COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT: A CASE STUDY OF KANCHANABURI MUNICIPALITY

Abstract

This research article aimed to: 1) study public participation in municipal solid waste management in Kanchanaburi Municipality, Kanchanaburi Province; and 2) propose guidelines for the development of municipal solid waste management in Kanchanaburi Municipality, Kanchanaburi Province. This study employed a quantitative research design. The population consisted of 24,491 residents living in Kanchanaburi Municipality. The sample size was determined based on the Krejcie and Morgan table, resulting in a sample of 380 participants, selected using purposive sampling. The research instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire on participation in municipal solid waste management, consisting of 20 items covering four aspects: management, expression of opinions, implementation and cooperation, and monitoring and evaluation. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation.
The research findings revealed that: 1) the overall level of public participation in municipal solid waste management was high. When considered by aspect, the expression of opinions had the highest mean score (M = 3.65, S.D. = 1.16), followed by management (M = 3.62, S.D. = 1.18), implementation and cooperation (M = 3.61, S.D. = 1.08), and monitoring and evaluation (M = 3.56, S.D. = 1.20), respectively. Proposing guidelines for the use of technology in waste management had the highest mean score (M = 4.25, S.D. = 0.95), while participation in waste management activities was at a moderate level (M = 3.35, S.D. = 1.10); and 2) the guidelines for the development of municipal solid waste management should continuously promote public participation in four aspects: management, expression of opinions, implementation and cooperation, and monitoring and evaluation, together with the development of communication channels and the use of technology to support public participation in accordance with the local context.