PRIORITIZATION OF FACTORS AFFECTING POLICY FORMULATION FOR REDUCE BURNING IN AGRICULTURAL AREAS TO REDUCE PM2.5 USING ANALYTICAL HIERARCHY PROCESS

Abstract

The open burning of biomass represents a significant factor influencing the concentration of PM2.5 in the atmosphere, particularly during the burning season in agricultural regions. This research endeavors to prioritize the factors that shape policy directions aimed at reducing burning practices in agricultural areas, thereby contributing to a decrease in PM2.5 pollution. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed as the analytical framework, Data collection involved eliciting pairwise judgments from a diverse sample consisting of seven government agency representatives and eight elderly agricultural practitioners in Nakhon Sawan province. The final sample size comprised 15 participants. The data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software. The study analyzed five factors deemed critical to success: environmental factors, economic factors, technological factors, political factors, and social factors. Weightings were calculated to determine the relative importance of each factor and to facilitate comparisons regarding their significance in formulating policies to reduce burning practices in agricultural areas. The research findings indicate that economic factors held the highest importance (37.1%), followed by technological factors (18.2%), social factors (17.9%), political factors (13.6%), and finally, environmental factors (13.2%).