage the academic exchanges of environmental knowledge and the sharing of relevant experiences that will lead to efforts to explore environmental- management approaches for current and future situations; to foster academic cooperation; and to search for environmental solutions together at regional and global levels, under the “Local Knowledge, Communication and Global Connectivity” theme.

WEEC2019 also aims to foster academic cooperation among congress participants, academics from all over the world, and local scholars.
In addition, the event intends to give youth in developing nations opportunities to join the exchanges of knowledge and the formulation of approaches to address existing and future environmental problems. The environmental-management approaches, which are based on the propagation of environmental knowledge through various forms of communications designed for target groups across the world, will develop global networks for handling environmental problems. These approaches can be shared among operation-level officers, executives and planners. WEEC2019, in addition, will give a good opportunity for congress participations from all over the world to visit Bangkok that is rich in cultural attractions.
The upcoming congress, moreover, will be a forum to present HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great’s talents in social development and environmental sustainability to the global community.

Current global environmental changes directly affect human activities, with adverse impacts on their quality of life and living conditions. There are also indirect effects, which are perpetuated via disasters. In the face of global environmental changes, policies, measures and plans have been formulated to address environmental problems, conserve the environment and rehabilitate degraded environment.
WEEC2019 is one of the approaches for sustainable environmental development, which is directly related to human activities. The control of human activities, via environmental studies, originates from contributions from humans at all levels – household, community, society, national, regional and global levels. It takes technologies to distribute environmental knowledge to various target groups with effectiveness and efficiency so as to create environmental knowledge, understanding, awareness, conscience, and responsibility among individuals and networks. These elements will pave way for the academic exchanges of environmental knowledge and experiences, which encourage efforts to explore ways to manage global environmental changes as well as climate changes in both current and future context.

Program

Asst. Prof. Dr. Surat Bualert, dean of Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Environment in his capacity as the chair of the WEEC2019-organizing committee, says WEEC2019 will run for five days from 3 to 7 November 2019 at Bhiraj Halls 1-3 and Amber Halls 1-4 of BITEC Bangna, Bangkok.
Each day of the congress will have two main parts: 1. Plenary Hall that presents Plenary Sessions and Panel Discussions; and 2. Breakout Session that cover Oral Presentations, Round Table Sessions, Workshops and Side Events. Thanks to cooperation from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), there will be keynote speeches in as many as four days of the event. Keynote speakers are nationally or internationally- recognized specialists on environmental studies.

According to Asst. Prof. Dr. Surat, WEEC2019 will also include exhibitions by leading government and private organizations.  Academic exhibitions will feature works done by government agencies, foundations and associations so as to distribute knowledge and promote the “Environmental Quality Management Plan of B.E. 2560 – 2561 (2017-2018)”. This plan has four main strategies namely: 1) Balanced and fair management of natural resources; 2) Good management of environmental quality with prevention, treatments and rehabilitations in place; 3) Efficient and sustainable use of natural resources; and 4) Building capabilities to deal with climate change and natural disasters, as well as to promote cooperation with the international community.

PR exhibitions on environmental responsibility, according to Asst. Prof. Dr. Surat, will present activities that organizations in various sectors have conducted out of social and environmental responsibility and in pursuit of sustainable development. These exhibitions aim at sowing seeds for green mind and raising public awareness of the value of the environment so that environmental responsibility is successfully integrated into every step of work process and work operations. PR exhibitions on green products will showcase environmentally-friendly products and innovations. Visitors may buy these products at WEEC2019 too.
Furthermore, WEEC2019 will include one-day Technical and Cultural Excursion. Participants in WEEC2019 may choose to visit the site of an environmental education project, which covers a center on natural studies and ecological systems, or a cultural attraction whereby humans coexist with nature in line with the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy in support of sustainable economic and environmental development. The excursion to the cultural attraction will cover Thai-style green cultural activities.

Target

Target groups of WEEC2019 are executives, operation-level officers, researchers, and academics from both government and private sectors. In addition, WEEC2019 targets independent agencies, teachers, school students, and university students of state and private educational institutes, as well as environmentally-conscious people and those working in environmental fields in Thailand and other Asian nations. At WEEC2019, several organizations and universities will stage interesting activities about the environment. Included will be Poster Presentations on academic works and Art Gallery with environmental theme.

Hosted by Thailand, WEEC2019 is set to fulfill its goals of promoting, conducting PR for, and inculcating the mindset that is in line with the ‘Environmental Quality Management Plan of B.E. 2560 – 2561 (2017-2018)’.
The event will also educate the public and people in the environmental-education field in regards to knowledge and understanding for the joint promotion of environmental-education awareness and the need to take care of the environment not just today but also in the future. On top of this, WEEC2019 will give opportunities to people of all ages to express their opinions, knowledge, abilities, and interest that will promote the importance of environmental protection and support related campaigns across the world. Via WEEC2019, people will be able to exchange knowledge and experiences on international academic forums. WEEC2019, moreover, will provide a basis for relevant agencies in Asia to issue joint agreements on environmental education for people of all ages and all levels. So, in the end, there will be policy-based cooperation among the government, educational and private sectors under the ‘Environmental Quality Management Plan of B.E. 2560 – 2561 (2017-2018)’,” Asst. Prof. Dr. Surat says.

Themes

WEEC2019 will present conferences and sessions under the main theme of Local Knowledge, Communication and Global Connectivity.
There will also be three sub-themes namely: 1) Local Sphere; 2) Environmental Education and Communication Sphere and 3) Global Connectivity Sphere from 9am to 6pm between 4 and 6 November 2019.
As Thailand is the host of the event, participants who wish to make presentations at WEEC2019 may get 50-per-cent discount. For students, university students or persons who just wish to join sessions without making a presentation, they may reserve a seat at the fee of just Bt350 per day or Bt1,000 for three days. Members of the general public who wish to visit exhibitions at WEEC2019 will enjoy free admission. For details please browse to www.facebook.com/weec2019 or www.weec2019.org