By Hu Dengsheng & Zhang Xiulan, Research Team on “Health Impact Assessment System”, Center for International Knowledge on Development, China

Research Report, Special Issue, No.23, 2019 (Total 1651) 2019-3-15

Abstract: Health impact assessment involves the procedure, method and tool to estimate the potential impact on people’s health and its hazard distribution caused by policies, plans and construction projects. Thailand’s Asian-Pacific Potash Company (APPC) was strongly protested and resisted by the local people because of its mishandling of the environment and social problems when conducting mining. The Thai government has succeeded in resolving the conflict through health impact assessment on the Somboon potash project. Their experience of health impact assessment has offered us some reference and here are the recommended policy options for China: we need to accelerate the legislation and institutional building of health impact assessment; authorized and fair standard, system and institutes for health impact assessment need to be established; in the meantime, central state-enterprises should to be encouraged to play their demonstration role in going-global and take the lead in carrying out environment and health impact assessment.

Key words: health impact assessment, policy implementation, potash deposit, Thailand