People’s Participation in Marine Debris Management in Chonburi Municipality, Chonburi Province

Abstract

             The purposes of this research were: 1) to study personal factors, knowledge of marine debris, awareness of marine debris issues, perception of policies or programs and public participation in marine debris management among residents of Chonburi Municipality, Chonburi Province, 2) to compare participation levels based on personal characteristics, and 3) to examine the relationships between knowledge, awareness, and perception of policies or programs and public participation in marine debris management. A quantitative research design was employed. The sample consisted of 393 residents aged 15 years and older, selected through simple random sampling using a lottery technique. The research instrument was a questionnaire, with content validity ranging from 0.67 to 1.00 and an overall reliability coefficient (Cronbach’s Alpha) of 0.95. The statistical methods used for data analysis included percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Hypothesis testing was conducted using the t-test and One-way ANOVA, with pairwise comparisons performed using Scheffé test. Relationships between variables were examined using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, with the statistical significance level set at .05.
             The research result found that:
             1. The residents exhibited high levels of knowledge and awareness regarding marine debris, both overall and in all aspects. In contrast, their perception of related policies or programs and their participation in marine debris management were at moderate level.
             2. The comparison of participation in marine debris management based on personal factors revealed statistically significant differences in participation by age, marital status, income, and group memberships, but not by gender, education, occupation, or marine resource use.
             3. The correlation analysis indicated that knowledge was not significantly associated with participation at the 0.05 level, while awareness and policy perception were positively and significantly correlated with participation.