Through international collaboration and research, Chiang Mai University (CMU) reviews comparative approaches to tackling the SDGs and works toward international best practice, especially on Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action) and Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The work is led by the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD) in the Faculty of Social Sciences and supports Sustainable Development Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
MyClimate
MyClimate, short for Myanmar: Climate Actions, Conflict and Peacebuilding, runs from December 2021 to November 2026. RCSD carries it out with the Danish Institute for International Studies in Denmark, the Highland Institute in Northeast India and Nyan Corridor. The research covers Myanmar and two of its border regions, Thai-Myanmar and Indo-Myanmar.
The project compares the policies, actions, and norms of different actors,from state bodies to civil society and political movements, in conservation, agribusiness, renewable energy, weather and mining. Its findings are meant to shape policy and international climate support so that climate action is context-specific, user-oriented, and conflict-sensitive. That is the international best practice the partners are working toward.
From 20 to 28 January 2025 the partners ran the Winter School on Qualitative Research on Climate Change at Chiang Mai University.
Forced displacement in Southeast Asia
A second line of international research reviews the state of knowledge on forced displacement across Southeast Asia (SDG10 and SDG 16), whether caused by conflict, resource grabbing, natural disasters or infrastructure projects, with a focus on Thailand, Myanmar, and border areas. It is led by CMU’s Research Centre (IDRC). It connects research with national and regional policy, and looks for ways to support displaced people’s agency and livelihoods beyond the usual “solutions” to displacement. From 30 June to 4 July 2025, the programme brought researchers and practitioners from across Southeast Asia to Chiang Mai to work through case studies from the region,with facilitators from Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Cambodia and the United Kingdom.
Sources:
- Regional Center Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD), Chiang Mai University. My Climate. Project page.
- RCSD, Chiang Mai University. Advancing Knowledge on Forced Displacement in Southeast Asia. Project page.