Thailand’s $11b water management project stalled
In another blow to the ruling coalition in Thailand, a court in Bangkok on June 27 decided that the planned $11 billion flood control project has to be put on hold due to environmental and safety concerns.
Local media reported that the project, aimed at avoiding a repeat of the severe flooding of 2011 that caused factory shutdowns, huge economic losses and around 800 deaths, has been pushed through by the government without public consent or input and without environmental assessment from the affected communities.
The ruling puts the government of Yingluck Shinawatra in an unpleasant situation. Earlier in June, four winners have been named that bid for the construction of the flood prevention projects and now expect to sign the contracts in August or September 2013.
One of them, South Korea-based K-Water, which was awarded with over 50 per cent of the $11 billion budget, has been criticised for having insufficient financial backing and also for its poor environmental record in previous projects. Thai media speculated that ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, brother of current prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, has been pushing to award K-Water with the project.
K-Water rejected the accusation, saying that it was “able to build its portions of the projects.”
The government has now 30 days to appeal the court ruling.
[caption id="attachment_11468" align="alignleft" width="300"] Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra poses with the K-Water management[/caption] In another blow to the ruling coalition in Thailand, a court in Bangkok on June 27 decided that the planned $11 billion flood control project has to be put on hold due to environmental and safety concerns. Local media reported that the project, aimed at avoiding a repeat of the severe flooding of 2011 that caused factory shutdowns, huge economic losses and around 800 deaths, has been pushed through by the government without public consent or input and without environmental assessment from the affected communities....
In another blow to the ruling coalition in Thailand, a court in Bangkok on June 27 decided that the planned $11 billion flood control project has to be put on hold due to environmental and safety concerns.
Local media reported that the project, aimed at avoiding a repeat of the severe flooding of 2011 that caused factory shutdowns, huge economic losses and around 800 deaths, has been pushed through by the government without public consent or input and without environmental assessment from the affected communities.
The ruling puts the government of Yingluck Shinawatra in an unpleasant situation. Earlier in June, four winners have been named that bid for the construction of the flood prevention projects and now expect to sign the contracts in August or September 2013.
One of them, South Korea-based K-Water, which was awarded with over 50 per cent of the $11 billion budget, has been criticised for having insufficient financial backing and also for its poor environmental record in previous projects. Thai media speculated that ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, brother of current prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, has been pushing to award K-Water with the project.
K-Water rejected the accusation, saying that it was “able to build its portions of the projects.”
The government has now 30 days to appeal the court ruling.
