Evaluating Local Participation in Environmental Aid: The Environmental Fund Project in Thailand

Abstract

It is widely recognized that stakeholder participation in the planning and implementation processes of environmental development aid is important. However, existing research has not been successful in explaining the basis of the importance of participation with theoretical or practical evidence, verifying the basis, or showing existing challenges. Against this background, this paper aims to demonstrate the meaning and role of stakeholder participation in environmental development aid. In doing so, we show the mechanism of participation in environmental development aid projects by examining theories of existing research and analyzing participatory environmental development aid projects that were implemented in Thailand. A framework to evaluate the performance of environmental development aid projects is shown as well. We analyze environmental development aid projects that prioritized environmental conservation and implemented stakeholder participation approach in some part of the projects (three subprojects of Environmental Fund Project in Thailand). The analysis shows the effects of participation on development aid project aiming for improving the local natural environment. We point out that stakeholder participation in environmental development aid projects has, to some extent, improved performance of these projects. However, the effects were limited as an insitutional basis or financial basis in support of participation was insufficient. Nevertheless, it is expected that environmental governance in regional cities in Thailand that carried out participatory environmental development aid projects would improve in a due course, because effects of participation are not limited to an improvement on the performance of environmental development aid. The experience of participation that residents of these cities have had will become the basis of strengthning an institution of participation and/or the empowerment of local residents.