Legal Measures to Promote the Right to breathe in Clean Air : A Case Study of China, United States, and Singapore.

Abstract

          The purpose of this research was to reflect the importance of the right to breathe clean air, which required concrete policies. It employed the documentary research method involving the search for and collection of legal data from a variety of domestic and worldwide sources. The research would benefit the development of air pollution control agencies to promote the people's good health.
          One might argue that Thailand’s current environmental laws required the application of multiple statutes in the effort to reduce air pollution. Therefore, the research conclusions based on the actual problems and matters of fact concerning the existing law enforcement were as follows. Firstly, local administrative organizations had to make campaigns to raise public awareness of self-protection against unclean air together with the provision of health advice on the basis of reliable international standards. Secondly, there should be a central organization that might serve as an ad-hoc center (in time of occurrence of health-threatening dust situation) in order to integrate law enforcement collaboration in a rapid, comprehensive, and thorough manner. Thirdly, the law amendment should focus on the control of sources or polluters, and preventive measures with suitable penalties (covering both domestic and transboundary pollutions). This would raise the awareness of not taking any environment-threatening actions among individuals or entities that could probably cause air pollutions.
          In this regard, the United Nations has recognized the “right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment” as a human right, and encouraged its member states to enhance their capabilities to ensure their population’s enjoyment of clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Therefore, Thailand should urgently develop specific laws in achieving concrete solutions in order to sustainably ensure the rights of Thai people to breathe clean air.