Nestlé (Thai) Ltd has achieved a significant environmental milestone with its "Nestlé Waters Cares for Water" project being selected as one of Thailand's first pilot initiatives for Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) for terrestrial and inland water areas.
The project, focused on the Khanom Jeen canal in Ayutthaya province, represents a decade of community-based conservation efforts that have now been elevated to international biodiversity conservation standards.
Ten-year conservation journey
For the past 10 years, Nestlé has led initiatives promoting community participation in protecting and restoring the Khanom Jeen canal ecosystem. The comprehensive approach integrates three core pillars: Educate, Prevent, and Restore.
The project promotes education and awareness about sustainable water resource management whilst preventing waste from entering waterways through Community Waste Market activities that transform waste into income streams for local residents.
Conservation efforts include creating specialised ponds for rare native fish species such as Armed Spiny Eel, Spotted Spiny Eel, Whisker Sheatfish and Indian Loach. The initiative also involves planting edible aquatic plants including Water Caltrops, Water Primrose, Water Lily and Water Mimosa that locals can consume or sell.
Sustainable livelihoods
The project promotes sustainable livelihoods by encouraging community members to remove invasive water hyacinths from local waterways, dry them, and weave them into handmade bags, creating additional income opportunities for villagers.
"Under Nestlé's core strategy of 'Good for You' and 'Good for the Planet,' we consistently integrate sustainability into every aspect of our operations with the goal of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050," said Ms Salinla Seehaphan, Corporate Affairs Director at Nestlé (Thai) Ltd.
The recognition from the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) represents the company's first major milestone in elevating biodiversity conservation beyond protected areas.
Government collaboration
Dr Chayanan Pakdeejit, Secretary General of ONEP, praised the private sector initiative, noting that it highlights the outstanding success of comprehensive water resource management combined with community empowerment through knowledge sharing.
"Initiatives by the private sector, such as Nestlé (Thai) Ltd, to elevate the area of Khanom Jeen canal as a pilot site for OECMs under international standards demonstrate tangible success in protecting biodiversity," Dr Chayanan said.
Strategic partnerships
Nestlé has collaborated with key partners from both public and private sectors, including ONEP, the Royal Irrigation Department, the Department of Fisheries, WWF Thailand, Wongpanit, and Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya Rajabhat University.
The project supports Thailand's biodiversity goals under the 30x30 OECMs policy, which aims to conserve 30% of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030.
To mark International Day for Biological Diversity, Nestlé organised an engagement event featuring displays of theoretical and practical aspects of the conservation project, alongside hands-on workshops where participants created keychains using recycled bottle cap beads and decorations made from water hyacinth.
These activities demonstrate how creative reuse can transform waste into valuable items whilst promoting positive attitudes towards sustainable practices and long-term biodiversity conservation.