Health impact assessment (HIA) is a relatively new concept within the Thai policy-making arena. From a human security perspective, the HIA has the potential to be a practical tool to empower local communities in protecting their health. One important element of the HIA is the process of public participation. While the HIA mechanism requires public participation at various stages of the process, the risk remains that the effect of public participation on the final HIA-outcome is limited.
Read MoreHuman security is a relatively new theory in the world of international security; the new people centered approach advocated by the concept has been interpreted into a number of conceptual frameworks aimed at applying the notion to assess projects on the ground. Special economic zones have been utilised by a number of different Asia countries to increase economic growth through providing geographical areas that have different economic laws to other parts of the country they are created in. By bridging the literacy gap that exists between the two notions analysis can be employed to identify the usefulness of human security when the concept is applied to assess a mega-project such as the case study of the special economic zone in Savannakhet Lao PDR.
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