Pak Mun Dam’s long term impact on local residents’ livelihood

Abstract

Multidimensional well-being is an important method for understanding the social functioning of communities affected by the Pak Mun Dam, 26 years after its construction. This is the first quantitative research on the well-being of these communities. In six of eight well-being dimensions, the more distant communities are faring better than those in close proximity to the dam. Furthermore, 24 of 40 items which represent each dimension have statistically significant lower means in the affected community. Thisresult shows the long-lasting nature of negative effects on communities and without appropriate policy action negative impacts will linger preventing developmental progress from occurring.