Integrated waste management in Sirinat National Park Area, Phuket Province, Thailand | |
| Author | Nantaporn Jitprasert |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.EV-12-11 |
| Subject(s) | Refuse and refuse disposal--Thailand--Phuket Integrated solid waste management--Thailand--Phuket |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and Management Inter-University Program on Environmental Toxicology, Technology and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Tourism attraction and population growth combined are contributing to the increasing rates of waste production. As a result, traditional waste management practices, particularly the methods of waste collection and disposal, are no longer efficient and quite unsustainable. The objectives of this research were to analyze the current waste management system in the Sirinat National Park area, and develop a draft integrated waste management plan. The research involved 385 local residents in 7 villages and 16hotels located in Sirinat National Park area. Waste management was reviewed to suggest complimentary solutions for household, hotel waste and agriculture runoff management through questionnaires and SWOT analysis. The study revealed that overall, the communities were ready to cooperate and help municipalities to decrease waste generation in their area, and however, there were some predicaments encountered including weak support of residents for municipalities regarding their waste and farm discharge, poor knowledge about waste effects on human health and recycling, and lack of aggregation of waste before disposal. In addition, no on-site primary treatment is done for septic tank waste. Besides, most hotels have environmental programs and training for staff, however it should be mandatory that all hotels adopt green awareness programs for waste management. However, hotels’ wastewater after primary treatment is discharged to the sewage network and then to the canals and ocean. The problem from wastewater discharge is about the quality of the wastewater and odors. Furthermore, the SWOT analysis was performed to formulate strategic action plans for integrated waste management found that poor waste collection standards, weak cooperation between municipalities and SNP authorities for waste collections, inconsistency on schedules for waste collection, unclear strategy for wastewater treatment and management in SNP area, and inadequate management to involvement community for waste separation and waste collection. In addition, there is no provision for composting or recycling of organic waste by municipalities and also solid waste management should integrate plastic to fuel approach, elimination of plastic bags usage in shops and aggregate to soil approach though compositing. For improving waste management in Sirinat National Park area, locations should be provided for making organic fertilizers and recycled purchase. On solid waste administration, the organization should give the opportunity for people to participate in self-planning and determine public health and environment with knowledgeable personnel. Commercial, residential and beach areas should be given priority and plans should be organized properly and efficiently. The importance and advantages of waste separation should be brought up to have attention from people so they are willing to participate in waste management in the community. Therefore, it is recommended to establish the working relationships among restaurants, hotels, shops, residents, agriculture and tourists for better waste collection and management. It is also suggested that in order to implement good practices for the environment, developing a draft integrated waste management approach at the National park and surrounded area is essential for achieving this goal. |
| Year | 2012 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Environmental Engineering and Management (EV) |
| Chairperson(s) | Shipin, Oleg V.; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Thammarat Koottatep;Settachan, Daam; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Chulabhorn Research Institute/Mahidol University/Asian Institute of Technology Fellowship (CRI-MU-AIT) |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology - Chulabhorn Research Institute - Mahidol University, 2012 |