Land-based physical and biological environmental mitigation measures of a mega port construction in Thailand

¹ Faculty of International Maritime Studies, Kasetsart University, Sri Racha Campus, 199 Moo 6 Sukhumvit Rd., Tungsukla, Sri Racha, Chonburi, 20230, Thailand
² CNNC Joint Venture, 88 Bangna-Trad 30 Rd., Debaratna Bangna-Tai, Bangna, Bangkok, 10260, Thailand

Abstract

It is undeniable that a mega port is important to the nation’s economy and its population. On the other hand, a port construction creates numerous environmental impacts. To achieve sustainable development, environmental mitigation measures need to be strictly followed. Since a mega port is constructed once in many decades, a case study during the port construction, like this article, is very rare. Our article presents how Thailand protects its surrounding environment during the construction of Laem Chabang Port (the biggest container port in the country), phase 3. The phase3 reclamation construction started in May 2021 and is expected to be completed in 2025. However, only land-based physical and biological environmental mitigation measures are presented because of the page limit. The land-based environmental impacts are mostly related to truck driving, truck exhaust, road maintenance and cleanliness, noise, dust, and vibration. This article shows that the joint-venture contractor of the reclamation project realizes the necessity of caring for society and the environment.