On March 27, 2012, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided over the opening ceremony of the Academic Service Center at the Laem Pak Bia Environment Research and Development Project (LERD), Baan Laem district, Petchburi province.  On this occasion, she observed the project’s progress and met with local project staff and residents from surrounding communities.

In response to His Majesty’s initiative for research development of natural and uncomplicated methods for wastewater management, the LERD Project was founded in 1990 by the Chaipattana Foundation, in collaboration with Office of the Royal Development Projects Board, Kasetsart University, the Royal Irrigation Department, Office of the National Research Council, and other provincial agencies.

Natural methods developed from the royal initiative for wastewater treatment include lagoon wastewater treatment, artificially constructed wet land system, grass filtration system for wastewater treatment, and mangrove forest filtration.

LERD Project activities are focused on research and development, knowledge dissemination, community engagement, as well as eco-tourism.  For more information, please call 02 447 8585-8 ext. 249 or 253.