Biodiversity

Our Key Expert Partners:

• Thai Royal Forest Department
  • The agency aims to monitor forests, coordinate research, encourage community forest management, conserve forest land and monitor the wood industry.
  • Environmental Consultant (SECOT)
• SECOT is an environmental consultant firm with special expertise in the following academic field:
  • Coastal aquaculture
  • Analysis of benthic animals and sediment quality
  • Oceanography and Environment
• Previously, SECOT has done with several key marine biodiversity projects, such as:
  • Impact of the transportation of tapioca starch and other goods diffusing from cargo ships in the Sri Ra Cha bay and Si Chang island area
  • Environmental resource management and the development of aquaculture to increase the value of production
  • Taxonomy of oyster in Thailand
  • Biodiversity of primary producer in marine and coastal ecosystem
  • Study of biological resources and environmental impacts affecting resources in the upper Gulf of Thailand area
  • Survey of marine environment in the upper Gulf of Thailand area
• Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University
  • Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University is the only school in Thailand that provides forestry education endeavoring to contribute to the body of knowledge about tropical forestry through advanced research and study. They also provide training, informational resources, and academic services to society in areas of forest management, forest biology, forest engineering, silviculture, forest products and conservation.
• Chula Unisearch, Chulalongkorn University
  • Chula Unisearch, Chulalongkorn University was the Thailand’s first autonomous university agency established specifically to serve the R&D needs of both public and private organizations with their high-level academic expert in various field including biodiversity.

Biodiversity Management Plan:

From the results of GPSC Group's environmental impact assessment, we have only two operation site where are potential minor impacts to biodiversity in the nearby operations, GHECO-One and SPP3. GPSC Group has already developed the biodiversity management plan for avoiding, minimizing, offsetting and restoring the impacts based on the EIA results and mitigation hierarchy principle. In addition, GPSC Group also seriously aware of how important of biodiversity to ecosystem. That drives GPSC Group to develop biodiversity management plan for all the operation sites in case of the unexpected situations.

GPSC Group have studied and made operation plans in the field of marine biological resources to carry out projects appropriately and more effectively by coordinating with communities and academic agencies involved in supporting aquatic species to annually releases such as the Blue Crab / Khai Squid Bank project, the aquatic animal breeding project and artificial coral project. There was sustainability assessment of all the action plans to recommend the further study about which kind of aquatic animal will be released into the sea. To increase survival rate of animal released based on the recommendation from the external experts, GPSC Group has a plan to study more about relation between kinds of released animal and releasing sites to avoid being food for the native predators at the releasing sites. In addition, the company will conduct the survey to community fishermen to make up amounts and species of captured aquatic animals baseline for comparing natural resources trend periodically.

Commitment to No Net Deforestation

GPSC Group works closely with external partner such as Thai Royal Forest Department to protect, restore forest area and follow International and Thailand's national conservation area and conservation species regulation. GPSC Group promises to 'No Net Deforestation'; the future reforestation to compensate, where possible, the current forest loss or future implementation, and no exploitation of people and local communities who live next to the areas by 2025. Various activities have been conducted create environmental benefits. GPSC Group is committed to ensure group-wide compliance with forest regulations and mandatory standards, monitor and drive tree plantation performance through monitoring system to ensure compliance to group-wide commitment. To achieve the target “No Net Deforestation” by 2025, GPSC Group strives to build up the partnership and engagement with all suppliers and partners with realizing that GPSC Group can not do it alone, it requires all stakeholder contribution. Accordingly, GPSC Group works closely with external expert partners such as Thai Royal Forest Department and Kasetsart University to protect, restore forest areas and follows International and Thailand's national conservation area and conservation species regulation. GPSC Group also collaborates with other external partners including PTT group, suppliers, partners, government authorities and third party to manage, mitigate deforestation risks, maintain and monitor forestry areas in order to create positive shared values.

Quantitative progress on No-Net Deforestation: 100%

At present, GPSC Group's operations are no current forest loss based on the biodiversity and forestry assessment where GPSC Group closely keep monitoring on deforestation activities in the future implementation and conduct reforestation to compensate through afforestation projects continuously.

As of 2021, GPSC Group conducted reforestation projects by planting more than 60 plant species. The progress can be summarized as follows:

Moreover, GPSC Group also conducted a project to plant 4,000 seagrass in the Napha Tharaphirom Beach (EOD beach) in Rayong province in 2021. This project will continue in 2022 to enhance marine ecosystem in the Rayong area.

Compliance and Monitoring System:

GPSC Group has studied and monitored terrestrial (Plant, Wildlife) biodiversity as well as prepared geo database in the key operational area (Rayong province) by collaborating with biodiversity experts to assess species richness and density including plants and wildlife from the project performances. For Group-wide compliance, selective types of monitoring system are regularly conducted in annual basic and its detail below.

Plant biodiversity/Forestry survey

• The survey included various types of plants (tree, sapling and seeding). GPSC Group collected data by separating 10*10 meters sampling plot into 10 plots then analyzed with 10 parameters consisted of density, frequency, dominance, relative frequency, relative density, relative dominance, importance value index, plant diversity/species indices, evenness Index and similarity Index. (According to Shannon-Wiener’s equation in the reference of Ludwig and Reynold, 1998).

Wildlife biodiversity survey

• The survey included various types of animals (mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds). GPSC Group collected data by appropriately harmless methods for different types of animals then categorized them following different local and international laws, regulations and agreements such as Thai Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act (1992), Biological Resource Status of Thailand, IUSN (2010) and The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Preparation of Geo-database

• GPSC Group has developed a spatial and attribute database that can be linked to other data in the form of a Geographic Information System (GIS) database. This database consists of biodiversity, as well as environmental, socio-economic indicators for impact monitoring.

Marine biodiversity survey

• GPSC conducted the marine ecology assessment with expert for measuring marine biodiversity with the indicators including and species richness/density of phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthos, eggs and larvae, and marine animals. Moreover, heavy metal contamination in sediments and aquatic animal tissues was measured to monitor the efficiency of GPSC’s pollution management system.

Engagement with Stakeholders (including suppliers and partners) to manage and mitigate deforestation risks

GPSC has carried out various reforestation projects in collaboration with external stakeholders and suppliers, as detailed below.

Khao Huai Mahat Forest Restoration Project in Rayong:

Restoring ecological balance and enhancing carbon sequestration towards net zero emissions

GPSC joined forces with Map Ta Phut Municipality and members of the Khao Huai Mahat Forest Restoration and Water Conservation Group to carry out Khao Huai Mahat Forest Restoration Project Year 9 in Huai Pong Sub-district, Muang District, Rayong in collaboration with various parties, such as local agencies, communities, suppliers, and over 100 GPSC employee volunteers. The objectives were to revitalize forested watersheds, increase the biodiversity of the local flora, and restore ecological balance in residential and industrial areas for harmonious co-existence, as well as develop Rayong into an eco-industrial city. The project also enhanced the carbon dioxide capturing capacity of the forest – a key mechanism in GPSC’s environmental management in an effort to achieve net zero emissions by 2060.

The project focused on expanding green areas by planting additional trees in a 7-rai degraded forest, known as Plot 3. To enhance the biodiversity, a total of 15 species of plants were introduced, consisting of 13 wild species known for their ability to absorb carbon, totaling 900 plants, and two groundcover herb species, comprising 100 plants. The estimated cumulative amount of carbon absorbed by Plots 1 and 2 planted earlier combined with Plot 3 was 524 tonsCO2eq. This project has not only restored the ecosystem but also brought income to surrounding communities, as the herbs grown can be used in the production of various products, thus generating value added for them in a continuous and sustainable way.

Check Dam Construction Project Year 8:

Increasing green areas in the community forest of Khao Phu Don-Huai Mahat, Rayong

GPSC carried out Check Dam Construction Project Year 8 to restore the ecosystem of the community forest of Khao Phu Don-Huai Mahat in collaboration Ban Chang Municipality, Ban Chang District, Rayong Province. Organized for the eighth consecutive year, the project sought to enhance the quality of the water resources and restore the ecosystem to promote the vitality of the forest. The project was made possible thanks to the cooperation of the government sector, private businesses, and communities, and since 2015, a total of 152 check dams have been constructed in the community forest of Khao Phu Don-Huai Mahat, Rayong Province, by local government agencies, employee volunteers, and local residents participating in the activities as part of this project.

Seagrass Planting Project

GPSC Group, the First Naval Area Command and the Marine, and Coastal Resources Research Center, the Eastern Upper Gulf of Thailand (EUMCRC), have jointly conducted research to identify suitable areas for the planting and propagation of seagrass, which is believed to help absorb carbon dioxide and restore marine ecosystems and resources. The two trial plots for the project are 1) Napha Thara Phirom Beach – an eco-tourism business under the Naval Air Division in Sattahip District, Chonburi, with 5,000 tufts planted in an area of 3 rai; and 2) Koh Kham under the First Naval Area Command in Sattahip District, Chonburi, with 5,000 tufts planted in an area of 3 rai. This project is expected to reduce GHG emissions by 66 tonsCO₂eq/year, according to the calculation methodology of the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (Public Organization). Additionally, GPSC has planned to consistently conduct surveys and collect academic data related to carbon sequestration in seagrass ecosystems and biodiversity for research purposes.