Integrating Human Health into Environmental Impact Assessment: Review of Health Impact Assessment in Thailand
The objective of this paper is to review the integration of health impact assessment (HIA) into environmental health assessment (EIA) or EHIA, existing legal requirements for health risk analyses, and lessons learned for integrating HIA within EIA processes. The authors undertook literature searche...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Environmental Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University
2016-03-01
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| Series: | Applied Environmental Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ph01.tci-thaijo.org/jer/index.php/aer/article/view/43328 |
| _version_ | 1797294906715144192 |
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| author | Phayong Thepaksorn Wattasit Siriwong Sathirakorn Pongpanich |
| author_facet | Phayong Thepaksorn Wattasit Siriwong Sathirakorn Pongpanich |
| author_sort | Phayong Thepaksorn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
The objective of this paper is to review the integration of health impact assessment (HIA) into environmental health assessment (EIA) or EHIA, existing legal requirements for health risk analyses, and lessons learned for integrating HIA within EIA processes. The authors undertook literature searches for EHIA practices through academic publications, reports, and websites of public organizations and related agencies in Thailand. We examined and synthesized the HIA system development, regulations, and examples of integrated EHIA. In conclusion, the implementation of EHIA still faces many obstacles, especially in such complex sector policy environments. The uncertainties, lack of evidence base, and challenges in implementing EHIA within the prevailing political and cultural contexts constrain decision-making and remain under-developed. Methodologies and tools have to fit with the available data and resources. The EHIA evaluation requires analytical validity, relevance, stakeholder engagement, and public involvement. The review resulted in the following recommendations to increasing Thailand’s EHIA capacity: 1) develop tools and guidelines for implementation in each project types; 2) train EHIA experts and conduct EHIA courses to build capacity; 3) ensure meaningful participation of private sector and the public; 4) bring together all parties in the debate, and build consensus through community participation and the upholding of environmental justice including EHIA communication; and 5) work to ensure strong public participation and political engagement.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T21:37:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d07e59d5ac5f4bd687f29f772b18908b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2287-075X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T21:37:59Z |
| publishDate | 2016-03-01 |
| publisher | Environmental Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Environmental Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-d07e59d5ac5f4bd687f29f772b18908b2024-02-26T10:50:48ZengEnvironmental Research Institute, Chulalongkorn UniversityApplied Environmental Research2287-075X2016-03-0138110.35762/AER.2016.38.1.8Integrating Human Health into Environmental Impact Assessment: Review of Health Impact Assessment in ThailandPhayong Thepaksorn0Wattasit Siriwong1Sathirakorn Pongpanich2Trang Research Center for Occupational Health, Sirindhorn College of Public Health, Trang, ThailandCollege of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, ThailandCollege of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand The objective of this paper is to review the integration of health impact assessment (HIA) into environmental health assessment (EIA) or EHIA, existing legal requirements for health risk analyses, and lessons learned for integrating HIA within EIA processes. The authors undertook literature searches for EHIA practices through academic publications, reports, and websites of public organizations and related agencies in Thailand. We examined and synthesized the HIA system development, regulations, and examples of integrated EHIA. In conclusion, the implementation of EHIA still faces many obstacles, especially in such complex sector policy environments. The uncertainties, lack of evidence base, and challenges in implementing EHIA within the prevailing political and cultural contexts constrain decision-making and remain under-developed. Methodologies and tools have to fit with the available data and resources. The EHIA evaluation requires analytical validity, relevance, stakeholder engagement, and public involvement. The review resulted in the following recommendations to increasing Thailand’s EHIA capacity: 1) develop tools and guidelines for implementation in each project types; 2) train EHIA experts and conduct EHIA courses to build capacity; 3) ensure meaningful participation of private sector and the public; 4) bring together all parties in the debate, and build consensus through community participation and the upholding of environmental justice including EHIA communication; and 5) work to ensure strong public participation and political engagement. https://ph01.tci-thaijo.org/jer/index.php/aer/article/view/43328Environmental impact assessment (EIA)Health impact assessment (HIA)Health determinants |
| spellingShingle | Phayong Thepaksorn Wattasit Siriwong Sathirakorn Pongpanich Integrating Human Health into Environmental Impact Assessment: Review of Health Impact Assessment in Thailand Applied Environmental Research Environmental impact assessment (EIA) Health impact assessment (HIA) Health determinants |
| title | Integrating Human Health into Environmental Impact Assessment: Review of Health Impact Assessment in Thailand |
| title_full | Integrating Human Health into Environmental Impact Assessment: Review of Health Impact Assessment in Thailand |
| title_fullStr | Integrating Human Health into Environmental Impact Assessment: Review of Health Impact Assessment in Thailand |
| title_full_unstemmed | Integrating Human Health into Environmental Impact Assessment: Review of Health Impact Assessment in Thailand |
| title_short | Integrating Human Health into Environmental Impact Assessment: Review of Health Impact Assessment in Thailand |
| title_sort | integrating human health into environmental impact assessment review of health impact assessment in thailand |
| topic | Environmental impact assessment (EIA) Health impact assessment (HIA) Health determinants |
| url | https://ph01.tci-thaijo.org/jer/index.php/aer/article/view/43328 |
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