Biodiversity 

Key Principles of Biodiversity Conservation Biodiversity Initiatives

EGAT recognizes its environmental responsibilities and is committed to preserving biodiversity. The organization acknowledges that its operations may impact the environment, ecosystems and biodiversity such as the loss of natural habitats that serve as food sources, shelters and breeding grounds for flora and fauna due to land clearing for new projects and open-pit mining. Other impacts include the loss of aquatic organisms and larvae from water intake for power generation and cooling processes, and the fragmentation of wildlife habitats caused by transmission lines crossing forest areas.  

Management  

EGAT implements measures to prevent, conserve and restore natural resources throughout all project phases: 

  • Pre-Project Phase: Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) are conducted for power plants, dams, mines, and transmission line areas. Experts are engaged to study plant and animal species diversity, legal status of wildlife and aquatic biodiversity in nearby natural water sources. These studies inform impact analyses and the development of mitigation measures. Stakeholder consultations are also held prior to project commencement. 
  • During Project Implementation: EGAT conducts regular environmental monitoring to track trends and changes in biodiversity. Conservation and restoration activities are carried out in EGAT project areas and natural forests across Thailand, in collaboration with relevant agencies. Additionally, tripartite meetings are held 1–2 times annually to report environmental and biodiversity performance to government agencies and community leaders in accordance with project requirements. 

EGAT has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) to collaborate on climate change and biodiversity conservation. This partnership integrates academic knowledge, enhances personnel capabilities, and supports future biodiversity initiatives. Under this MOU, EGAT contributes biodiversity data from its project areas to enrich Thailand’s national biodiversity database (TH-BIF). 

In 2024, EGAT also promoted biodiversity awareness through key activities such as: 

  • Bird Walk at Srinagarind Dam, a habitat for hornbills 
  • EGAT Biodiversity Rangers Youth Camp (Batch 2) focused on mangrove conservation 
  • Awareness campaigns with networks like the North Bangkok Power Plant Youth Environmental Network and Debsirin Nonthaburi Environmental Network, including support for installing and cleaning artificial nesting boxes for Alexandrine parakeets at temples in Nonthaburi Province. 

Conservation Areas  

One of EGAT’s key operational sites, the  Mae Moh Power Plant, is located within a designated forest conservation area in Mae Moh Forest, Lampang Province. This land is reserved for forest, wildlife, watershed and natural resource conservation under Cabinet resolutions and environmental laws. Although exempt from urban planning regulations, the site is permitted for use in power generation and lignite mining as a national asset. 

EGAT monitors wildlife in the vicinity of the Mae Moh Replacement Units 8–9 Project, within a 5-kilometer radius, covering: 

  1. The power plant area 
  2. The northeastern overburden disposal area (reclaimed land) 
  3. Natural forest in Mae Chang National Reserved Forest 
  4. The Mae Moh Reservoir and surrounding communities 

Surveys identified 162 protected wildlife species under Thailand’s Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act B.E. 2562, including: 

  • 2 reptile species 
  • 8 mammal species 
  • 152 bird species 

According to national and global conservation status: 

  1. Thailand’s Threatened Species List: 
    • Vulnerable (VU): Red-whiskered bulbul, Oriental darter 
    • Near Threatened (NT): Rufous-winged buzzard, Peregrine falcon, Chestnut munia 
    • Least Concern (LC): 184 species (8 mammals, 150 birds, 12 reptiles, 14 amphibians) 
  2. Pollutant Emission Quantity Data – This refers to the measured quantities of pollutants released into the atmosphere which are obtained through two methods: 
    • Near Threatened (NT): Oriental darter 
    • Least Concern (LC): 189 species (8 mammals, 156 birds, 12 reptiles, 13 amphibians) [304-4] 

Rehabilitation  

EGAT continues to rehabilitate the Mae Moh Mine by allocating land for: 

  • Reforestation 
  • Water retention areas 
  • Recreational and tourism development such as the Mae Moh Arboretum and the Lignite Learning Center Museum