Spatial inequality of Community near Suburban Garbage Dump

Abstract

The objectives of this research article were to study the spatial inequality of inequality of people in communities near suburban garbage dumps including fighting, negotiating, and adapting. It was a qualitative research using a case study. Data were collected from 30 people in communities near the garbage dump in 3 areas, namely communities near the Nong Khaem garbage dump; communities near the on Nut garbage dump and communities near the Sai Mai garbage dump, and from 6 Bangkok officials, a total of 36 people, by using purposive sampling. In-depth interviews with non-participant observations were used. It also collected information from the policies, laws and regulations related to waste management of Bangkok. the results showed that the spatial inequality of people in communities near garbage dumps stemmed from urbanization and city ​​organization policies that pushed the traditional urban poor living in Bangkok and rural immigrants to move from the city center to the suburbs and having to live near garbage dumps where the environment was not suitable. People in the community had fights, negotiations and adaptations in various fields, namely 1) being an informal worker working on their own without burdening the state; 2) in terms of rights on land and living conditions, there was both struggle  on its own and negotiation for state aid; and 3) the relationship of the people in the area that was born from the long-lived in the area to become the bond among people and between people and space. The state should have measures to provide living spaces with a suitable environment for people affected by the city organization policies and those who lived in communities near garbage dumps, wished to move to other areas. In addition, there should be specific environmental laws for waste dump areas and incinerators to reduce disparities in the right to live in a good urban environment.