Projects

Executive Summary of Independent Review Panel's Final Report

This is an executive summary of the full report of an independent review (IR) undertaken of the Samut Prakarn Wastewater Management Project (SPWWMP). The SPWWMP is located in the southeast corner of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. The stated objective of the project is to improve environmental quality, and public health and welfare in Samut Prakarn province. The scope of the project includes a centralized wastewater collection and treatment system, a cleaner production program, the procurement of equipment for wastewater and effluent monitoring, and a capacity building program for the sector. Progress on project implementation currently stands at around 70 percent.

The IR of the SPWWMP was initiated by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in conjunction with the Royal Thai Government's Pollution Control Department (PCD). The IR is the latest in a series of reviews of the project, which also addresses the community concerns raised about the project. The objective is to conduct a comprehensive review of the project including the draft Environmental Management Plan (EMP). The formal review was undertaken between mid-March and late May 2001 by a team comprised of the following personnel:

• Dr. Kevin Boland, Team Leader and Environmental and Water Quality Specialist
• Dr. Pichai Songchaeng, Marine Ecologist and Mussel Specialist
• Dr. Scott Bamber, Public Health Specialist

The Independent Review Team (IRT) made use of information from several sources. These included relevant published literature and original report material, input from a wide range of independent expert and academic sources, civil society and a Thai review team, consisting of five respected Thai academics, appointed by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to undertake a review specifically related to the draft EMP. The IRT also conducted field visits, and held meetings with government agencies such as the Ministry of Public Health. A workshop was held on 3 May 2001 to present the IRT's preliminary findings and provide an opportunity for discussion and sharing of opinions. Participants in the workshop included representatives of all stakeholder groups, including members of the Klong Dan community, academia, government agencies, the construction joint venture, NGOs and the media.

In general the IRT found that the SPWWMP is of sound design and will achieve a significant reduction in wastewater pollution of the upper Gulf of Thailand. Data presented in the draft EMP clearly show gross pollution from nutrients and heavy metals is already advanced in the northern Gulf of Thailand, and if this trend continues, ecological collapse in the northern Gulf is inevitable. This will impact strongly on people depending on the Gulf for their livelihoods with severe consequences for greater Thailand. Health implications of continued pollution are also dire. In addressing this threat, the project has the potential to be a benchmark for the rest of Thailand and much of Southeast Asia in wastewater treatment and pollution reduction.

The IRT concludes that centralised wastewater treatment is the only viable option in addressing the current pollution situation. The cost of effective enforcement of wastewater treatment at individual factory sites or at a large number of small wastewater treatment plants would be prohibitive. The project presents an opportunity to centralise wastewater treatment and consequently for the Royal Thai Government to institute effective regulation and enforcement to control and decrease the gross pollution of waterways in the project catchment area. Nevertheless, it must be clearly understood that if this regulation and enforcement is not achieved, the benefits of this project will not be realised.

There are several areas of the design and operation, which should be improved. These include technical aspects of the treatment plant, design features, precautions, issues related to operation and monitoring. Additionally, supplementary information is needed for the EMP report in order to improve its value as a guiding tool for effective environmental management of the project. The IRT has made 26 specific comments and recommendations in regard to these issues as well as several other areas where concerns have been raised (Annex 1). The key recommendations are described below.

1. The economic exclusion zone around the marine outfall should be increased from 500 meters to 1,000 meters.
2. The Klong Dan community is highly polluted, and would benefit enormously by connecting to the project, and thereby becoming a direct beneficiary.
3. The volume of mussel production and processing at Klong Dan is uncertain at this stage, and further investigations are needed to more accurately assess the situation.
4. Community involvement in the project should be sought at a wide range of levels including education, health and monitoring roles for relevant community sectors.
5. The proposed sludge management plan needs to be expedited.
6. A comprehensive effluent reuse study should be carried out with the active involvement of community members or groups who might benefit from such reuse.
7. The Ministry of Public Health should be more closely involved in the project, especially during the monitoring of the operational phase.
8. Many of the monitoring programs need to be further developed to demonstrate the linkages between performance and impact; this will require more data collection and significantly improved data interpretation.

Subject to the PCD adopting and implementing the recommendations, the IRT considers that the project will result in significant improvements in public health for the population of Samut Prakarn, including Klong Dan community. Furthermore, adoption of the recommendations, together with the mitigation measures proposed, will ensure that environmental impacts resulting from the project will be manageable.

A matrix of the potential impacts arising from the project, together with proposed or implemented mitigation measures is included in the main report.