As industrialization and development continue at a rapid pace and as populations increase, so do problems of pollution and waste generation that are associated with them. Hazardous waste has inherent problems of transport, treatment and disposal that distinguish it from other classes of waste and make it particularly difficult to manage. The range of waste that is considered hazardous is wide, from fluorescent light bulbs that may be mixed in with municipal waste streams to heavy metals that may be leaked from mining activities. There are many more examples and it is this broad range combined with their detrimental effects on the environment that makes competent hazardous waste management a vital skill for developing countries to improve.

For these reasons the Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies intends to organize a training program in Hazardous Waste Management. This program will provide an understanding of the principles underlining effective hazardous waste management from generation, to transport to treatment and finally disposal. Of course, there are situations where such management has not taken place and for this reason remediation technologies will also be examined. The course will rely on the expertise that the Faculty has gained through hands on research and also on the experience of Thailand over the last decade in tackling this issue. State of the art waste management techniques will be disseminated and the current challenges faced will also be debated. It is expected that this program based on practical experiences in Thailand will be of use to countries' participants in the future.