Resources and environment committee sets its goals

The committee is among 13 reform committees appointed under the new charter and the new National Reform Law. They address key sectors including natural resources and environment management.
The committee has convened for the fifth time, addressing issues of concern as well as laying the framework before coming up with fresh goals for reforming the sector.
The work has been separated among six sub-panels, covering land resources (land, mining, forests and wildlife), marine and coastal resources, water resources, biodiversity, environmental quality, and environmental management.
The fresh work goals include maintaining natural resources and their health, balancing conservation and uses of natural resources, protecting the environment and mitigating pollution, and boosting effectiveness in managing natural resources and the environment to minimise conflicts.
Theerapat Prayurasiddhi, deputy chair of the committee, said the sub-panels had been assigned to submit their first reform-plan drafts by the end of this month.
The reform committees have 90 days to finish their plans before submitting them to concerned parties - including the National Strategy Committee – for endorsement and implementation. The reform plans must be in line with the new long-term national strategies as required by law.