The aim of the MoU, signed at PRU’s Faculty of Management Science Building yesterday (Nov 22), is to heighten integration and coordination between the main government offices in countering a slew of environmental issues affecting Phuket, and the degradation of the island’s natural resources.
PRU President Asst Prof Dr Hiran Prasarnkarn co-chaired the signing of the MoU, which included now signed participation among the Phuket Provincial Natural Resources and Environment Office, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources Region 10 Office, the Environment and Pollution Control Region 15 Office, the Phuket Public Relations Office, the Phuket Mangrove Resource Management Center, Sirinath National Park, Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO), Phuket City Municipality, Phuket Vocational College, Phuket Provincial Farmers Council Office and a local network of natural resources and village environment volunteers in Phuket.
Asst Prof Dr Hiran said, “After the signing of this MoU, it is expected that there will be an action plan for environmental preservation to take concrete action for the benefit of Phuket Province.”
Dr Pichanan Poolkerd, Deputy Director of PRU’s Research and Development Institute, noted plainly, “Currently, environmental problems and natural disasters in Phuket are increasing every day due to rapid development.”
Dr Pichanan also pointed out the high number of people from other provinces who come to Phuket to work, but do not change their registered address.
“There is a ‘hidden population’ that comes to work in Phuket without having moved their house registration, which is increasing every day. This only adds to more problems in environmental management and natural disasters,” he said.
“One of the approaches to solving this problem is to continuously and thoroughly create knowledge and understanding [of the problems] for citizens, business establishments and communities in the area, so as to achieve sustainability in preserving and preserving the environment in Phuket,” Dr Pichanan said.
The objective of the MoU is cooperation in the development of academic work in the field of environmental and natural resource management, he said.
“That includes aspects of conducting research and academic services and the preservation of arts and culture related to environmental and natural resource management, and includes the development of the potential of youth, communities and people’s networks,” Dr Pichanan concluded.