Authorities in Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan have launched a joint initiative to address wildfires and fine particulate pollution (PM 2.5), as air quality in the region continues to deteriorate.
On 25 February, Somjet Jantana, Director of the Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Office of Natural Resources and Environment, presided over the opening of the “24 February: Campaign for a Smoke-Free Environment from Wildfires and PM 2.5 Pollution” event. The campaign, organised by the Phetchaburi branch of the Protected Area Regional Office 3, took place at the Nong Plub Subdistrict Municipality Office in Hua Hin.
The event brought together government officials, environmental agencies, military personnel, and local communities. Among those in attendance were Nopporn Pratumngao, Director of the Phetchaburi branch of the Protected Area Regional Office 3, Kriengkrai Thaveesak, Director of the Phetchaburi branch of the Forest Resources Management Office 10, and representatives from wildfire suppression teams and conservation groups.
As part of the initiative, authorities provided food supplies to firefighting teams, donated 15 leaf blowers to the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Volunteer Network, and allocated 4.25 million baht in funding to 65 community forest protection networks. The financial support will go towards forest and wildlife conservation, wildfire monitoring, and measures to mitigate human-elephant conflict, as well as sustainable livelihood development for local residents.
Somjet said the country is facing severe haze caused by wildfires and PM 2.5 pollution, with major contributing factors including vehicle emissions, industrial activity, construction dust, agricultural waste burning, and fires in protected forest areas.
To strengthen efforts against pollution and wildfires, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has deployed technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and satellite imaging to monitor hotspots. Authorities are also working across sectors to implement systematic wildfire prevention and control measures.
Public awareness campaigns are another key part of the strategy. Officials are going door-to-door to encourage residents to refrain from burning waste, particularly in agricultural and forested areas.