Unwelcome environmental impact assessment for coastal protection along a 7-km shoreline in Southern Thailand

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is needed for development projects that may have negative impacts on people and environment. A screening procedure plays a crucial role in determining whether an EIA is required for a particular proposal. Misjudging the EIA requirement results in the unnecessary EIA being undertaken and causes mental anguish to the people who are in trouble because carrying out the EIA takes a long time. This article presents a case study of coastal protection by detached breakwaters in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand, where an initial environmental examination found no significant environmental impact and the EIA was deemed unnecessary by coastal communities. After an engineering design of the detached breakwaters had been completed, the people, whose houses and properties were at risk of sinking into the sea, had to wait one more year for the EIA to be completed. The willingness to pay (WTP) of the people affected to bypass the EIA was measured by a single-bounded dichotomous choice approach. Their mental pain caused by waiting for the detached breakwaters was equated to aggregated WTP which was about US$ 724,160. Such a large WTP from the poor coastal dwellers sends an urgent message that the categorical screening in Thailand's EIA legislation may need some adjustments.

► Environmental Impact Assessment may do more harm than good for coastal protection.
► An effective screening mechanism in EIA process is critical for coastal protection projects.
► Being required to wait while living under the threat of erosive waves is not tolerable.
► Willingness to pay is applied to measure mental anguish.
► Applying a categorical approach in project screening must provide sufficient detail.