{"id":1241,"date":"2020-11-01T11:19:21","date_gmt":"2020-11-01T11:19:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.habitableproject.uliege.be\/?post_type=news&p=1241"},"modified":"2022-02-22T13:48:07","modified_gmt":"2022-02-22T13:48:07","slug":"habitable-blog-staying-or-coming-back-home-the-consequences-of-covid-19-for-thai-migrants-and-households-ability-to-respond-to-climate-change-2","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/habitableproject.org\/news\/habitable-blog-staying-or-coming-back-home-the-consequences-of-covid-19-for-thai-migrants-and-households-ability-to-respond-to-climate-change-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Staying or Coming Back Home: The Consequences of COVID-19 for Thai Migrants and Households\u2019 Ability to Respond to Climate Change"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
This blog post was written by HABITABLE partner Raks Thai Foundation. It is the first of a series of monthly blog posts that will be released by the HABITABLE project and written by different partners within the consortium. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although COVID-19 has significantly reduced CO2<\/sub> emissions around the world including Thailand, the situation is temporary, and the effects of climate change have continued to occur (Heidt, 2020). The economic disruptions caused by the spread of COVID-19 have mostly affected tourism, the production and export sectors, and all supply chains. The unemployment rate in the country\u2019s capital city Bangkok rose to 9.6 per cent in May 2020 as a result of COVID-19 and its prevention measures, such as the national lockdown, border closure, international flight restriction, obligatory face mask-wearing, the closing down of some businesses, and social distancing measures, all of which prevented people from working\/engaging in economic activities (Kasikorn Research Centre, 2020). Employers are making efforts to ensure that their businesses can survive during the crisis by taking cost reduction measures such as lay-offs and reducing employees’ wages and benefits in accordance with labour laws and regulations. The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the negotiation power of workers in relation to the employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thailand does not suffer much from a direct impact of the virus spreading, but is very much suffering from an economic recession brought on by national lockdown measures. These measures are cutting off all flows, including financial, people (tourist and labour), and capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Service (including tourism, airline) and industrial (rubber, plastic, chemical, and automobile) sectors are badly affected by this pandemic, due to travel bans, a lack of tourists, and the cancellation of product orders. Internal migrants losing jobs might consider returning home in order to reduce their living cost in the place of destination (usually in urban areas such as Bangkok or at tourist destinations) and to limit the spread of the virus. The majority of internal migrants, who are working and living in Bangkok, come from the Northeast (UNESCO, 2018). Migration is considered one of the most important household strategies to improve household livelihood, as well as to cope and respond to climate-related risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, the migrants\u2019 families at the place of origin (at home), who rely on agriculture for their living, are encountering the consequences of climate-related risks such as severe floods and droughts, especially in the North and Northeast of Thailand. Agriculture plays a vital role in the household in terms of income and food security. Agricultural products are highly dependent on specific climate conditions. Climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have enhanced multiple risks and stressors to migrants and migrant households, which may reduce the household\u2019s adaptive capacity in response to climate-related risks. Neither the government nor community has prepared for this shock. <\/p>\n\n\n\nBackground<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How is the COVID-19 pandemic associated with climate risks and household resilience?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n