Abstract
This present study has five main objectives: 1) To develop a digital community-led health impact monitoring tools on the mobile platform application; 2) To establish communication channels for both horizontal and vertical communication within and between communities, as well as with relevant organizations and public communication regarding community-led health impact monitoring of transboundary pollution; 3) To create citizen reporters who can produce in-depth content on community-led health impact monitoring; 4) To develop a prototype public learning space for community-based health impact monitoring; 5) To utilize the research findings from the program “Development of Community-led Health impact Monitoring System in Nan Province, Thailand: A Case Study of Transboundary Pollution from Hongsa Power Plant, Lao PDR” to produce video documentary reflecting the research process, methodology, and context related to community-led health impact surveillance to mobilize knowledge to communities experiencing similar health risks. The participants consisted of teachers and students from 8 schools in Chaloem Phra Kiat District, one school in Thung Chang District, and orange farmer group in Thung Chang District. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in data collection and analyses. As a result of this participatory research project, various tools and communication channels were developed to enable teachers, students, and community members in the affected areas to record, report, and communicate health impact monitoring information through the C-site mobile application developed by the Public Media Network Department, ThaiPBS. The tools and communication channels include an interactive map on the C-site communication platform, comprising 37 layers of data, including 16 GIS layers, such as administrative boundaries, forest area data, Nan river basin data, village coordinates from Khun Nan to Huai Kon, and data from four other organizations (mobile towers, Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, PM2.5 dust measuring device API from the Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, SO2 and NO2 measuring devices from the Faculty of Engineering, Naresuan University, and community maps from the Faculty of Arts, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, as well as 14 additional survey-based data layers, such as indicator data collection, location-based storytelling in the style of users-generated contents from nearby citizen reporters, and emergency reporting. The community survey conducted in the 8 communities led to the development of community indicators that cover health and the environmental dimensions. In terms of health, two digital surveys on physical and mental health were developed, in terms of environment, monitoring surveys for water quality using the benthic macroinvertebrates, and monitoring surveys for agricultural produce for both general agricultural groups and orange farmers were developed. Two 3-day training sessions were delivered in October and December 2022 aiming at installing skills of using the C-site application, Mobile Journalism for Citizen Science or MoJo4CitSci, and riverine detective activities. The first training session was Training of Trainers (ToT) including teachers, students, local volunteers in Chalermprakiat district, and orange farmers from Thung Chang district. In the first training session, participants were extremely satisfied with all three activities. The participants showed highest satisfaction with using the C-site application for data collection (x̅ = 4.87, S.D. = 0.35), followed by nature detective activities (waterway) (x̅ = 4.86, S.D. = 0.37), and using Mobile Journalism for citizen science (MoJo4CitSci) (x̅ = 4.83, S.D. = 0.39), respectively. In the second session, participants reported that they were very satisfied with all three activities. The highest satisfaction was with nature detective activities (waterway) (x̅ = 4.13, S.D. = 0.78), followed by using Mobile Journalism for citizen science (MoJo4CitSci) (x̅ = 4.12, S.D. = 0.82), and using C-site application for data collection (x̅ = 4.04, S.D. = 0.75), respectively. The communication of health impact monitoring manifested in two important forms: horizontal communication involved knowledge transfer about using necessary knowledge and tools for monitoring, and risk communication within the community; and vertical communication, which started from bottom-up communication, where the flow of communication was facilitated by the open structure of ThaiPBS based on participatory communication. It is evident that this communication ecology is like weaving and connecting communication networks to support the community-led health and environmental impact. If this system is further developed and integrated with the national emergency communication system that may occur in the future, it will significantly enhance the efficiency of caring for the health of vulnerable population who are at risk of being affected by transboundary pollution.
