Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Thailand)

 
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Abrv: MNRE; , ) is a cabinet ministry in the Government of Thailand.
History.
The ministry was founded in 2002. Its responsibilities include the protection of the nation's natural resources: water, oceans, minerals, and forests. It is also responsible for the protection and restoration of the environment. It vision is "to return the natural environment to the Thai people and to work towards the incorporation of natural resources and the environment in the Government's national agenda as these provide the basis for social and economic development."
Issues.
Forests.
The first strategy in MNRE's strategic plan is to "protect forest areas". Forested areas in Thailand include conservation forests of 80.88 million rai (129,408 km2); national conservation forests of 53.80 million rai (86,080 km2); and mangrove areas of 1.534 million rai (2,454 km2). The first line of forest defense are the roughly 20,000 forest rangers from three departments of MNRE: the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation; the Royal Forest Department; and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources. Their work is hazardous: ten forest rangers were killed in the line of duty over the previous 12-month period. Despite the danger and the importance of their work, they are temporary workers on one or four year contracts. The one-year rangers earn from 7,500 to 9,000 baht per month. The four-year contract rangers can earn "...more than 10,000 baht salary per month." Temporary workers are not eligible for government health coverage.
Plastic waste.
Thailand will move to ban the import of all plastic waste products. Initially MNRE will ban the import of 411 types of e-waste. The import of all plastic wastes will be banned in the next two years. "We need to prioritise good environment and the health of our citizens over industrial development," said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Surasak Kanchanarat. Some exceptions will be allowed: the new laws will allow the import of used electronic telecommunication products and copying machines for repair and reuse. Steel, copper, and aluminum scraps will be allowed for industrial if the scraps are clean and not mixed with other substances. Imports of electronic and plastic waste resulting in massive piles of scrap were turning the country into the "world's garbage bin".