Wassana Sukkul. The satisfaction of villagers within the impacted areas toward Maekhan Dam project . Master's Degree(Environmental Planning for Community and Rural Development). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2006.
The satisfaction of villagers within the impacted areas toward Maekhan Dam project
Abstract:
The objectives of this study are to study the satisfaction level of people in the
impacted areas, and those which might be impacted, toward the Maekhan Dam project
and to study the effect of the relevant factors that determine the satisfaction level.
This study used data based on the community context, the relationship between
the villagers’ way of life and local resources’ exploitation. In the study of relevant
factors determining satisfaction level, the study used both the quantitative approach
based on the data from a structured interview, and qualitative approach based on data
from a group interview, in-depth interview and participant observation.
The study found that the way of life and the culture of those villagers in
Maekhanintai and Soblan Village are characterized by strong feelings of being the
possessors of local natural resources. These villagers show a low level of satisfaction
toward the Maekhan Dam project. This comes from the feeling that the government
officers and information they provide are not trustworthy and the fear about the
harmful impact from the project. It is reported that in the past, these (Maekhanintai)
villagers had accepted the launch of one project and agreed to move out of the area in
return for compensation and agreed upon conditions; however, the lack of clearity
demonstration from the officials led to dissatisfaction and prolonged protest from the
villagers. Currently, this project is still pending. Each determining factor under study
can be classified by the magnitude of its effect as follows, the satisfaction level toward
the basic infrastructure services (Beta = -0.451), attitude toward the project
(Beta= -0.328) age (Beta =0.252) and number of household members (Beta= -0.182).
Overall, these factors can explain 36.4 % of variation in the level of satisfaction
toward the dam project at 0.05 level of significance.
The study yields the following policy recommendation. The plan and policy
should be based primarily on local people’s needs, the water resource management
should be designed systematically with participation from every stakeholder (both
government sector and private sector), and lastly, the responsible official
organizations should disclose all the facts about the project to the public