Questions/Answers

Thailand has become an upper middle-income economy, of which the production structure has changed from agriculture and industry to more of the service sector. Even though the natural resources and environmental quality have been improving but the overall environmental conditions are still deteriorating. According to the 20-Year National Strategy, the national development must be accompanied by a better quality of life of the people and friendly environment, both of which are the main strategies that must be driven towards achieving the objectives for the country’s sustainability. The Home Boon project aims at undertaking activities and creating cooperation network in order for all sectors such as the organizations, offices, educational institutions, public organizations, public sector, communities, and the people to reduce the amount of wastewater at the original sources and for the assessment of pollution reduction at original sources to be made The “Home Boon” concept has given rise to activities that can reduce pollutants at the sources of origin, which can help solve the environmental problems in a wider scale through the overall environmental management and also help reduce the supervisory task or burden of the public sector. In 2018, for example, the amount of wastewater discharged into the environment was reduced by 30,140 cubic metre/day (in dry reason). In the Home Boon process, therefore, all entrepreneurs or project participants can function as a role model and expert informant in providing knowledge, experiences and as resource persons in the area of pollution reduction at the original sources.

The “Home Boon” project is aligned with the category of promoting integrated mechanisms for sustainable development for the reason that the Regional Environmental Office 10 (Khon Kean Province) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has a duty to support and promote participation and networking at regional level. The office also has a duty to give academic or technical advice and suggest environmental measures. The project has been undertaken and implemented through participation of the public sector, the general public, educational institutions, and private sector as a network to widely reduce water pollution at the original sources in a concrete manner and according to the environmental absorptive capacity which would not affect the communities. The project, therefore, can be considered as an integrated mechanism for sustainable development.

Reduction of water pollution at the original sources is in line with the following sustainable development goals: Target 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, because the project aims to create networking activities to tangibly reduce water pollution at the original sources and, if successful, it will sustainably help preserve the quality of water resources for communities’ consumption. Target 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, because reducing water pollutants that have been or will be released into water resources or environment will be very important in terms of benefits to be gained from those water resources, which help them to maintain their absorptive capacity or naturally heal or rehabilitate themselves. The clean water resources will sustainably serve as raw materials for the safe water production and consumption, including water supply, planting activities, livestock, fishing, and other related activities.

Social dimension Reduction of water pollution at the original sources, which allows all sectors, including the entrepreneurs, offices, organizations, agencies, educational institutions, public sector, private sector, communities and general public to understand about the awareness and public-private partnership approaches towards pollution management undertaken by polluters themselves in such a way as not to create negative impact to the surrounding environment is truly a dimension of coexistence, good understanding, readiness for resolving problems together and without any conflict. Economic dimension When the entrepreneurs take care of the environment, do not cause any impact to the nearby communities, and make a better and transparent understanding towards each other, their businesses can run smoothly and stably and grow alongside the community’s expansion. Environment dimension The project helps enhance cooperation of all stakeholders towards addressing water pollution to create a balance in the targeted areas in conjunction with the city’s economic growth, which will eventually lead to the better quality of life for the communities and sustainable future.

The responsibilities of the public sector to control and monitor the discharge, by entrepreneurs or those who are considered as the original sources of pollutants, of the polluted water into the environment would require a huge budget. The same is true for the construction of a large integrated wastewater treatment system for the community. In addition, the number of government officials in charge is very small compared to the number of the entrepreneurs or companies. Therefore, the “Home Boon” concept, which is one of the traditions of the Thai people in making merits together that includes, in this case, public sector, general public, educational institutions, and private sector, has been implemented to order to help reduce water pollution at the original sources, without conditional incentives to be provided by public sector. The Home Boon mechanism thus greatly helps minimize the burden of the public sector. In 2018, for example, as a result of integrated operation of the networks in the activities, the discharge of wastewater into the environment has been reduced by 30,140 cubic meter per day (in dry season). The activities also helped strengthen knowledge and innovation that can be further expanded into other networks.

The reason why the achievement of water pollution reduction at the original sources through the “Home Boon” mechanism can help reduce gender inequality is that it can be undertaken by people of all ages, irrespective of their gender. Everybody, every community, every organization can join the activities. So the achievement of the Home Boon mechanism clearly helps reduce gender inequality in the Thai society, particularly in the areas of its operation or implementation.

The number of targeted groups that joined the project during the period 2015 – 2018 was 22, consisting of 16 industrial plants, 2 hotels, 2 hospitals, and one each from school, university, local government, and farmer. In the period of 2015 – 2016, the amount of wastewater being discharged into the environment was reduced by 6,000 cubic meter per day.

The Home Boon project has been undertaken under following steps: 1) In the 2015–2016 experimentation to evaluate cooperation and to try evaluation form for wastewater-reduction at office, 14 participants in Khon Kaen Province and neighboring provinces, comprising 10 industrial plants, one each from municipality, school, university and farmer were invited to join project. The achievement was the reduction of wastewater discharge of about 6,000 cubic metre/day (in dry-season). 2) Implementation in Khon Kaen Province during 2017 – 2018: 2.1) Review of process, problems, obstacles and acceptable approaches. The process included appointment of Evaluation Committee for Reduction of Pollution at the Original Sources, with 20 members representing public and private sector, academic institutions, and civil society; 2.2) Creating evaluation criteria and indicators, operational guidelines, with explanations made for applicants; 2.3) Conducting a workshop for target groups to enhance their knowledge and increase awareness on wastewater management at original sources; 2.4) MOU-signing on pollution-reduction at the original sources between executive from Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the target groups who joined the project and representatives of Khon Kaen province; 2.5) Making assessment of the project’s participants by assessment committee, providing an opportunity to communities and local governments to observe and provide information; 2.6) Performing an honour-declaration event and exchange of views on the implementation of activities towards continuing wastewater reduction in a concrete manner and in wider scale. In 2018, the 17 participants, comprising 12 industrial plants, one each from hotel, school, and hospital, were able to reduce wastewater discharge about 30,140 cubic metre per day (in dry-season). The continuing operation of “Home Boon” will cover the entire areas of Khon Kaen Province and in the Chee River Basin with the ultimate objective of becoming “province without pollution”.

The rapid expansion of communities, agricultural and industrial sector had a great impact on the absorptive-capacity of water resources and environment in handling pollutants, which at the same time affected behavioral adjustment, techniques, and water-quality management system, which inevitably cause environmental problems and conflicts to repeatedly arise. An approach towards resolving the problem is to study available information clearly to understand the absorptive-capacity of targeted areas towards absorbing water pollution and then push for an agenda for pollution management according to the absorptive-capacity of the province. This will result in a policy-solution, with technical support, leading to the sustainable management.

Innovation in this instance means building participation network among all stakeholders for the purpose of reducing water pollution at original sources by applying the Home Boon concept (a northeastern Thai word, meaning making merit together) which helps improve environmental problem. The expected outcome is that “everyone gains merit”. This belief or faith has historical root in Thailand’s northeastern culture that is firmly embraced by the northeastern communities. Therefore, it is unnecessary for the government sector to make any contribution or provide incentives or even impose stringent measures for this Home Boon process.

The Home Boon innovation has been developed and inspired by major merit-making traditions held by the Thai people, particularly those in northeastern Thailand, where they are called “Isan” people. One of such traditions is the Buddhist Lent tradition, which is strongly believed by the people in the Northeast, where local communities assemble and work together for merit-making through material or money donations for Buddhist temples’ renovation or other religious activities. The Home Boon concept for water pollution reduction at the original sources is, therefore, regarded as an environmental merit-making developed and inspired by the old tradition of the Buddhist Lent.

The Home Boon concept has never been actively or vigorously implemented in other provinces. The project, however, will be extended to widely cover all targeted areas in the Chee River Basin, particularly the Khon Kaen Province, which has adopted development policy to become a Smart City, for which one of the principles for the city development is Smart Environment. In this context, the Home Boon concept can be applied in order to concretely implement the environmental policy for city development. In addition, a quantitative and qualitative evaluation can also be conducted and achieved through distributing knowledge and approaches as well as the best practices achieved or attained by the successful organizations or business firms, which can act as supporters or advisors for the new project participants on a continuous basis until it covers the targeted areas or contaminated water carrying capacity of the province. Moreover, the reduction of pollutants at the original sources can also be extended to cover air pollutants and wastes as well, which, if jointly undertaken through a collective merit-making by all stakeholders, will eventually lead to becoming a sustainable city.

N/A

Training-expenses (one-training, with 60 participants/1 business-entity); Personnel - Project-leader: One month-salary: 45,000 baht Total: 45,000 baht - Project-coordinator: monthly-salary of 15,000 baht=3 months,totaling 45,000 baht Training (60 participants), including meals and trainers’ fees, totaling 40,000 baht Evaluation Committee’s meetings 3 times/year,Totaling 10,000 baht Committee-members evaluating participants (20-day/5-committee members/day), totaling 68,000 baht Total (one year) 198,000 baht For water-pollution-reduction-management system at original sources, participatory business firms will bear and share costs, depending on conditions and capabilities of each area. The knowledge-base and information concerning pollution-management undertaken by entities will be gathered as training-documents and public-information distribution and further activites.

Economic dimension The project aims at promoting joint cooperation for environmental solution, with respect to the environmental problems caused by the offices, entities, communities, or the people themselves with minimum release into the environment through the use of resources in an efficient and economical manner and reuse of the treated contaminated-materials as appropriate. This will help maintain the ability of the targeted areas to absorb polluting substances. Such conditions are the main factor for the community and people to enjoy good health, together with the economic growth of the city without environmental conflicts. Policy dimension of the organization. The Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has set up missions for all offices under its jurisdiction to integrate and enhance participation of all stakeholders towards managing natural resources and environment, both at national and international level. The above-mentioned achievement has been attained as a result of creating joint network for environmental management through reducing the self-inflicted pollutants and preventing them from causing impact to the environment. It is therefore in line with the organizational policy and can be developed further for sustainability.

Yes

The project has been evaluated by Regional Environment Office 10 in accordance with its purposes and expected outcomes during annual evaluation the Office meeting as follows: The project’s objectives were achieved through creation of the Home Boon Network for collective action in reducing water pollutants at original sources; As a result, knowledge-base and information concerning the pollution management at original sources undertaken by each participatory business firms have been established and then made public and exchanged among the Home Boon networks and relevant organizations at all levels; The project has clear direction for further action and continuing activities.

There were six (6) areas of evaluation successes achieved by Project-participants: Baseline-setting on water-use, contaminated-water, and water-balance-formulation of by business-firms; Implementation according to the 1992 Enhancement and Conservation of National Environment-Quality Act; Water-use-reduction; Wastewater-reuse or water-distribution to other sectors, without affecting environment; Community-and-locality-satisfaction on water-pollution-management not affecting environment-and-community; Creating innovation to reduce water-use or wastewater-reuse. Five criteria-levels for announcing certificate-of-excellence: One-star (praise-worthy)=50-59marks; Two-stars (good)=60-69marks; three-stars (very good)=70-79marks; Four-stars (extremely-good) =80-89marks; and Five-stars (excellence) =90-marks upward. Outcomes: 22-project-participants passed criteria from praise-worthy-level to excellence-level and able to reduce wastewater about 30,140 cubic/meter/day (dry-season) in 2018 and had possibility of continual-activities- undertaking.

1) In the period 2015-2016, ten (10) industrial factories, one subdistrict (Tambon) municipality, one school, one university, and one agriculturist, totaling 14 entities, that participated in the project managed to reduce about 6,000 cubic meter of waste water per day (in the dry season), with two business firms having received the best certificate of excellence (zero discharge during the dry season), while the remaining participants receiving certificate of good level (being able to reduce wastewater discharge to the outside area from 20 to 80 per cent) 2) During the period 2017-2018, fifteen entities, comprising twelve (12) industrial factories, one hotel, one school, and one hospital, that joined the project were able to reduce wastewater of about 30,140 cubic meter per day (in dry season), with four business firms receiving certificate of excellence (zero discharge in dry season). 3) There have been examples of twenty-two (22) business firms, with water pollution reduction at the original sources. Such examples can be taken as a prototype network for other business firms to follow.

- The Evaluation Committee for Pollution Reduction at the Original Sources consists of twenty (20) representatives from public sector, private sector, educational institutions, civil society, and advisors and will be appointed by the provincial governor. The committee’s functions are to provide guidelines and criteria for evaluating the reduction of water pollution at the original sources, to make assessment of and give advice to business firms towards water pollution reduction according to the targets. The committee also has a duty to give guideline towards concrete and extensive implementation of the project to reduce contaminated water and wastewater in the areas. - The local administration offices and community leaders representing the areas as witness have provided information and data according to the evaluation form and also acted as a middleman to create good understanding among the locals, communities, and business firms that participated in the project. - The business firms that participated in the project to reduce pollution at the original sources are important mechanisms that began with willingness and investment, which upon their successes, will be asked to act as exemplary organizations that will transfer knowledge to expand activities and outcomes to networks that will continuously participate in next year’s project.

- Regional Environmental Office 10 played key actor role, because it is the principal office that provides technical support, particularly on the follow-up, evaluation, and analysis of water-pollution problems; - The Evaluation Committee for Pollution Reduction at the Original sources (Khon Kaen Province) also acted as key-actor because it is the main-group for project-implementation. - The local people are also key actors because they are direct stakeholders, with a leader that can communicate good understanding on project, participate as observers, and provide useful information for evaluation; -The local administration office plays support facilitator role that can connect communities, public sector and private sector in management of natural resources and environment; -The Office of the Provincial Natural Resources and Environment plays an important partnership role that can link, connect or support environmental management at the provincial level on a concrete and continuous basis. - Government offices, state enterprises and private sector, including Khon Kaen Province, educational institutions, Provincial Industrial Office, Provincial Fishery Office, Provincial Livestock Office, Provincial Waterworks Authority, business firms, altogether acted as network manager to integrate environmental cooperation in the areas, i.e., to control the original sources of pollution, to manage and reduce wastes at the original sources, etc.

The application of Home Boon concept into self-created pollution responsibility under polluter-pay-principle by reducing pollution at original sources is considered as creating better environmental conditions which can have higher-to- highest goal of zero-discharge. This helps raise greater-responsibility, awareness, and attention-of-polluters and enhance good-cooperation with relevant-sectors without obligations for government-sector to provide incentives. It however has to be undertaken together with understanding and training to provide knowledge, starting from theory-to-practice in simplest way, building advisory-service-team, enhancing public-private-cooperation, honouring good people, and connecting central offices’ plans, basin-committees, and provincial governors to further activities on continuous-basis, leading to sustainable environmental management in future.