Structural Analysis of Environmental Management of the Serasa Industrial Park

Abstract

Modernisation is characterized by industrial development. The Serasa Industrial Park (SIP) is an industrial estate in Serasa sub-district, close to the Brunei Darussalam's only deep-water port. Given the link between industrial development and environmental degradation, as well as the general lack of environmental monitoring in Brunei, the paper questions whether environmental management (EM) is adequate to protect the area from further industrialisation. The purpose of this paper is to answer this question using SIP as a proxy because it is a well-established industrial site that should be more amenable to EM. This study involves two surveys of 20 firms and an interview with the environmental agency to gain a better understanding on the national policy and strategy. The paper found that, while the current state of EM is structurally weak, it is adequate for the SIP under current conditions. To protect the environment and increase industrialisation in the area, EM structures must be incorporated into existing regulatory frameworks.