สำนักราชบัณฑิตยสภา

«“√ “√ √“™∫— ≥±‘ µ¬ ∂“π ªï ∑’Ë Û ©∫— ∫∑’Ë Ú ‡¡.¬.-¡‘ .¬. ÚıÙ¯ 431 ¡π— ÿ «√√≥ Cohen, J.M. and N.T. Uphoff. Participation: Concepts and Measures for Project De- sign, Implementation in Rural Develop- ment. Monograph # 2, January 1997, The Rural Development Committee, Center for International Studies Council, 1997. Abstract People Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment Manat Suwan Associate Fellow of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, The Royal Institute, Thailand We must accept the fact that any development project has its own specific purpose to increase the better standard of living of the people. However, we must accept as well that among the unavoidable results of any development process are those of the positive and negative impacts upon the environment. At present time when capitalism has been playing the most important role in economic system, development agencies do not pay their main attention to the impacts upon the environment in the long- run, but economic returns in the short-run. As far as the mentioned instance is concerned, if there is no restricted measure to mitigate of control, the depletion of natural resources and the degradation of the environmental quality would be seriously severe. That is why Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been introduced as the planning tool for the decision-makers before any decision to develop is made. Reliability of the EIA depends largely not only on the capability of the conducting agencies, but also on the participation opportunity of the potentially affected people. National Environmental Policy Act B.E. 2535 has designated the development projects of particular sizes and aspects must have EIA undertaken prior to the development process will be launched. Anyway, it was found that several projects of which EIA had been conducted still being opposed by various groups of the people. The failure to let the will-be-affected people participating in the assessment process is believed to be the significant cause of the opposition. This article is an attempt to point out the nature and the importance of EIA. At the same time, it intents to reveal the rights of the people and theways that they can participate in the procedure. Key words : people participation, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), development project Vanclay, F. and Daniel A. Bronstein. Environ- mental and Social Impact Assessment. New York : John Wiley & Sons, 1996.