By Pattaya Mail.

BANGKOK, Thailand – A new carbon-reduction rice farming initiative has been launched in Suphanburi province through a public-private partnership.

WAVE BCG Company Limited, a climate solution provider under WAVE Exponential Public Company Limited (WAVE), has partnered with PTG Energy Public Company Limited to promote low-emission rice farming using the alternate wetting and drying (AWD) method. The pilot project is being carried out across 500 rai of farmland in Suphanburi.

The method involves alternating wet and dry cycles in rice paddies to reduce methane emissions. This helps limit anaerobic decomposition, which is the main cause of methane, an especially potent greenhouse gas that traps heat 25–28 times more effectively than carbon dioxide. This approach not only reduces emissions but also enhances root strength, nutrient absorption, and overall yield.

Farmers were trained in the AWD method and were introduced to a tracking app to monitor their progress. The project will collect data over three years and apply for carbon credit certification under Thailand’s voluntary emission reduction program (T-VER). The project had already passed stakeholder consultations and public hearings in Sam Chuk District on March 30th.

Thailand’s agricultural sector is the second-largest greenhouse gas emitter after the energy sector, with rice paddies accounting for half of the sector’s emissions. As of 2023, rice cultivation covered 61.9 million rai across the country, with the Northeast accounting for 62 percent. Of the total, 10.6 million rai were found to be suitable for AWD farming. Switching just one rai to AWD could reduce emissions by an estimated 0.3–0.4 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. (NNT)

Published Date: June 13, 2025