Thailand Strategic Urban Management Initiative on Solid Waste Management

Hat Yai monument at night

The Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) participated in a 1998 capacity development initiative organized by Vancouver-based International Centre for Sustainable Cities (ICSC) in Hat Yai, Thailand. The purpose was to build the capacity of the Thai municipalities of Hat Yai and Songkhla related to sustainable solid waste management, by using participatory strategic planning techniques. The workshop transferred the experiences of Canada and of the CUI’s projects in the Philippines. The workshop contributed to: building the capacity of local authorities to undertake action planning using participatory, multi-stakeholder approaches; undertaking an assessment of the current state of solid waste management systems and service delivery in the municipalities; brainstorming on key issues affecting the solid waste management problems and challenges of the cities; and identifying priorities and strategies for addressing solid waste management issues. An action plan was drafted with priority areas that included waste separation and waste disposal, public participation, education and awareness.

Funding Agency
Canadian International Development Agency (Canadian Partnership Branch), with contributions from the Thai municipalities of Hat Yai and Songkhla.

Timeframe
1998

Geographic Focus
The geographic focus was on the municipalities of Hat Yai and Songkhla in Thailand.

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Project Partners
The Vancouver-based International Centre for Sustainable Cities (ICSC) organized the project with contribution from the Canadian Urban Institute and the Thai municipalities of Hat Yai and Songkhla.

Background
Hat Yai is the largest city in southern Thailand and the commercial capital on the Thai peninsula. Located close to the Malaysian border about 1,000 kilometres south of Bangkok, it is a favourite destination for Malaysians and foreigners who come to the city for a cheap getaway and to take advantage of affordably priced goods and services. Songkhla municipality is a beach resort about 30 kilometres from Hat Yai. Both Hat Yai and Songkhla had been increasingly unable to manage in any sustainable way their solid waste. They expressed interest in learning not only from ICSC’s experiences in Phuket in solid waste management, but also in CUI’s participatory strategic planning practices used in solid waste projects in the Philippines.

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Project Description
The aim of the project was to build the capacity of the municipalities of Hat Yai and Songkhla to deliver services under a strongly decentralized government system and to manage their solid waste management in a sustainable way, using participatory strategic planning techniques. The project contributed to CIDA’s priorities in Thailand at promoting good governance at the local level and the development of linkages between Thai and Canadian institutions.

The initiative achieved the following results:

• Increased capacity of local authorities to undertake action planning using participatory, multi-stakeholder approaches.
• Assessment of the current state of solid waste management systems and service delivery in the municipalities.
• Identification of key issues affecting the solid waste management problems and challenges of the city.
• Identification of priorities and strategies for addressing solid waste management issues and development of an action plan with priority areas that included waste separation and waste disposal, public participation, education and awareness.

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Approach
The project was delivered by means of a two-day workshop. The 150 workshop participants were representatives from local and national governments, NGOs, colleges and universities, hotels and other private businesses. The workshop addressed capacity building, participatory planning, multi-stakeholder approaches, baseline assessments and solid waste management issues. An action plan was drafted with priority areas.