COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS ILLEGAL WASTE DISPOSAL: A CASE STUDY OF SUNGAI BESAR COASTLINE MANGROVES FOREST IN SELANGOR, MALAYSIA

Abstract

Mangroves around the world are under constant threat from household waste pollution. Illegal landfills were found at the Sungai Besar coastline mangrove forests near Kampung Baru Nelayan, Selangor, Malaysia. Therefore, this study aims to gauge residents’ level of knowledge and perceptions on illegal waste disposal in mangrove forests. A total of 304 respondents participated in this study. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, non-parametric methods, and linear regression. The mean knowledge score was 0.70 ± 0.09 (range: 0-1), and the mean score for perception was 4.57 ± 0.47 (range: 1-5). Further analysis revealed that occupation played a significant role in determining measured knowledge and perception among the respondents (p-value < 0.01). Government employees were found to have higher knowledge and perception scores than unemployed residents. Targeted environmental education and conservation programs directed towards unemployed residents are recommended to increase their knowledge and perception of illegal waste disposal in mangrove forests.