Use of GIS Tools for Environmental Conflict Resolution at Map Ta Phut Industrial Zone in Thailand

Phattraporn Soytong and Ranjith Perera
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Phattraporn Soytong: School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand and Faculty of Geo-Informatics, Burapha University, Chonburi Province 20131, Thailand
Ranjith Perera: Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 33, P.C. 123 Al Khoudh, Oman

Sustainability, 2014, vol. 6, issue 5, 1-24

Abstract: Special industrial zones are favored over scattered industries from an environmental management perspective, but poor management can lead to conflicts. This paper presents an analysis of the environmental conflict that arose between the state, society, and industry stakeholders in an industrial zone of the Eastern Seaboard Development Program of Thailand. This paper seeks to determine the effectiveness of policy measures implemented by the state to resolve the conflict. The purpose of this study is to draw lessons for industrializing nations that adopt the industrial zone model to foster environmentally sustainable industrial development. The study revealed that blatant violation of land-use planning regulations and expansion of the industrial zone into community areas was a root cause of the conflict. Through legal action, civil society has been successful in forcing the state and industries to halt unplanned expansion of industrial areas and practice better environmental governance. However, inadequate commitment by the state and industry stakeholders seems to perpetuate the conflict, threatening the sustainability of economic gains. A Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based analysis confirmed that the policy interventions of the government to resolve the conflict have not produced significant results. This paper highlights the need for GIS-based environmental quality monitoring for guiding industrialization-based urban development towards sustainability.

Keywords: industrialization; industrial zone model; environmental conflict resolution; spatial analysis; air pollution; water pollution; public health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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