Development of measures to mitigate impacts of mining industry : lessons learned from the lower Klity Creek, Kanchanaburi Province

Abstract

Development of Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Mining Industry: Lessons learned from the Lower Klity Creek, Kanchanaburi Province aims to collect and analyze data about impacts and risks from upstream mining activities by using Klity community as a case in point. In addition, it aims to analyze past mitigation measures and assess whether they responded to the local needs or not. This study also extracts lessons learned from Klity case and proposes a new way to view development, environment and sustainability with reference to mining and local communities. The methods used are documentary research, interviews, observation and participating in related meetings and seminars.The data were synthesized, analyzed, and presented in descriptive form.The mining activities resulted in lead contamination in the Klity creek. The villagers there are indigenous Pwo Karen who rely on the creek not only as their main food and water source but as cultural and spiritual part of their life. Lead contamination resulted in both physical and mental illnesses, especially in children. After the impacts were publicized, mitigation measures from various agencies were carried out but with little success. This is due to inconsistency in operation and lack of long-term follow-up or maintenance, lack of planning and budgeting for environmental and health recovery and rehabilitation, and lack of understanding of the villagers’ traditional ways of life, and lack of integration work among agencies. The concepts used for the analysis of Klity case are 1) human security, it is found that mitigation measures did not really consider different dimensions of human security, and in turn, the case of Klity indicates that assessing impacts on indigenous way of life calls for a more extensive and comprehensive approach in human security dimensions; 2) risks, it is found that risks are usually concentrated among marginalized groups, so understandably they are socially constructed, and in industrial development, risks are externalized mostly towards the marginalized, the poor and the voiceless. Risks from contamination points to the issue of complexity, unpredictability, and uncontrollability; 3) dynamic sustainabilities represent a concept that bring more understanding to the complexity and dynamism of the problems and challenges conventional interlocked way of approaching and resolving them. There is a call for newer approaches and methods, especially in engaging in policy processes. As for Klity cases, the lessons learned pave ways for recommendations on restructuring of state administration to be able to better respond to the problems, pushing for Strategic Environmental Assessment, improving legal procedure and economic measures, and developing proactive measures to build greater participation in monitoring and rehabilitation.