DR. APICHART A NOBLE ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER IN THAILAND
INTERVIEW BY DR ROSS MICHAEL PINK
DR. APICHART ANUKULARMPHAI IS PRESIDENT OF THE THAILAND WATER RESOURCE ASSOCIATION BASED IN BANGKOK, THAILAND.
HE HAS BEEN A DRIVING FORCE BEHIND INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ( IWRM) SINCE 1998 WHILE SERVING AS A MEMBER OF THE GLOBAL WATER PARTNERSHIP-SOUTHEAST ASIA TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (GWP-SEATAC) AND LATER SERVED AS GWP-SEATAC's CHAIRPERSON.
Q. YOU ARE AN ADVOCATE OF SUFFICIENCY ECONOMICS. CAN YOU DISCUSS THIS CONCEPT
A. WE FOCUS TOO MUCH ON GDP. GDP IS OFTEN DERIVED FROM THE EXPLOITATION OF RESOURCES ESPECIALLY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THEY HAVE TO EXPORT RESOURCES. THAILAND IS IN THE MIDDLE INCOME PACK OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. WE FALL INTO THE GDP TRAP.
Q. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THE LINK BETWEEN GDP AND THE UNITED NATIONS SDGs
A. IF ALL WE DO IS INCREASE GDP, WE DESTROY THE ENVIRONMENT. THE SDGs ARE NOT LIKELY TO SUCCEED IF WE ONLY FOCUS ON GDP. THE QUESTION IS ‘ SUSTAINABLE WHAT?’ NOTICE IN THE WORLD THAT POOR COUNTRIES BECOME POORER AS THE INCOME GAP WIDENS.
Q. CAN YOU DISCUSS THE FLOODING SITUATION FACING THAILAND IN VIEW OF CREDIBLE CLIMATE CHANGE PREDICTIONS FOR THE COUNTRY OF ELEVATED FLOOD SCENARIOS IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
A. THAILAND DOES NOT HAVE EFFECTIVE FLOOD PLANS. IN JAPAN NOW IF YOU WANT TO DEVELOP LAND YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE WATER STORAGE BECAUSE CONCRETE BLOCKS WATER RUN-OFF. CONCRETE MAKES THE GROUND IMPERMEABLE AND THIS MAKES FLOODING WORSE. CHANGES IN SOIL SURFACE ALSO INCREASES RUN-OFF. THIS IS WHY MOST BIG CITIES HAVE FLOOD PROBLEMS.
Q. BANGKOK DOES NOT HAVE AN EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINALE RECYCLING PROGRAM. CAN YOU DISCUSS THE RECYCLING MOVEMENT IN THAILAND.
A. AT THE VILLAGE LEVEL THERE IS BASIC RECYCLING. PEOPLE COLLECT PLASTIC BOTTLES AND NEWSPAPERS. THEY TAKE CHAIRS FOR EXAMPLE AND RECYCLE THE METAL. NEWSPAPER IS RECYCLED INTO PULP. IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME. IT IS IN EVERY PROVINCE ON A SMALL SCALE. IT IS ALSO ADDITIONAL INCOME FOR PEOPLE. THAILAND IS TRYING TO DEVELOP A RECYCLING PROGRAM WITH THE ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, AIT. A NEW MOTO FOR THAILAND STARTING IN MARCH 2018 IS THAT WE WILL BE THE ‘KITCHEN OF THE WORLD’
Q. AT THE TWRA YOU ARE WORKING ON MANY EXCITING INNOVATIONS THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A GREENER WORLD. CAN YOU DISCUSS ONE.
A. YES, I AM PROMOTING BAMBOO PLANTATIONS THAT CAN BE USED TO MAKE BIO-FUEL FROM THE BAMBOO. ALSO, THERE IS A FINNISH COMPANY THAT IS MAKING ALCOHOL FROM BAMBOO THAT CAN BE USED IN CARS.
INTERVIEW BY DR ROSS MICHAEL PINK
DR. APICHART ANUKULARMPHAI IS PRESIDENT OF THE THAILAND WATER RESOURCE ASSOCIATION BASED IN BANGKOK, THAILAND.
HE HAS BEEN A DRIVING FORCE BEHIND INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ( IWRM) SINCE 1998 WHILE SERVING AS A MEMBER OF THE GLOBAL WATER PARTNERSHIP-SOUTHEAST ASIA TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (GWP-SEATAC) AND LATER SERVED AS GWP-SEATAC's CHAIRPERSON.
Q. YOU ARE AN ADVOCATE OF SUFFICIENCY ECONOMICS. CAN YOU DISCUSS THIS CONCEPT
A. WE FOCUS TOO MUCH ON GDP. GDP IS OFTEN DERIVED FROM THE EXPLOITATION OF RESOURCES ESPECIALLY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THEY HAVE TO EXPORT RESOURCES. THAILAND IS IN THE MIDDLE INCOME PACK OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. WE FALL INTO THE GDP TRAP.
Q. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THE LINK BETWEEN GDP AND THE UNITED NATIONS SDGs
A. IF ALL WE DO IS INCREASE GDP, WE DESTROY THE ENVIRONMENT. THE SDGs ARE NOT LIKELY TO SUCCEED IF WE ONLY FOCUS ON GDP. THE QUESTION IS ‘ SUSTAINABLE WHAT?’ NOTICE IN THE WORLD THAT POOR COUNTRIES BECOME POORER AS THE INCOME GAP WIDENS.
Q. CAN YOU DISCUSS THE FLOODING SITUATION FACING THAILAND IN VIEW OF CREDIBLE CLIMATE CHANGE PREDICTIONS FOR THE COUNTRY OF ELEVATED FLOOD SCENARIOS IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
A. THAILAND DOES NOT HAVE EFFECTIVE FLOOD PLANS. IN JAPAN NOW IF YOU WANT TO DEVELOP LAND YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE WATER STORAGE BECAUSE CONCRETE BLOCKS WATER RUN-OFF. CONCRETE MAKES THE GROUND IMPERMEABLE AND THIS MAKES FLOODING WORSE. CHANGES IN SOIL SURFACE ALSO INCREASES RUN-OFF. THIS IS WHY MOST BIG CITIES HAVE FLOOD PROBLEMS.
Q. BANGKOK DOES NOT HAVE AN EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINALE RECYCLING PROGRAM. CAN YOU DISCUSS THE RECYCLING MOVEMENT IN THAILAND.
A. AT THE VILLAGE LEVEL THERE IS BASIC RECYCLING. PEOPLE COLLECT PLASTIC BOTTLES AND NEWSPAPERS. THEY TAKE CHAIRS FOR EXAMPLE AND RECYCLE THE METAL. NEWSPAPER IS RECYCLED INTO PULP. IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME. IT IS IN EVERY PROVINCE ON A SMALL SCALE. IT IS ALSO ADDITIONAL INCOME FOR PEOPLE. THAILAND IS TRYING TO DEVELOP A RECYCLING PROGRAM WITH THE ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, AIT. A NEW MOTO FOR THAILAND STARTING IN MARCH 2018 IS THAT WE WILL BE THE ‘KITCHEN OF THE WORLD’
Q. AT THE TWRA YOU ARE WORKING ON MANY EXCITING INNOVATIONS THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A GREENER WORLD. CAN YOU DISCUSS ONE.
A. YES, I AM PROMOTING BAMBOO PLANTATIONS THAT CAN BE USED TO MAKE BIO-FUEL FROM THE BAMBOO. ALSO, THERE IS A FINNISH COMPANY THAT IS MAKING ALCOHOL FROM BAMBOO THAT CAN BE USED IN CARS.
