All publications

Environmental sustainability assessment of sustainable aviation fuel production from palm oil and palm derivatives

Oscar Punguti, Thapat Silalertruksa, Shabbir H. Gheewala

Biomass Futures · 2026

The sustainability of palm oil as a feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) remains contested due to land use change (LUC) associated with oil palm expansion and methane emissions from palm oil mill effluent, despite its high yield per hectare. This study assessed the environmental sustainability of SAF derived from palm oil and its derivatives within the Thailand supply chain under different Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification levels and hydrogen production pathways. The life cycle assessment was conducted using a well-to-tank system boundary, including direct and indirect land use change (dLUC and iLUC). Global warming impacts ranged from 9.7 to 68.2 gCO 2 eq/MJ across all scenarios, corresponding to a 23-89% reduction relative to conventional jet fuel (89 gCO 2 eq/MJ). Sensitivity analysis showed substantially higher emissions under higher-risk forest conversion assumptions. However, the relative low baseline dLUC values reflect Thailand's specific land conversion patterns and may not be representative of other palm-producing regions characterized by high-carbon stock land conversion. RSPO-certified pathways combined with renewable hydrogen demonstrated improved environmental performance across midpoint and endpoint impact categories, while by-product and waste-based pathways showed lower impacts due to the exclusion of upstream cultivation and milling burdens. Achieving low environmental impacts from palm-based SAF production requires integrated implementation of: (i) optimized agricultural inputs, including precision fertilization and integrated pest management, (ii) methane capture and utilization from palm oil mill effluent, (iii) adoption of low-carbon hydrogen, (iv) avoidance of high-carbon stock land conversion, and (v) improved process efficiency and yield optimization.

Assessing the Effect of Intensive Rice Monoculture on Land Degradation Under the SDG 15.3.1 Framework

Nattaya Huailuek, Thapat Silalertruksa, Shabbir H. Gheewala

Agriculture · 2026

Rice monoculture systems, often involving double- or triple-cropping cycles annually, require intensive agricultural practices that can lead to land degradation. This study evaluates land degradation within the long-term rice monoculture systems of Nakhon Sawan, Thailand, using the Sustainable Development Goal 15.3.1 framework. By focusing exclusively on persistent rice-growing areas, the study minimized the confounding signals of land-use conversion, allowing for an evaluation of the trajectories driven by combined agricultural management and climatic factors. The assessment integrated land use and land cover (LULC), soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, and land productivity. Findings indicate that 83% of the original paddy area remained long-term monoculture, with LULC-related degradation limited to 4% of the original paddy cultivation area. While SOC depletion was observed in a few districts, a broader potential carbon accretion trend was identified across the province, likely driven by sustainable post-harvest practices such as stubble retention and organic amendments. Land productivity analysis revealed partial stress only in a few districts. The study demonstrated that long-term rice cultivation did not result in widespread deterioration of soil health on an aggregate provincial scale; however, district-localized degradation hotspots suffering from soil organic carbon depletion and climate-induced productivity stress were identified, demanding targeted regional management.

Material Recovery Trade-Offs Under Inverter-Controlled Operation of a Full-Scale Municipal Solid Waste Mechanical Treatment Line

Saw Shalton Roll, Noppharit Sutthasil, Sirintornthep Towprayoon, Suthum Patumsawad, Thapat Silalertruksa, Sakulrat Sutthiprapa, Abhisit Bhatsada, Komsilp Wangyao

Recycling · 2026

Mechanical treatment recovers combustible and recyclable fractions from mixed municipal solid waste (MSW), but full-scale performance is sensitive to front-end operation, line loading, and feedstock heterogeneity. This study examined material recovery trade-offs at a municipal mechanical treatment facility in Satun, Thailand. Four inverter-controlled regimes were assessed by adjusting the bag opener and trommel motor frequencies, giving measured line throughputs of 14.75, 13.45, 8.03, and 6.54 t·h−1. Output was classified as refuse-derived fuel (RDF), residual waste, recyclables, and bulky/loss material, with composition-based indicators of stream cleanliness and leakage. Each regime was a single short trial on waste from a different collection vehicle, without replication or input homogenization; no statistical comparison is possible, and results are reported as preliminary observations rather than isolated effects of inverter frequency. RDF yield fell from 42.06% of input at the highest throughput to 18.12% at the lowest, whereas recyclable recovery peaked at 4.95% under an intermediate regime that also returned the highest gross revenue. Residual-disposal methane generation potential was 7.78% higher under the lowest-throughput regime than under business-as-usual. Three trade-offs emerged: throughput against selectivity, RDF quantity against cleanliness, and recovery against leakage. The findings help operators select front-end settings on multi-criteria indicators rather than throughput alone.

Implications of technological improvement and circular agriculture on environmental sustainability of sugarcane production

Aakriti Deuja, Min Hein Khant, Thapat Silalertruksa, Shabbir H. Gheewala, Trakarn Prapaspongsa

Cleaner Environmental Systems · 2025

The spatially differentiated environmental impacts and associated costs of technological improvement and circular agricultural practices in sugarcane production were assessed. Analysis of the cause-effect relationship between the key processes and substances each helped develop alternative scenarios for impact reduction. PM 2.5 emissions contributed to 92% of the total human health impacts from open burning of field residues. Freshwater ecotoxicity, mainly due to ametryn emissions from pesticide application, contributed to 47% of the total damage to the ecosystem. The environmental costs were 116% higher than the value of sugarcane production, signifying the critical importance of adopting alternative pathways that provide economic benefits from environmental cost reduction compared to the production value. Scenarios considering green cane harvesting and waste management approaches demonstrated high potential for total impact reduction of 99% and 97%, respectively, and economic gains of 202 and 225 billion THB, respectively (5.76 and 6.42 billion USD, respectively). The economic benefits of waste utilization were 137% higher than the value of sugarcane production, demonstrating the potential benefits of product substitution to help mitigate impacts. The core findings highlight the significance of the PM 2.5 impact-related external costs and underscore the benefits of adopting green cane harvesting in conjunction with on-field waste utilization to mitigate the impact of open burning and produce value-added products. Technological improvement and circular agricultural practices coupled with valuation of spatially differentiated impacts can provide useful and more accurate information to policymakers, to prioritize the implementation of mitigation strategies for enhancing the environmental sustainability of sugarcane production. • Improvement technologies for harvesting extend economic benefit of 5.76 billion USD • Circular agriculture yields economic gain of 6.42 billion USD by utilizing waste • Environmental cost of sugarcane production was 116% higher than production value • Economic benefits of waste utilization were 137% higher than production value

Life cycle environmental and economic viability analysis of CO2 utilization for chemical production in the cement sector

Adeel Rafiq, Jingzheng Ren, Navadol Laosiripojana, Thapat Silalertruksa, Shabbir H. Gheewala

Sustainable Production and Consumption · 2025

Circular Economy Strategies for Agri-food Production - a Review

Abass A. Gazal, Sébastien Bonnet, Thapat Silalertruksa, Shabbir H. Gheewala

Circular Economy and Sustainability · 2025

Circular economy models of sugarcane biorefinery towards carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability

Shwe Yie Lin, Nicholas M. Holden, Romanee Thongdara, Thapat Silalertruksa, Shabbir H. Gheewala, Trakarn Prapaspongsa

Sustainable Production and Consumption · 2025

Sugarcane biorefineries convert sugarcane waste into bioproducts, requiring assessment for environmentally viable processing. This study compared the life cycle environmental impacts, environmental damage costs, and circularity of sugarcane biorefinery scenarios: a base case with pre-harvest cane trash burning and sugar and ethanol production; a modified one with improved energy efficiency; and three bioproduct scenarios producing bagasse-based biobutanol or biochar for bioenergy scenario, lactic or acetic acid for biochemicals, and cane trash-derived cellulose nanofibers or soil conditioner for biomaterials. Bioproduct scenarios assumed green cane harvesting. Life cycle assessment followed a cradle-to-gate scope, with a functional unit of 1 t of cane processed (t c ). Damage to human health ranged from 7.72 × 10 −4 to 2.85 × 10 −3 disability-adjusted life years/t c ; ecosystem from 4.85 × 10 −6 to 9.15 × 10 −6 species.year/t c ; resource scarcity from 10 to 60 United States dollar 2013/t c ; total damage costs from 2100 to 5410 Thai Baht/t c , and circularity from 0.44 to 0.52. Bioproduct scenarios, except cellulose nanofibers, had lower environmental damage costs than the base case. Biorefinery circularity aligned closely with the highest-value product in each scenario. Biochemical (lactic acid) was the best overall, with the lowest environmental damage cost and resource scarcity damage, relatively low human health and ecosystem damage, and a high circularity score of 0.5. Biomaterial (Cellulose nanofibers) was the worst due to its highest damage cost from the highest fossil resource scarcity, accounting for over 95 % of resources scarcity damage in all scenarios, and high-water consumption, despite minimum human health damage from the lowest fine particulate matter formation, leading contributor to human health damage mainly from cane burning and biomass electricity, and a high circularity of 0.52. The modified base case was slightly better than the base case across all metrics. Bioproduct scenarios increased circularity; however, higher circularity did not always correlate better environmental performance.

Land-Water-GHG-Food Nexus performance and physical-socio-economic-policy factors influencing rice cultivation in Central Thailand

Jutaporn Keson, Thapat Silalertruksa, Shabbir H. Gheewala

The Science of The Total Environment · 2024

Integrating the land–water–climate nexus approach with spatial-based sustainable agriculture production

Jutaporn Keson, Thapat Silalertruksa, Shabbir H. Gheewala

Agricultural Systems · 2024

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.

Challenges and Opportunities of Bio-Circular-Green Economy for Agriculture

Ukrit Jaroenkietkajorn, Shabbir H. Gheewala, Rattanawan Mungkung, Napat Jakrawatana, Thapat Silalertruksa, Naruetep Lecksiwilai, Jittima Prasara-A, Pariyapat Nilsalab

Circular Economy and Sustainability · 2024

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.

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.

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

Land Suitability Class and Implications to Land-Water-Food Nexus: A Case of Rice Cultivation in Thailand

Jutaporn Keson, Thapat Silalertruksa, Shabbir H. Gheewala

SSRN Electronic Journal · 2023

Economic Assessment of Medium and Large-Scale Landfill Mining Business: Case Study Thailand

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

E3S Web of Conferences · 2023

Thailand produces over 25 million tons of waste yearly, while only a third is utilized. The waste disposed of in the landfill is rarely utilized, and research on the utilization of landfill waste in Thailand is limited. The information regarding the business model and the profitability rate of landfill mining is limited and generally was not displayed to the public. This paper examined the landfill mining business of medium and large-scale businesses in Thailand. Both sites’ business operations were analyzed, and the net present value was presented. The NPV results show that landfill mining is profitable and gives more sustainable waste management. The large scale is highly profitable but requires more investment extensively, while the medium scale is easily adopted and still provides a reasonable profit. Furthermore, to understand the business operation and sensitivity of the operation, this paper uses sensitivity analysis to analyze the factors influencing business profitability. Even though the result displays that both projects are easily profitable, the large-scale operation tends to be simpler as the expense has a lower influence on the business.

Land suitability class and implications to Land-Water-Food Nexus: A case of rice cultivation in Thailand

Jutaporn Keson, Thapat Silalertruksa, Shabbir H. Gheewala

Energy Nexus · 2023

Arable land and water resource scarcity for food production to fulfill the growing demand is a global challenge. Expansion of rice cultivation in Thailand without planning increases land and water depletion especially for the low-productivity rice cultivation areas. The Thai government has an agricultural zoning policy on promoting rice cultivation using land suitability classes for efficient use of land and costs; however, there is still some rice grown on land with low suitability. The study evaluated the land suitability class implications on major and second rice cultivation in view of the Land-Water-Food Nexus performance using Chainat, a key province of rice cultivation in Thailand, as the study area. The land and water intensity indicators were calculated using a normalized approach as the Land-Water-Food Nexus Index (LWFNI). The geographic information system (GIS) tool was used to analyze land-use classification, interpolate the rainfall, and overlay the land suitability classification with the Land-Water-Food Nexus of rice. Rice cultivation on highly suitable areas has a higher LWFNI score for resource efficiency and economic value. Scenarios were considered for changing rice cultivation in marginally and unsuitable areas to alternative crops to conserve water and reduce costs. The option for alternative crops to replace the base case with major rice and mungbean scenario was the most water-saving at about 3,601 m3/ha/year and made a profit increase of about 84,106 baht/ha. Additionally, the major rice and peanut scenario achieved the most profit increase of about 302,366 baht/ha and saved water at about 2,081 m3/ha/year.

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

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.

Optimization of food-fuel-fibre in biorefinery based on environmental and economic assessment: The case of sugarcane utilization in Thailand

Patcharaporn Pongpat, Awais Mahmood, Hafiz Usman Ghani, Thapat Silalertruksa, Shabbir H. Gheewala

Sustainable Production and Consumption · 2023

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

Environmental Sustainability of Waste Circulation Models for Sugarcane Biorefinery System in Thailand

Thapat Silalertruksa, Chanipa Wirodcharuskul, Shabbir H. Gheewala

Energies · 2022

Sugarcane leaves and trash burning during harvesting, and vinasse management, are major challenges of the Thai sugarcane industry. Identification of the appropriate valorization pathways for both the biomass waste streams using the sugarcane biorefinery concept is necessary. This study aims to assess the environmental sustainability of five CE models, including (1) sugarcane trash for electricity, (2) sugarcane trash to biochar, (3) sugarcane trash as a soil conditioner, (4) vinasse as a bio-fertilizer, and (5) vinasse for power generation. Life cycle assessment has been conducted using the ReCiPE midpoint impact assessment method. The results revealed that all waste utilization scenarios can help reduce the environmental impacts compared to the base case. The utilization of sugarcane leaves and trash for electricity generation brings about the lowest environmental impacts due to the environmental credits from the substitution of Thai grid electricity. The utilization of sugarcane leaves can reduce impacts on climate change, terrestrial acidification, and ozone formation by about 20–104%, 43–61%, and 12–54%. Recycling vinasse as bio-fertilizer and for biogas production for electricity generation can reduce climate change impact by about 28–29%. There is a significant improvement of the avoidance of pre-harvesting burning of sugarcane in the Thai sugar industry, which has led to the big potential of sugarcane leaves biomass utilization. Recommendations to enhance the efficiency of using sugarcane leaves and vinasse are discussed. The integrated waste circulation scenarios on cane leaves and vinasses in the sugar-electricity-ethanol biorefinery shows advancement in the bio-circular-green economy (BCG) aspects for enhancing the environmental sustainability of the Thai sugarcane industry.