Global warming and its impact top environmental concern for Thais
Global warming, poor waste management and PM2.5 pollution were the top environmental concerns of Thai people, according to a survey conducted by the Thailand Environment Institute (TEI) in early January.
The institute president, Wijarn Simachaya, said on Friday that 20.3 per cent of Thais were concerned about global warming that would result in the global temperature rising by over 1.5 degrees Celsius for the first time last year.
“Many people claimed that rising global temperature affected the environment, causing floods, drought, loss of biodiversity, and impact on food security and people’s health,” he said.
He noted that 19.1% of Thais were concerned about poor waste management, saying that the volume of waste had increased by 28 million to 29 million tonnes annually.
Poor waste management impacted the environment, public health, economy and society, he said, pointing out that people lacked awareness of proper waste management.
He called for boosting awareness of waste management from childhood, starting from educational institutions and communities.
Local public agencies should implement clear laws and regulations on waste management, while promoting integrated waste management among private agencies, he said.
Wijarn said 13.1% of Thais were concerned about PM2.5 pollution in Bangkok triggered by traffic emissions and burning of harvest leftovers, noting that it affects people’s health in the long term.
He added that Thai people also expressed concerns over biodiversity loss, chemical waste, marine waste, flood, alien species invasion and risk of dugong extinction.
“Respondents noted that all environmental issues are connected, so collaboration among all parties is necessary,” he said, adding that relevant agencies should implement strict and clear measures to address these issues.
