The role of impact assessment in the development of urban green infrastructure: a review of EIA and SEA practices in Thailand

ABSTRACT

Impact assessment (IA) processes can potentially play important roles in driving green infrastructure (GI) planning and design, as well as establishing how GI can contribute to environmental planning objectives. In this paper, we explore how IA (strategic environmental assessment – SEA and environmental impact assessment – EIA) can support the development of GI in Thailand. A framework is designed which is used to reflect on how IA addresses and integrates GI in development at strategic and project levels. Based on a review of 18 EIAs and 4 SEAs from Thailand, it is established that whilst the consideration of GI in SEA (which is not yet compulsory in Thailand) has remained limited, consideration of green spaces for mitigating negative impacts in statutory EIA has been happening frequently. An important reason for this is that regulatory requirements imply that EIA should consider GI (referred to as ‘green spaces’). An important recommendation arising is that GI functions should be addressed in IAs, on the one hand to integrate different policies related to GI; and on the other hand to strengthen implementation of urban GI development.

KEYWORDS:

• Impact assessment (IA)
• green infrastructure (GI)
• environmental impact assessment (EIA)
• strategic environmental assessment (SEA)

Acknowledgments

The research underlying this paper was fully financed by Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand under ‘SUT Short-term Research Travel Grant’ for collaboration with the Environmental Assessment and Management Research Centre, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Suranaree University of Technology [SRO10-1002-62-01].