Popular Participation on Environmental Management of Subdistrict Administration Organization in Kosumphisai District Area Mahasarakham Province

Abstract

The Environmental Management of the Local Administrative Organizations is the guidance and practical procedure to be performed following the international environmental management with an emphasis on people’s participation. In this regard, this research aimed to 1) study the people’s participation level; 2) conduct a comparative study on the attitude toward the people’s participation in the environmental management given by the local people with differences in sex, age, educational background, career, and duration of settlement in the district. The sample group consisted of 383 of local people who are eligible voters in the local election and live in Kosumpisai District. The sample size was calculated by the sample size calculation of Taro Yamane and sorted out by stratified random sampling. The data collection was completed by using a 5-level rating-scale questionnaire with 20 question items. Statistical techniques applied for data analysis were percentage, means, standard deviation, T-Test and F-Test (One-Way ANNOVA). The research finding was presented as descriptive analysis.
The research findings found that:
1. The people in Kosumpisai District, Maha Sarakham province, as a whole group and classified by sex, age, educational background, career, and duration of settlement in the district suggested that their overall and 4-dimension attitudes toward people’s participation in the environmental management of Kosumpisai District were average. This attitude ranged from the highest to lowest level as follows: Benefit, Decision Making, Evaluation, and Performance.
2. The people, as a whole group and classified by sex, showed nosignificant difference in their overall and 3-dimension attitudes, i.e. Performance, Benefit, and Evaluation, toward people’s participation in the environmental management. On the contrary, the attitude in term of Decision Making was different with statistical significance of .05.
3. The people, as a whole group and classified by age, suggested that their overall and 3-dimension attitudes, i.e. Decision-Making, Performance, and Evaluation were different with statistical significance of .05.
4. The people, as a whole group and classified by educational background, suggested that their overall and 3-dimension attitudes, i.e. Decision-Making, Benefits, and Evaluation, were different with statistical significance of .05.
5. The people, as a whole group and classified by career, suggested that their overall and 3-dimension attitudes, i.e. Decision-Making, Performance, and Evaluation, were different with statistical significance of .05.
6. The people in Kosumpisai District, Maha Sarakham province as a wholegroup and classified by duration of settlement in the district, showed no significant difference in their overall and 2-dimension attitudes, i.e. Decision-Making and Evaluation. In contrast, their attitude in terms of Performance and Benefit was different statistical significance of .05.
7. The significant suggestions on the people’s participation in the environmental management of the local administrative organizations in Kosumpisai District, Maha Sarakham province, included promoting the people to participate in managing the environment in their community, providing the people with more opportunities to share their ideas in making the community’s environmental development plan, and allowing all community members to be equally responsible for conducting the community’s activities.
In conclusion, the people’s participation in the environmental management of the sub-district administrative organizations in Kosumpisai District, Maha Sarakham province, in terms of an overall and four-dimensions, was an average level. This implication can be applied as guidance to develop and promote the people’s participation in the environmental management to be more effective.