All publications

Assessing Municipal Solid Waste Management Policies and Challenges in Thailand

Anupong Muttaraid, Sirintornthep Towprayoon, Komsilp Wangyao, Chart Chiemchaisri, Thapat Silalertruksa

2024

Waste management is always one of the significant issues in Thailand, as the data shows that around a third of the municipal waste is not treated sanitarily. Thus, the regulation framework relating to municipal waste management in Thailand could potentially be one of the challenges causing difficulties in developing sustainable waste management in Thailand. The waste management regulation was initiated under the Ministry of Public Health 32 years ago; a better-related ministry, such as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, was established 3 years later. Thus, even until now, the authorization has remained with the Ministry of Public Health. Nevertheless, the ministry that is managing the waste is the Ministry of Interior, which tends to have limited knowledge regarding environmental management. Thus, removing the limitation of the policy framework by giving full authority and reforming the Ministry of Interior could support waste management in Thailand.

Towards low-carbon travel trips through carbon footprint: A case study of marine tourism in Sichang Island, Thailand

Thammananya Sakcharoen, Wilailuk Niyommaneerat, Thapat Silalertruksa

Cleaner Engineering and Technology · 2024

The growing concern over climate change has heightened the need for low-carbon tourism practices. The study aims to evaluate the carbon footprint of marine tourism on Sichang Island, Thailand. The carbon footprint assessment is set for the three travel trips identified based on the tourist's lifestyle: Route I: Merit-making trip, Route II: Nature trip, and Route III: Relaxation, Adventure, and Education. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions calculation under each travel trip covers transportation, accommodation, meals, recreational activities, and waste management. The results revealed that the total GHG emissions for tourism routes I, II, and III are 9.9, 10.5, and 26.2 kg CO 2 e/person/trip, respectively. The study has analyzed the variations in carbon footprint results based on factors including the modes of transportation, i.e., ferry rides, high-speed boats, motorized three-wheeled vehicles (Tuk-Tuk), motorcycle and car rental; types of accommodation; food and beverage menu; recreational and marine tourism activities and solid waste management practices. The major contributors to the GHG emissions of routes I and II are the sea transport, meals, and land transport on the island. Route III has the highest carbon footprint because of the accommodation required for the tour program. The obtained carbon emission factors can be used to plan and manage marine tourism activities. By comparing activities, stakeholders can make informed decisions to minimize carbon footprints. The carbon emission reduction measures and the effective carbon offset programs for the island have been recommended. • The growing concern over climate change necessitates low-carbon tourism practices. • Carbon footprint of three travel routes based on tourist lifestyles were evaluated. • The findings guide policymakers in planning sustainable marine tourism activities. • Measures to mitigate tourism-related emissions were presented.

Enhanced Landfill Mining in Thailand: Policy Implications from Qualitative Case Study Analysis

Anupong Muttaraid, Sirintornthep Towprayoon, Chart Chiemchaisri, Thapat Silalertruksa, Komsilp Wangyao

Sustainability · 2024

Limited landfill capacity and increasing waste production present obstacles for the management of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Thailand, where 7.1 million tons of MSW were non-sanitarily managed in 2022. This provides an opportunity for the nation to recover valuable materials and energy from landfill waste through excavation by implementing the enhanced landfill mining technique, which is consistent with business sustainability goals. This study evaluates regulatory, financial, and institutional challenges to enhanced landfill mining implementation, identifying key barriers such as Thailand’s restriction on using refuse-derived fuel (RDF) in waste-to-energy (WtE) projects, despite its higher calorific value (18–24 MJ/kg compared to 13.7–16.6 MJ/kg for fresh MSW-derived RDF). Case studies, particularly from European nations, are comparatively evaluated using a combination of qualitative analysis methods. The results of this study highlight that the potential of enhanced landfill mining in Thailand is restricted by the prohibition of the use of RDF in WtE projects, as well as a lack of financial incentives to follow existing regulations. This demonstrates that the implementation of enhanced landfill mining could be facilitated by changing Thai regulations to permit the use of RDF in WtE projects and providing financial incentives such as tax credits and feed-in tariffs. Implementing such reforms can help Thailand achieve its sustainability objectives while reducing the amount of waste in landfills and generating energy.

Environmental sustainability and cost performances of construction and demolition waste management scenarios: A case study of timber and concrete houses in Thailand

Kittipat Tanthanawiwat, Shabbir H. Gheewala, Pariyapat Nilsalab, Martin Schoch, Thapat Silalertruksa

Journal of Cleaner Production · 2024

Energy Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability of Insulated Roofs for Stand-Alone Convenience Store in Hot-Humid Climate

Ranee Jan, Pipat Chaiwiwatworakul, Thapat Silalertruksa

2023

The increasing number of convenience stores in Thailand impacts both national energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission levels. The typical convenience store in Thailand consists of polyethylene as insulation material which indicates that the possibility of improvements in these stores is high. This paper presents the energy, economic and environmental analysis of the insulated roof of the stand-alone convenience store. The goal of this study is to analyze the three aspects of insulated roofs with the help of a simple resistance-capacitance model which is validated by the experimental study as well as in-situ measurements. The results show a significant difference in the energy, economic and environmental performance of the roof when two different insulation materials were used (polyethylene and polyurethane). With a longer payback period and lower life cycle cost, the PU roof demonstrated reduced energy consumption and cradle-to-use phase carbon dioxide emissions when compared to the PE roof.

Prioritizing major factors affecting groundwater stress using multi-criteria decision methods

Haseeb Akbar, Pariyapat Nilsalab, Jitti Mungkalasiri, Pariwate Varnakovida, Thapat Silalertruksa, Shabbir H. Gheewala

Groundwater for Sustainable Development · 2023

Low-carbon municipal solid waste management using bio-based solutions and community participation: The case study of cultural tourism destination in Nan, Thailand

Thammananya Sakcharoen, Wilailuk Niyommaneerat, Bualuang Faiyue, Thapat Silalertruksa

Heliyon · 2023

Tourism expansion has led to increased municipal solid waste (MSW) generation, which can exacerbate environmental and societal problems if proper waste management systems are not implemented. The study develops a framework for implementing bio-based solutions (BbS) for MSW management in a cultural tourism destination, using the walking street in Nan, Thailand, as a case study. Four low-carbon waste management scenarios were assessed, including increasing recycling rates (RE), using food waste as animal feed (BbS1), using bagasse containers as a soil conditioner (BbS2), and substituting single-use plastics with bamboo products (BbS3). Results showed that the BbS1 scenario had the highest performance in greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, reducing 66.3 t CO 2 e/year, followed by BbS2, RE, and BbS3 scenarios, which reduce GHG by about 12.3, 11, and 1 t CO 2 e/year, respectively. However, the BbS2 scenario has an additional benefit in returning around 84 kg N/year to the soil. Implementing the combination of RE, BbS1, BbS2, and BbS3 reduced waste to landfills by about 25.5 t MSW/year and reduced GHG emissions by 90.3 t CO 2 e/year. Enhancing residual waste management is recommended, which can lead to mitigation of about 164.3 t CO 2 e/year, or 83 % GHG emissions reduction compared to the base case.

The Effect of Climate Change on the Hydropower Potential in the Kunhar River Watershed, Pakistan

Haseeb Akbar, Pariyapat Nilsalab, Thapat Silalertruksa, Shabbir H. Gheewala

World · 2023

Climate change plays a vital role in the hydrology of any river basin, which may have multidimensional consequences. There is a need to conduct climate change impact assessment studies with updated models and scenarios. This study aimed to assess the impact of climate change on the streamflow and hydropower in Pakistan’s Kunhar River basin. Three general circulation models (GCMs), under two Shared Socioeconomic Pathway scenarios (SSPs 2–45 and 5–85), the Soil and Water Assessment Tool, and the flow duration curve were used to project the change in climatic parameters, streamflow, and hydropower potential, respectively. The findings indicated that in the 2080s, the precipitation, maximum, and minimum temperatures are projected to increase by 10%, 2.0 °C, and 3.0 °C under the SSP 2–45 scenario and are projected to increase by 8%, 3.7 °C, and 4.4 °C under the SSP 5–85 scenario, respectively. The annual streamflow may increase by 15 to 11%, and the seasonal fluctuations are more likely to be dominant compared with the annual fluctuations. The hydropower potential will probably increase by 24 to 16% under the SSP 2–45 and 5–85 scenarios in the 2080s. However, seasonal changes in streamflow and hydropower may impact the hydropower plant operation in the basin. The Kunhar River’s hydrology may change from snow-fed to a rainfall–runoff river.

Optimizing landfill mining operations: a comparative analysis of material flow and cost–benefit assessment for medium- and large-scale sites

Anupong Muttaraid, Sirintornthep Towprayoon, Chart Chiemchaisri, Thapat Silalertruksa, Komsilp Wangyao

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management · 2023

An inclusive approach for integrated systems: Incorporation of climate in the water-food-energy-land nexus index

Haseeb Akbar, Pariyapat Nilsalab, Thapat Silalertruksa, Shabbir H. Gheewala

Sustainable Production and Consumption · 2023