ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF LAND USE IN INDUSTRIAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES: IN CASE STUDY OF AMATA CITY CHON BURI, CHON BURI PROVINCE

Abstract

               The study entitled “Environmental Impact of Land Use in Industrial Estate Development in the Neighboring Communities: In Case Study of AMATA CITY Chon Buri, Chon Buri Province” addressed issues on environmental impacts of land use changes in the development of the industrial estate that affected the neighboring communities. It also studied factors impacting on environmental impacts of land use changes in the development of the industrial estate in these communities. Quantitative methods were applied in this study. The data were collected from 400 people living in the areas around Amata City Industrial Estate. The study relied on statistical analysis derived from Frequency Distribution, Percentage, Means, Standard Deviation, t-test and ANOVA. The result of the study showed that the environmental impacts of land use changes in the development of Amata City Industrial Estate that affected the neighboring communities were at the high level (x̄ = 2.75). When considering in each aspect, the study found that there were 4 aspects at the high level respectively: the conversion of physical resources (x̄ = 2.97); the conversion of bioresources (x̄ = 2.82); the quality of life (x̄ = 2.81); and the human use values (x̄ = 2.70); there was also 1 aspect at the low level, that was the sustainability of industrial and community areas (x̄ = 2.45). Moreover, in the study of factors impacting on environmental impacts of land use changes in the development of Amata City Chon Buri Industrial Estate in the neighboring communities, the result indicated that the factors including gender, age, education, occupation, income and the duration of staying in the communities did not influence the feeling of environmental impacts of land use changes in the development of industrial estate. There was only one factor that influenced the feeling of environmental impacts of land use changes in the development of Amata City Chon Buri Industrial Estate, that was the models of land use before and after the development of industrial estate.