|
Environmental
Management and Industrial Development
The
rapid economic growth resulting from industrialization and
export promotion has been accompanied by a deterioration in
environmental quality. Waste discharge has serious effects both
within and outside the factories' premises. Recognizing that a
deterioration environment may impact both economic development
and the quality of life of the Thai people, the government made
provisions in the Sixth National Development Plan to integrate
the needs of environmental protection and conservation with the
needs of the expanding industrial economy.
The
Seventh Plan set definite targets to improve environmental
quality throughout the country. This was a departure from
previous plans on a number of accounts. Most significant was the
recognition that the task ahead was beyond the scope of
government alone. The formulation of this plan was intended to
be a consensus-building exercise. It relied on the cooperative
effort of all sectors, including government agencies, state
enterprises and universities, the private sector, and non-government
organizations.
There
are many laws and regulations pertaining to the environment. In
June of 1992, a new National Environmental Quality Act replaced
the 1975 National Environment Act, creating a stronger
foundation for a system of national environmental management.
In
April 1992, a new Hazardous Substances Act introduced a
comprehensive control framework for the possession, use and
handling of all substances considered mutation-inducing,
infectious explosive flammable and corrosive. Later that year, a
new Factories Act retained the basic restrictions of the former
one but included strict pollution regulations and tougher
penalties. Firms proposing investments in industries, such as
petrochemicals, industrial estates, steel industries which might
harm the environment, are required to perform an environmental-impact
study prior to receiving permission to set up factories.
There
are also several agencies which deal with various aspects of
environmental regulation and management in the country,
including divisions of the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of
Science, Technology and Environment, the Ministry of Public
Health, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Transport
and Communications. |
