Assessment of shop house enterprises in the Bangkok metropolitan area in view of environmental and health aspects

Abstract

This study aims to assess environmental and health impacts created by shop house enterprises and to identify the factors contributing to those impacts. The work was carried out in Bangkok, Thailand. This study used questionnaire surveys, interviews, and data collection. Responses were obtained from two different groups of stakeholders. First, the perceptions of owners and workers in shop house enterprises of their environmental management practices were determined. A second group of stakeholders consisting of affected community members, customers and relevant decision makers was queried to determine their perceptions of environmental performance of shop house enterprises. Using this strategy, perceived environmental conditions were determined by stakeholders and supported with actual measurement in air and noise pollution generated by shop house enterprises. The study results show that activities of shop house enterprise are perceived to generate adverse environmental and health impacts at various levels. The magnitude of each of these impacts suggests the priority at which policy interventions are needed to address these factors. We conclude that public policy to reduce environmental and health impacts should be done concurrently with efforts to mitigate factors contributing to environmental and health impacts generated by shop house enterprises. The effectiveness of existing environmental management measures for shop house enterprises by a decentralized administrative system requires further examination. It will be necessary to revisit existing environmental management practices for enterprises engaging in high risk activities.