A Public Participation in Environmental Health Impact Assessment

A Case Study of The Rayong Industrial Estate Project (Ban Khai), Rayong

Abstract

This research aimed to study public participation in environmental health impact assessment of the Rayong Industrial Estate Project (Ban Khai), Rayong, to investigate problems and obstacles, and to recommendation approaches to promote and support the public participation in environmental health impact assessment. Data were collected via semi-structured Interviews, non-participant observation and analyzing data by triangulation technique. The results showed that the public participation in environmental health impact assessment is the consultation level. Public participation method that is not consistent with the local community and characteristics of the local community, Lack of transparency in the implementation. People get insufficient project information, unclear information, does not cover stakeholders and does not confidence in the project. The problems and obstacles were that the local communities were lack of knowledge about public participation in environmental health impact assessment and concerned about the impact on their livelihoods and agriculture. Recommendation approaches to promote and support the public participation in environmental health impact assessment are described. The relevant agencies should train about public participation in environmental health impact assessment to the local community. Project entrepreneur and consultants should plan and prepare project information before releasing information to the local community and should choose the public participation method to fit with the context of local community.