Livelihood of the Waste Pickers in the Crisis of COVID-19

Abstract

The waste pickers and buyers were an outpost labors who were facing the risks of livelihood before the pandemic situation and still face various risk situations increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of study on the impacts and the adaptation of waste pickers and buyers during the COVID-19 pandemic was to understand a situation that faced by waste pickers and buyers during April - June 2020, which Thailand has faced a severe COVID-19 pandemic. Using Mixed Methods Research with collected data via online and direct interview through accidental sampling's method. The researcher was able to collect data from 58 respondents and 2 in-depth interviews.

The results of the study showed that the waste pickers and buyers has been affected by the situation of COVID-19 and state policy. 59% of waste pickers and buyers had income's decreasing which creating them a stress and anxiety, distrusting within family and community, and creating a continuous debt burden after the outbreak. Therefore, the Thai government should provide assistance and support livelihoods of waste pickers and buyers during the COVID-19 outbreak through income compensation including should provide assistance to the overall problems of the low income labor. Moreover, the rehabilitation after the outbreak, it is necessary for government to promote group forming and gather information on the challenges, problems and needs which requires from the group so that it is able to provide support that meets the needs.