A green Bangkok should be our priority

A UN-sponsored study has revealed that Bangkokians emit as much carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases, as New Yorkers, and now surpass Londoners on the same criteria. It's not a flattering comparison. In fact, the survey showed that Bangkokians are actually performing worse in their efforts to combat global warming.

In 2005, the level of carbon dioxide emissions by Bangkokians almost equalled that of Londoners. But now we outdo the UK capital in terms of worsening the global environment. Worse still, Bangkok's economic well-being is not comparable to that of London, which is an international financial centre. Thailand is an agricultural nation, and global warming can pose a serious threat to the rural population engaged in farming, which accounts for the majority of people in this country.

Bangkokians should be able to live in a better environment. Sadly, we fail to set an example for others in terms of protecting the environment, even though failure to do so will adversely affect our quality of life.

The study warned that if Bangkokians fail to make a joint effort to tackle the problem of environmental degradation, city residents and those in the suburbs are likely to face the severe effects of climate change in the years to come. For instance, Bangkokians will face more extreme weather conditions, such as frequent flooding and more days hotter than 35 degrees Celsius. The extremely hot weather this year suggests that the worst is yet to come unless climate change is not sufficiently addressed.

Rising greenhouse gas emissions are primary contributors to higher temperatures, which are the likely consequences for a city that is already prone to flooding and land subsidence. If we don't take action now, these problems will become severe.

The recent survey shows that Bangkokians fail to appreciate the environment that they live in. Unfortunately, many city residents are not fully aware of the impact of greenhouse gases. Some people have heard or read about the negative affects of climate change, but the result of the recent survey showed that they are not taking adequate action to address this issue.

Bangkok's worsening environment will not only affect the livelihoods of people in the capital or its perimeter, but will have economic repercussions for the entire nation. Bangkok is a major tourist destination. It is a centre of trade, finance and government. Millions of visitors come here every year.

The report highlighted infrastructure, water, health and food production as some of the areas that will be affected. Land subsidence, when combined with a rising sea level, could leave Bangkok under 50-100 centimetres of water by 2025. Rising temperatures could also affect the flow of water in the Chao Phya and Mae Klong rivers, from which most of Bangkok's water supply is drawn. Increased heat-related illnesses and complaints, and the spread of diseases like malaria and dengue fever, are also mentioned. All of these will extract a high economic toll, the report said.

Transportation and electricity generation constitute the bulk of emissions in the city (90 per cent). The transport sector, responsible for almost 38 per cent of CO2 emissions annually, is the largest contributor, particularly for passenger vehicles, which saw a 7-fold increase between 1980 and 1999.

The report was released on Earth Day, which is designed to inspire awareness of the effects of human activity on the environment. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration last month encouraged the public to reduce wasteful energy consumption by switching off lights during the Earth Hour campaign. But the campaign did not produce any effective result.

However, everyone can easily make a contribution, every day, if only they become fully aware of their consumption habits. The campaign to instil awareness of this should be consistent and effective. For instance, municipal offices should promote the use of environmentally friendly means of transport, by, for example, providing bicycle lanes to encourage Bangkokians to ride for short distances where they would otherwise use a vehicle. Consumers can replace old electrical appliances with ones that save more energy. Disposable plastic bags should be replaced by reusable fabric bags. Residents should think carefully about what they discharge into waterways. Moreover, schools should instil environmental awareness in children from an early age, while teachers and parents should set examples for them.

Not only Bangkokians, but everyone has a duty to protect the environment they live in. It's part of our duty as global citizens to limit as much as possible the damage we cause to the planet.