International Symposium
"In Pursuit of Statistics for Sustainable Development in Asia"
Perpective on Environment/Natural Resources Statistics
(SNA Approach and Social Indicator Approach)
by
Damrongsak Chindakul
Development Planning Expert
National Economic and Social Development Board
Thailand
ABSTRACT
Thailand has learned from the previous 30 years that the growth-oriented policy can lead to unbalanced development. Natural resources have been markedly depleted and the environment has been severely degraded. The environment around us can be classified as economic and social environment. The economic environment is what economists realize whereas the social one tends to be more on things that do not have any economic value or prices but moral value.
Balanced development means not only improving in the standard of living but also in the natural conservation. But, in general success of any development is measured by the System of National Accounts (SNA) which was firstly introduced nearly half a century ago. The system purely addresses the success of development by the economic environment . It ignores the social environment.
Now, it is obvious that the SNA cannot leave the environmental issues unattended. The newest SNA (1993) tries to cover the issues by some ways as ENRA (Environmental and Natural Resource Accounting), an example is the System of Integrated Environment and Economic Accounts (SEEA). The SEEA can provide a much-needed indicator so called "Ecological Adjusted Domestic Product"
Thailand follows the SNA concepts and is now aware that an ENRA is needed. Many attempts have been made by many organizations in compiling an ENRA. However, the efforts are carried out only on one's particular concern e.g. forest resource, natural gas etc, The most appropriate organization that should take responsibility in compiling the ENRA in Thailand is the office of National Economic and Social Development Board. This is because it is in charge of national income estimation. Especially, its staff have strong fundamental background in national accounting. Any modification of Nation Accounts for them is just a step ahead compared to many further steps for other organizations.
