Peer Review Committee

Good practice rating:

(1 for the best, 5 for the lowest score)

Comments on this example:

     At present, Thailand carries out its national social and economic development under two complementary guidelines, the National Plan and the Environmental Policy. The Eighth National Economic and Social Development Plan has shifted the development concept from a growth oriented to people centered approach. The final measure of success is determined by the public. Consequently, the ultimate goal is the improvement of people's well-being. In order to attain this goal, it is necessary to adopt the holistic approach by integrating economic, social and environment factors concurrently. The Ninth National Economic and Social Development Plan will continually carry on the concept of sustainable development. Nowadays, the National Economic and Social Development Board has examined the Environmental Policy in order to integrate the environmental issues into the development approach and EIA is one of the effective tool for environmental management with integrating into economic policy making. We can introduce public participation into economic development as well because one of the important process under EIA system is public hearing form the public at the beginning of the project or the stage of initiative project.

     When talking of public hearing, drawbacks of the EIA should be mentioned here as well. This is not to argue that the EIA should be dropped, but to provide considerations on what are the unfavorable aspects of the EIA;

     Time consuming: EIA process takes time to gather and process information. It also takes time for each public hearing to reach a consensus or for conflict to be resolved.

     Participation unlikeliness: Although EIA requires public hearing, not always that the public (affected parties) come to these hearings, usually because they were not informed ahead of time enough to be prepared. Either that, they do not realize how the project will effect their well-being so they do not pay attention to come to the hearing.

     Financial resource constraint: As mentioned before, in order to conduct the EIA, information gathering and processing is required, and to do so financial resources must be available. This method is rather costly because it includes scientific researches. Hence, a constraint in financial resources arises, especially when no party has been set responsible for the EIA.

     Policies and measures: EIA has been used as an effective tool in managing the environment of the project in Thailand for a decade. Under the Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act, all major development projects which can adversely affect the environment need to submit the EIA report to the concerned authority prior to the consideration of economic and financial matter.

     Meeting information requirements: In case the project or activity which is required to prepare the environmental impact assessment is the project or activity of a government agency or of a state enterprise or to be jointly undertaken with private enterprise which is required the approval of the cabinet in accordance with official rules and regulations, the government agency or state enterprise responsible for such project or activity shall have the duty to prepare the environmental impact assessment report at the stage of conducting a feasibility study for such project, such report shall be filed with the National Environment Board for its review and comments and then submitted to the cabinet for consideration.

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