Preface
The Thailand Environment Monitor series -initiated in 2000 - presents a snapshot of key environmental trends in the country. Its purpose is to engage and inform stakeholders of environmental changes as they occur, in an easy-to-understand format. The first Environment Monitor, published in 2000, benchmarked trends in environmental indicators covering a wide range of issues, including those associated with environmental quality and natural resources conservation. Environmental changes, however, occur over a period of time; therefore annual variations are not easy to measure or assess, unlike economic indicators. Thus, the series is designed to report general environmental trends every five years and in the intervening years, the Monitor focuses on specific themes to highlight critical emerging problems. In 2001, the Monitor focused on water quality and the theme for 2002 was air quality. Solid and hazardous waste management is the focus of the Thailand Environment Monitor 2003.
Solid and hazardous waste is a serious problem facing many of the urban and industrial areas of Thailand. Considerable progress has been made in the past decade to improve waste management practices in the country, but the unfinished agenda, including the following issues, remains challenging. In particular, there is a large untapped potential in recycling and waste reduction. Safe and effective municipal waste collection, treatment, and disposal systems are only just beginning to take shape in most areas of the country. Safe hazardous and infectious waste treatment and disposal systems need to be built to keep pace with the growth in waste generation. Sustainable financing for solid waste is still elusive and government agencies are challenged by staffing limitations.
The Thailand Environment Monitor 2003 assesses the status, trends, lessons, and challenges of solid and hazardous waste management in the country. The report is in six sections. Section 1 reviews Waste Generation in the country. Section 2 outlines Waste Reduction and Recycling practices. Sections 3 reviews Municipal Solid Waste, and Section 4 focuses on Industrial and Infectious Waste. Section 5 assesses Environmental Management in relation to the Legal Framework, Institutions, Plans, and current Expenditures. The concluding section of the report outlines the Challenges faced by Thailand.
The report is an outcome of a joint exercise among the Pollution Control Department (PCD) of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE), US-Asia Environmental Partnership (USAEP), Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), and the World Bank. Several surveys were also undertaken to obtain additional data and insights. A disposal practices survey of the 76 provincial capitals was undertaken by PCD and the World Bank and this formed the basis of an analysis of disposal practices. The potential for landfill gas development was also assessed with the help of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Additionally, USAEP, in conjunction with a consortium of Thai university professors and with the help of the Municipal League of Thailand, undertook a municipal benchmarking survey of 13 small to medium-sized cities in Thailand. The results of these surveys and analyses are included in the report and are also available separately on the web site and attached CD. The other information contained in the Monitor has been compiled from a variety of sources, including published and unpublished data and reports by government agencies, universities, nongovernmental organizations, individuals, the World Bank, and international partners. Back to top |
  
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