Application Analytic Hierarchical Process (AHP) in Setting up Local Community Urban Environmental Quality of Life Index in a Developed Metropolitan Area in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract

Evaluation of the quality of the living environment, especially urban areas, is a broad category. It includes both the quality of the surrounding natural environment, the spatial perception, and the emotional linkage between humans and the surrounding environment. This study was conducted to determine the main environmental quality factors selected by people in the urban area of District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City. By surveying local residents and the environmental officers at the ward level People’s Committees, the research applied the Analytic Hierarchical Process method to calculate the important level of the introduced environmental quality indicators. The results of the two groups of people were quite similar, and the highest scored indicator groups are the surrounding environmental quality including soil, water, and air. Landscape, odor, and solid waste factors were not appreciated by the residents as they are not the biggest issues at the site. The results of this study, therefore, are expected to be an important reference for policymakers and environmental managers in formulating plans and strategies for protection and improvement of the living environmental quality in the area.