The cabinet has approved Thailand's participation in "Smart Green ASEAN Cities", a regional project jointly coordinated by the European Union (EU) and Asean.
Deputy government spokeswoman, Rachada Dhnadirek, said in a press briefing yesterday that the cabinet has agreed on Monday to participate in the project, which aims to support sustainable urbanisation in the Asean region, reduce the environmental footprint of urban areas and improve the quality of life of residents.
Under this framework, the EU would provide funding -- totalling 5 million euros (about 180 million baht) -- to selected Asean cities to develop smart, sustainable and environmentally friendly urban areas.
The project is tentatively scheduled to start at the end of the year and will be reviewed after six years. Participation is currently limited to Asean member countries, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.
"This cooperation is in line with the government's policy to develop Thailand's cities into smart and sustainable urban areas. This framework will lead to capacity building and the sharing of best practices which can lead to improvements in urban residents' quality of life," she said.
Thailand will benefit from the EU's experiences on urban waste management, which will in turn bring the country closer towards a circular economy and reduce the rate of climate change.
She said the framework is comprised of three major actions.
The first will focus on the promotion and enhancing of city planning capabilities which incorporates environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions.
Second will focus on facilitating the sharing of best practices and knowledge between EU and Asean partners, while the third will see official exchange programmes on environmental management and smart cities.