Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin is facing a challenge to decide whether to permit a state developer to build a reservoir in Khao Sip Ha Chan National Park in Chanthaburi province.
The national park area serves as an important wildlife corridor linking the Khao Ang Rue Nai and Khao Soi Dao forest complexes. Surveys by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) show that more than 70 wild elephants use the area.
The water project is the Klong Wang Tanod reservoir. Costing 7.2 billion baht to build, it is one of 17 water schemes initiated during the former Prayut Chan-o-cha government.
The junta government wanted to divert water to feed commercial activities and factories in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). The water projects were shelved after local farmers and conservationists resisted.
The project has been resuscitated by the Anutin Charnvirakul government. The EEC is becoming a hub for AI data centres -- known for their ferocious demand for cooling water.
As expected, local farmers and conservationists are up in arms against the project. Early this month, the highly respected Seub Nakhasathien Foundation filed a case seeking the suspension of the Environmental and Health Impact Assessment (EHIA), arguing information contained in the study conflicts with findings collected by the DNP. The Administrative Court has yet to make a decision.
Yesterday, the National Environment Board made a good decision in ordering the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) to submit more information on environmental impacts.
The government and responsible ministers must listen to local villagers' concerns. Instead of trying to rush all processes, it must wait until the Administrative Court has made a decision. The RID -- the developer of the reservoirs -- should restart its EHIA. This time, it needs to incorporate neutral experts and communities, and above all, the study must update the estimated demand for water that data centres and industry actually need.
As the EEC becomes the designated area for data centres, it begs the question: have policymakers prepared enough water for the farm sector, the large petrochemical complex in Rayong, the tourism industry in Pattaya, and all these data centres? Or did they just choose the easiest way by annexing a national park to build more reservoirs?
Lest we forget, water shortages have increasingly pitted farmers against industry in recent years. The moves against the Klong Wang Tanod reservoir project in Chanthaburi and special industrial zones like the EEC or the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) are examples.
The government and its supporters should not take any delay or resistance as an enemy of development.
On the contrary, the government should welcome criticism or even resistance as a driving force for improving its data and adjusting projects to maintain a balance between development and sustainability.
Since last week, villagers from southern provinces have protested in front of Government House, demanding an end to projects and related laws governing the SEC and related schemes like the Land Bridge.
This resistance will never go away, and it will snowball into mass anger against the government as long as it refuses to listen to the people.
