Environment chief urged to work with public
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Groups ask Dapong to tell locals about development projects near them
With his military background, newly appointed Natural Resources and Environment Minister General Dapong Ratanasuwan looks set to ensure strict enforcement of laws against wildlife hunting and deforestation.
However, academics and environmentalists have emphasised the need for him to ensure public participation too.
“I believe law enforcement by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will become stricter because the man at its helm has long been in a military career,”
Dr Chokgrak Wachrinrat said, in his capacity as head of Kasetsart University’s Department of Forest Management.
However, Chokgrak was quick to add that public participation was crucial to environmental management and Dapong must never ignore that.
‘People play key role’
Dr Decharut Sukkumnoed, who teaches at Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Economics, echoed that public engagement would play a significant role particularly with environmental impact assessments (EIAs).
“Before any project gets a green light, all sides must have the right to review its details,” the university lecturer said.
Current practice, he said, allowed only specialists to see project proposals, when in fact locals, whose lives were likely be affected by a project, also deserved to have a say in such matters.
Decharut pointed out that many people around mines had to face health threats because the EIA process did not include them.
He hoped that the new minister would make environmental law more practical and transparent.
Penchom Saetang of Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand (Earth) said Dapong should invite representatives from various sectors to develop policies on the environment and natural resources together.
“Since he doesn’t have a background in the environment, he should open more doors of opportunity to public participation.
“Listening to all sides will make it easier to solve problems. By listening, he will be able to formulate the right policies,” she said.
Get industrial sector to behave
Penchom believed the urgent task for Dapong was to get the industrial sector to show more environmental responsibility.
Many factories were secretly releasing wastewater into public waterways and illegally dumping toxic waste, she said.
Tara Buakamsri, Thailand country director for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said it was nothing new to have a retired military officer as a minister.
In his eyes, Dapong’s urgent task was to get rid of conflict over resources and to prevent exploitation of natural resources by industrial groups and traders.
“Natural resources should be shared. Everyone, not just some specific groups, should have access to natural resources,” he said.
Tara also said that environmental issues should be considered a part of national security.
“National security should not focus just on economic growth. It is necessary that we address environmental concerns at the same time,” he said
