Social welfare needs of residents in polluted areas: A case of Dioxin pollution in southern Taiwan

Abstract

SUMMARYThis article defines the social welfare needs of residents living in a severely polluted community by examining a set of communities around the An-shun plant in southern Taiwan that were polluted by dioxin. The study examines the inhabitants' economic status, the communities' manpower utilization, and the prevention of social contingencies and the provision of aftercare. A survey conducted between March-April 2008 revealed the need to reduce poverty in these highly polluted communities, to identify and maximize each community's human resources, to address illness, aging, pollution, and lack of professional skills, and to better inform residents about pollution so that they can understand how to protect themselves. The article concludes with suggested programs to meet the social welfare needs of residents in a highly polluted community.

Environmental Consciousness in Local Sustainable Development: A Case Study of the Anti-Idling Policy in Taiwan

“…Given the local and social properties of sustainable development, citizen participation ought to be important in environmental governance. However, environmental issues are usually also defined as scientific, wherein expert knowledge is more important than the opinions, demands, or needs of citizens [55]. For that reason, it is necessary to flexibly select assessment scales based on the core concepts of intersectoral collaboration and community participation.…”