Waste Management in Urban Isan Communities: Power and People Participation

Abstract

The objectives of this research were: 1) to study waste management in the urban communities of Northeastern Thailand, focusing on the dimensions of power and participation, and 2) to compare waste management of urban communities with that of suburban communities, particularly in regard to the dimensions of power and participation. The data for this qualitative study was collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with thirty-five key informants, comprised of employees in local administrative organizations, community leaders, community committee members, and people who participate in community waste management activities. There are two main findings of this research as follows: 1) waste management in urban Isaan communities follow a decentralization policy as set by the local administrative organizations (LAOs), in which community leaders were assigned responsibility, participation was promoted, community coordination was enhanced through household waste separation and collection, and youth awareness was strengthened; and 2) comparing an urban community (Non Nong Wat 1 in Khon Kaen) to a suburban community (Hua Thanon in Phra Lab) demonstrated that the community leaders and committees participated in waste management, eventually forming a network of communities. While the urban area was very ecologically diverse, it was also more densely populated than the suburban area and had less interaction between community members.