In terms of annual per capita availability of water, Thailand ranks lowest in Asia—with 30 percent of all available water not suitable for most human activities—and lower than the world average. Despite a worldwide trend of declining water pollution, Thailand witnessed an increase of more than 60 percent of organic water pollution between 1980 and 1997.

While quality varies throughout the country, the central region faces the poorest conditions because of dense populations and intense economic activity.

Rapid expansion in urban and industrial sectors, inefficient enforcement of laws and regulations, and insufficient management of institutions established for the handling of waste, all contribute to the steadily increasing pollution of surface, coastal, and ground water.

Water pollution causes damage to human health, fisheries, and agriculture, and results in huge health and economic costs, and has disproportionate affects on the poor. The monitor estimates that diseases relating to contaminated water—such as diarrhea, dysentery, and typhoid—amounted to US$23 million (a lower estimate) in 1999, with costs of providing access to clean water and sanitation estimated to be US$686 million. Other estimates have it costing the country a range of between .7 - 1 percent of GDP annually.

The report notes that the Government has put in place policies, plans and water quality standards in an effort to combat the problem and has embarked on an ambitious program for the management of water pollution generated from urban municipal sources.

But a lack of an integrated approach combined with laws that go unenforced, weak capacity, insufficient investment, and poor operations and maintenance systems have exacerbated the problem. Limited community participation and low involvement of the private sector has further pushed the onus on the government.

To address water pollution, the Monitor recommends that Thailand develop an integrated approach for the management of surface and groundwater resources.

This will involve

• fostering local community participation in water resources management;
• harmonizing functions and laws by addressing overlaps in institutions and jurisdiction, and gradually decentralizing functions to local governments;
• improving the efficiency of budget allocation and rationalize investments for the wastewater sector;
• promoting opportunities for private sector participation;
• increasing public awareness about the state of water quality.

The Environment Monitor is one part of an integrated environment sector program made up of lending, technical assistance, knowledge management services, and capacity building support in Thailand. It is organized under a CDF-type partnership known as the Comprehensive Development Partnership for Environment and has been agreed upon with the Government in consultation with key stakeholders in Thailand.

The strategy identifies key areas for environ-mental improvements as well as a framework of actions for interested stakeholders and donors, including: (i) ensuring better environmental governance through institutional restructuring, compliance, and decentralization; (ii) introducing a sustainable financing mechanism, ie Polluter Pays Principle; (iii) promoting more active com-munity participation in environmental manage-ment ; (iv) improving air quality and waste management in Bangkok; (v) improving water management of the Chao Phraya River Basin.

The Environment Monitor Series

Making information on environmental trends accessible to decision makers and to civil society is essential to informed public debate on environmental issues. The Environment Monitor series, initiated in 2000, aims to present available information on key environmental trends in East Asian countries.

The Monitors use charts, graphs, and explanatory text to follow trends in various environmental indicators such as air and water quality, deforestation, and waste management. As far as possible ,the Monitors describe both current conditions and trends over time. Environment Monitors have been prepared for the Philippines and Thailand. Similar efforts will be undertaken in Cambodia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, and Vietnam. (Source: World Bank, February 5, 2002)