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Knowledge, Discipline & Wisdom. HIA : A mainstreaming tool for local community and industry to achieve the well-being goal and sustainable growth. Yanyong Inmuong Faculty of Public Health Khon Kaen University, Thailand yanyong@kku.ac.th.
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Knowledge, Discipline & Wisdom HIA : A mainstreaming tool for local community and industry to achieve the well-being goal and sustainable growth Yanyong Inmuong Faculty of Public Health Khon Kaen University, Thailand yanyong@kku.ac.th XI HIA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “In times of crisis, healthier ways” April 14‐15, 2011 Andalusian School of Public Health, Granada, Spain,
Industry vs Community DisputesonEnvironment and Health Impacts • Country Pro-Growth Policy • Boost Industry Investment HIA ? • Environmental Regulation Weak • Environment & Health Impacts Widely Recognition
Why HIA ? • HIA : An effective tool for promotion of community health and reduction of any adverse health impacts caused by development project/program/policy. • Approaches : Retrospective, concurrent and prospective assessment • Core values : Equity, democracy, governance • Industry Emission Compliance to Environmental Standard : This does not always mean to safeguard community efficiently from environmental risk and any of adverse health impact. • Study Assumption : Whether HIA can be a compromise tool in resolving dispute between local community and factory on environmental health impact issue.
Study Objectives This case study explored the use of rapid HIA in; • indentifying of community health impact issues of concern, • engaging of local stakeholders to propose a set of recommendation on mitigation measures and activities against the identified environmental health impacts. The study site was at HuayJod Community locating adjacent to a large Pulp and Paper Factory at the vicinity of Ubolrat Industrial Complex northeast Thailand. Community Factory
Study Methods : Rapid HIA • Deskwork review 5 days • Factory profile • Community profile • Environment and health problems/complaints • Key informants interview 5 days • Factory manager • Provincial and local government authorities • Local community leaders • Vulnerable residents • Stakeholder HIA workshop 1 day • Factory manager • Government authorities • Local community leaders • NGO • Academics • Writing a conclusion and recommendation paper 5 days
Key Study Results • Deskwork review pollution impacts and disputes • The factory used quite old technology to produce pulp and papers, and planned to increase product. • 2 years intense community complaints with 21 officially records. • Issues centered around factory emission and weak regulation enforcement matters. • No community and factory dialogue on any of resolution matters. • Health data revealed respiratory problem in some vulnerable groups. • Community impacts showed false smell from emission dusts and fumes, and factory truck. • Key informant interview summary • Elders who always live at home is the most vulnerable group. • Village leaders need the factory to replace the manufacturing process a more advanced technology. • Women leaders suggest the factory should do community environmental impact surveillance regularly. • Local authority affirms the factory report their emission meeting the standard level. • Factory manager insists environmental compliances as well as the new CSR strategy linking with local community. • All interviewees reflect new to HIA tool.
HIA Workshop Summary Hazard-Impact-Proposed Mitigation Measures Matrix (Tripartite 31 Persons : Community-Local Authority-Community Leaders)
Concluding Remarks • It was clearly observed that each stakeholder groups hold different reasons, expectations, and values on community environmental health impact, and hardly reaching mutual agreement when first recognized. • The non-profit outsider (the university researcher group) caused a change, using rapid HIA, on impact resolution outcome based on solid evidences collected and brought into the tripartite workshop. • The rapid HIA, as a communication tool, could successfully build community-factory-government authority with common understanding matters and later reaching a set of mitigation agreements on community environmental health impacts. • This is a real world MPH fieldwork project sponsored by Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. • Assistant researchers are 20 MPH students who enrolling HIA Course in 2010.
Special Thanks • Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, which kindly funded the project financially. • 20 MPH students as assistant researchers led by Mr Weera Siriwan. • Huay Jod Community. • The Phoenix Pulp and Paper Industry Co. Ltd. • Kood Nam Sai Municipal Authority. • Kood Nam Sai Health Authority.