Abstract
Research project entitled ‘Developing and using community surveillance database to prepare for dealing with cross border pollution problem Project’. The objectives were to study the community way of life, socio-economic status and health, to define the villagers' concerns in regards with pollution and to determine risk areas and activities of villagers in risk areas. This project aims to prepare the villagers for applying local information systems and monitoring systems to cope with transboundary pollution. The study sites were Ban Huaikon, Ban Nam Chang, Ban Dan, Ban Phu Kham and Ban Wang Pha, where possibility to be in risk of exposure to transboundary pollution from the Hongsa power plant, Lao People's Democratic Republic. Due to their proximity to the Thai-Lao PDR border, Ban Huaikon, Ban Nam Chang, and Ban Dan might encounter transboundary pollution. Ban Wang Pha and Ban Phu Kham are farming communities. The most common crop is the Si-thong orange, which is the geographical indicator. In recent years, yields and agricultural productivity have declined significantly, with the villagers still unsure of what are the roots of yields and productivity reduction. The research methodology includes a questionnaire survey, focus groups, community mapping, risk maps, and in-depth interviews with community leaders, members of vulnerable groups, and experts from governmental organizations, which are the Pollution Control Department and the Department of Industrial Works. With this methodology, it leads to establish a surveillance network within the community. The study's findings showed that while the villagers' ways of living varied in terms of geography, ethnicity, and regional culture, their primary economic activity was agriculture, which is heavily dependent on natural resources. Health is influenced by daily tasks and surrounding factors. The villagers also observed that respiratory ailments such allergies, asthma, dry cough, and the common cold were more prevalent. It has been found that each village has regulations in place for managing and conserving its natural resources, such as communal forests and restrictions for the usage of local forests. The villagers' way of life is heavily reliant on natural resources including water, soil, and air, which are essential for agriculture. Since the environment is vulnerable, it will have an impact on villagers’ way of life and their agriculture. The community data system is pursued via community map and risk map. If pollution occurs, the villagers can understand the physical context of their own area and correlate with occurrences of activities and types of hazards. The risky area may be restricted for community activities, especially outdoor activities (e.g. plantation, fishing, swimming). However, the preparedness to response with transboundary pollution, the community data and monitoring systems are essential. The internal consensus of community, they agree that the government must support the knowledge in areas of agriculture, public health and environment, as well as local administration should participate with community in monitoring and surveillance. The villagers are familiar with line application and local announcement, these can be employed for risk communication. Finally, the representatives from Hongsa power plant should participate with the surveillance network. The villagers would like to receive the data of power plant, budgets for surveillance network and for remediation. The participation should be routine, which can keep the awareness in transboundary pollution and can bring the harmony in sharing the resources between the communities and Hongsa power plant.
