Proposal for Data Collection in the Kok Si Community: Solid Waste Management Practices and Resources EMILY BRINCKA, LILY MCLAUGHLIN, EMILY PARKER, ANESSA SAX-BOLDER

Background Proper sanitary conditions → healthy community o Infrastructural support o Resource allocation Many communities around the world suffer from inadequate sanitary conditions o Lack of budget o Lack of resources Main concerns: liquid/solid waste, water sanitation, sewage systems, and outlets for management

Background cont’d Globalization → increase in waste o Concern for necessity of management Effects of improper sanitary conditions o Increased potential for the spread of infectious disease o Air pollution o Ground water contamination o Chemical hazards o General risk of injury and infection

Our village- Kok Si Northeastern Isan region of Thailand, outside Khon Kaen city Khon Kaen Province  7 municipalities Khon Kaen City Municipality (17 villages, 15,000 people) o Kok Si

Our village- Kok Si cont’d 2 moos: 600 people o Moo 7 o Moo 16 Major occupation= agriculture Observations: o Lack of trash bins o Litter/waste throughout streets Lack of support from municipality

Objectives To gain a foundational understanding of waste management practices and knowledge surrounding recycling among villagers in the Kok Si community To work with the Director of the Bureau of Public Health and Environment under the Khon Kaen municipality to address the needs of Kok Si waste management services To collect data successfully as a guide for effective project implementation toward increasing individual, household and community wide practices of recycling and waste management

Research Question What level of awareness concerning proper waste and recycling methods do Kok Si community members currently have and how accessible are proper disposal resources?

Conceptual Framework

Rationale for Study 2.4 billion people will remain without access to improved sanitation in 2015 Current status in Kok Si o No trash bins o No trash collection o No resources from municipality Headman expressed concern

Existing Research Collaboration of multiple sectors essential to waste management project success Sukhothai Province o “ H elping the person with the problem think about it and do something about it resulted in a more sustainable solution” (N oosorn, 2005) Yala Province o Innovative solutions valued over financial investment

Methods & Data Collection Plan Questionnaire o 30 housewives o Pre-test Focus group o Intervention Interviews o Village Health Volunteers

Anticipated Outcomes/Hypothesis Lack of information and awareness among villagers o lack of resources and municipality support Pre-test: mechanism for determining the magnitude of the lack of information and awareness Revision of intervention strategy with pre-test data

Potential Interventions Villager Education: o Recycling information Collaboration with Municipality: o Community recycling bins o Initiate recycling program

Conclusion Assess Kok Si housewives’ knowledge of waste management Gauge interest in intervention in community focus group Maintain contact and collaborate with KKU faculty member to refine intervention