The School of Energy and Environment (SEEN), University of Phayao (UP), in collaboration with the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (Thai Health) and the Center for Clean Air Solutions (CCAS), organized the event "Prevention of Dust Problems from Agricultural Biomass Burning in Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai Province" during March 22nd - 23rd, 2024. This event aimed to provide on-site knowledge about the situation of dust problem prevention, reduction of biomass burning issues, health problems, and health care. It was held in cooperation with the Municipality of Wiang Pang Kham, Mae Sai, Chiang Rai. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Saksit Imman was the project leader, and Dr. Wimonrat Sitisara conducted activities to disseminate knowledge to the 72 participating agricultural network members in the area. Mr. Charalchai Rueak Yai, Secretaries Mayor of Wiang Pang Kham Municipality, had the honor of presiding over the opening ceremony.
This event is a utilization of local wisdom, incorporating the use of composting with air injection into the compost pile to facilitate faster natural decomposition of organic materials, as compared to traditional methods without air injection. Electricity is used to power the air injection system, drawing air from solar panels. This approach is a method of managing agricultural organic waste to reduce open burning, which is a major cause of worsening smoke haze problems each year. It is hoped that knowledge dissemination through this event will raise awareness and improve agricultural waste management practices in the area.