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ADB and Government of Thailand to Commission Independent Review of Samut Prakarn Wastewater Management Project

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (24 November 2000) - The Asian Development Bank and the Government of Thailand have decided to commission an independent review by experts of international repute to assess the Samut Prakarn Wastewater Management Project in Thailand. The timeframe, terms of reference, and composition of the review team will be developed in consultation with civil society and stakeholders in the project.

The Samut Prakarn Wastewater Management Project, costing about US$750 million and partly financed by ADB (US$230 million), aims to improve the environment in one of Thailand's most polluted provinces. It is designed to manage industrial, commercial, and residential wastewater that currently flows to the sea through open canals and rivers in a heavily populated area. The wastewater poses health hazards for up to a million people and pollutes large stretches of coastal areas in the Gulf of Thailand.

The project has adopted an integrated approach that tackles wastewater pollution both at source and final treatment point, representing a significant attempt to proactively minimize wastewater pollution. The project includes the collection and treatment of domestic and pretreated industrial wastewater. The treatment plant is designed to treat wastewater after industry has pretreated it to remove toxic elements in accordance with Thai Government standards. Under the project, the pretreated industrial wastewater will be collected by sewer pipes and carried to a treatment plant that is designed to further decompose and purify up to 525,000 cubic meters of wastewater a day. ADB believes that the Thai Government's approach to the wastewater management problem in Samut Prakarn is technically sound and will help to improve the environment.

Appreciating the importance of consultation on issues of concern to affected communities, ADB and the Government of Thailand will continue the process of active dialogue with all stakeholders.

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