Developing megaprojects, but at what cost?

The world’s climate is deteriorating — and yet, destroying pristine mangrove forests and wetlands that help absorb carbon emissions is no longer unthinkable.

- Supara Janchitfah

Our governments and politicians are known for pushing the envelope when it comes to costly development projects, often at the expense of nature.

A glaring example is the government's latest mega-infrastructure plan: the Land Bridge project, part of the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC), which spans four southern provinces.

The legislation is currently awaiting cabinet approval.

As part of the scheme, two deep-sea ports are to be built — one in Chumphon province on the Gulf of Thailand, and another in Ranong on the Andaman Sea.

To connect them, the project includes a 90-kilometre motorway and dual-track railway.

Such massive construction in a coastal zone has raised serious concerns over the impact on the marine ecosystem, particularly the vast mangrove forests along the Andaman coast.

Ranong province is home to Thailand’s most abundant mangrove forests — hailed by Unesco as among the most fertile in the Asia-Pacific region.

Some 189,431 rai, stretching from the south of Muang district to the north of Kapoe district, has been designated the Ranong Biosphere Reserve under Unesco's Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB).

Construction of the deep-sea port in Ranong is slated for Laem Ao Ang, an area that falls within Laem Son Marine National Park, which itself forms part of the Ranong Biosphere Reserve.

Equally troubling is the potential loss to taxpayers.

Experts have warned that the project may not yield the benefits it promises.