Quality of life assessment of residents living in proximity to a municipal landfill in Chanthaburi Province : a case study of Ban Lapal ng Phun Sap, Muang District, Chanthaburi Province
The objective of this research was to assess the quality of life, factors affecting the quality of life and recommendations for improving the quality of life of residents living in proximity to a municipal landfill in Muang District, Chanthaburi Province. The mixed method approaches of quantitative and qualitative research methods were applied to this study. A quantitative survey regarding the opinions of members of the community was completed by 124 members of different families. A qualitative in-depth interview was conducted with village elders. Participatory observations were also used.
The findings showed that the residents living in proximity to the municipal landfill in Muang District, Chanthaburi Province were rather satisfied with the quality of life in their community both overall and in each surveyed aspect of: environment, economy, society and access to social services. The 6 factors affecting the quality of life for the residents were: access to social services, physical state of the community structures, employment opportunities, neighborhood security, land ownership rights, and ability to deal with social problems. The recommended improvements for the quality of life were keeping the community free of societal vices including illegal drugs, and developing the facilities surrounding the community in order to attain a higher quality of life.
