Overseen by Phuket Vice Governor Sattha Thongkam, the workshop was designed to share knowledge across all sectors on best practice approaches to environmental protection, preservation and restoration.
The educational forum is regarded as key in helping Phuket province achieve its objective of becoming recognised as a level 1 eco-industrial city by 2027. Eco-industrial parks enhance sustainable industrial development by maximizing resource efficiency through waste material reuse.
This initiative is aligned with the Ministry of Industry’s MIND policy which strives to build and sustain a modern, environmentally conscious, low-carbon society that balances the local community and environment with industry.
Also in attendance at this morning’s workshop was Chaikamon Phromthong, from the Phuket office of the Ministry of Industry, representatives from selected government agencies, local business owners and entrepreneurs and members of the public.
Mr Sattha explained the importance of laying the foundations to enable the initiative to come to fruition, saying: “the development of an eco-industrial city will help the local community and economy grow while creating a healthy environment and quality of life.”
Developing the MIND policy in relation to economic, social, environmental, physical and management aspects was important, Mr Sattha added, highlighting the key areas of Wichit, Mueang, Thalang and Sri Soonthorn that each have a dominant industrial presence.
Mr Chaikamon explained how the Ministry of Industry has allocated a budget to his office for the year of 2024 to help drive educational initiatives in relation to the MIND policy. Today’s workshop was just one step in helping to drive the action plan by sharing knowledge on environmental management to help the province achieve its goal of a fully fledged eco-industrial city by 2027, he said.
The workshop runs today and tomorrow and has the support of speakers from the Eco-Industrial City Administration Division of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand and the Prince of Songkla University, Phuket Campus.