Devolution and participatory approach in industrial pollution control and environmental management in Peri-urban Bangkok | |
| Author | Amorn Kritsanaphan |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.UE-12-02 |
| Subject(s) | Industries--Environmental aspects--Thailand--Bangkok Environmental management--Thailand--Bangkok |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Environmental Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Dissertation ; no. UE-12-02 |
| Abstract | Environmental management is supposed to improve through decentralization and multi - stakeholder participatory approach. These processes and outcomes, however, are far from being straightforward. Much of these depend on a variety of contingencies and contexts, and the actors, networks, and interactions involved. This study focuses on the decentralization of environmental managemen t in the peri - urban zone. Peri - urbanization is fast expanding in developing countries, where formal state institutions and procedures is comparatively less established, and pollution from non - farming and urban sources combined with farming sources has bec ome more and more intense. The two cases examined here present contrasting pathways of devolution. Both the Bang - Krang and Baan - Mai cases initially succumbed to elite capture and stifling of community dissent and complaints vis - à - vis the polluter company in their vicinity through deliberate immobilisation and paralysis of the community committee, which is supposed to be the formally mandated body for advancing the residents’ environmental welfare and for linking grassroots concerns with higher level govern ment agencies for assistance and intervention. In both cases, the communities’ formal body became dominated by the local elite. However, in the case of Baan - Mai, local residents were able to empower themselves in claim making and, eventually, in gaining co ntrol of their community committee through the critical role of local intermediaries. Three key points on the importance of informal transactions and intermediaries emerge from this study. First, problem of local governments’ capacity deficit and absence of appropriately scoped institutional structures at supra - local level may be abated by intermediaries that link local and community environmental initiatives to external agencies for more effective response and positive outcomes. Second, vulnerability to l ocal elite capture in devolution may be countervaile by the initiatives of extra - local intermediaries who can link local grassroots community to higher levels of authority to neutralize the impact of collusion between polluting industries and local elite. Third, devolution opened up local spaces to a range of local non - state social actors, especially grassroots communities, and it may likely lead to better environmental outcomes when intermediaries provide the cohesion between these group actors to strengt hen advocacy and alliances to further their claim for better environment vis - à - vis industry polluters. Informality and intermediaries should thus not be seen as intrinsically oppositional and anathema to the maturation of formal state institutional structu res and their operations. Moreover, development of innovative and adaptive institutions should also acknowledge and give space to informality and role of intermediaries since these may compliment and collaborate with formal state institutions for more effe ctive and inclusive governance in the peri - urban. The study conducted field research on environmental management and governance in the two peri - urban communities of Bangkok periphery. The study mainly used qualitative techniques of primary data gathering — field observation, focus - group interviews, and individual in - depth interviews. These were combined with records reviews for triangulation of information. The researcher also attended local public meetings, and social activities, and interacted casually w ith community residents, government, and company officials, industries, and intermediaries. All in all, 131 in - depth interviews were conducted with 92 individual informants and 13 focus group interviews. |
| Year | 2012 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Dissertation ; no. UE-12-02 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Urban Environmental and Management (UE) |
| Chairperson(s) | Sajor, Edsel E. |
| Examination Committee(s) | Resurreccion, Bernadette ;Doneys, Philippe |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Office of the Higher Education Commission , Thailand ;Asian Institute of Technology Fellowship |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph. D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2012 |