COMMUNITY CONCERNS OF RIVER POLLUTION IN TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA

Purpose of the study: This study aims to identify the determinants of the behavior of people living in polluted rivers in Terengganu. Methodology: This study was conducted in a quantitative approach using a survey method for data collection. A total of 373 respondents were selected by cluster sampling. The study site was held at ten rivers that were considered polluted in Terengganu. Instruments used to collect the data were questionnaire form and analyzed with software, namely IBM Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS). Main Findings: The findings show that knowledge and exposure to environmental messages through the media is a dominant factor influencing respondents’ behavior on river conservation. Applications of this study: The study is expected to raise awareness and change people’s behavior in addressing issues of environmental degradation, especially for sustainable, healthy rivers, and better quality of life. This is because the river is clean, healthy, and of good quality to ensure the well-being of the community. Novelty/Originality of this study: Studies on factors that determine environmental behavior by researchers have often focused on studies of personal variables (e.g., knowledge, attitudes, values, beliefs) and thus ignore the direct role of situational variables as they are emphasized. Therefore, a comprehensive study should be conducted to build or change human behavior towards the environment.


INTRODUCTION
The country is now encountering multiple environmental issues that are getting more challenging. Various environmental issues that are being addressed and planned in the process of preserving nature. Global Issues in the 21st century globally focus on things that are threatening the harmony, beauty, and the well-being of human life. Air quality in the cities, river water quality, destruction of forests, household wastes, and hazardous wastes are the few examples of environmental issues encountered by our country ( Of late, environmental pollution has been a major concern for our country, especially with the worsening of river quality. The observation made by JAS shows that the quality of river water in the country has deteriorated badly (Wan Nor Azilawanie Tun Ismail & Aziz Amin, 2020b). Malaysia's environmental quality report clearly shows a large number of rivers are still classified as polluted and moderately polluted in Malaysia. In 2017, out of 477 supervised rivers, 219 (46%) were classified as clean, 207 (43%) moderately polluted, and 51 (11%) polluted. The quality of river water in terms of the Water Quality Index (IKA) showed a decrease in 2017. The percentage of rivers categorized as clean decreased to 46% in 2017 compared to 58% in 2015. Whereas the rate of rivers classified as polluted has increased from 7% in 2015 to 11% in 2017 (Department of Environment, 2017). This depicts that the quality of river water in Malaysia is at risk of pollution, which harms the sustainability of the country's water resources.
The community's concern to keep the river and the surrounding area clean is still low. They have no awareness of the importance of the river to human life. They are also less aware of the adverse effects of river pollution. The pollution of the river by irresponsible parties is only viewed with one eye by the surrounding community. Various policies and awareness campaigns are implemented by the government, private and non-governmental organizations to cultivate this awareness. However, it does not seem to bring the expected results. The very same situation is also proven from previous studies which shows that various water pollution cases have occurred lately (Hua, 2019; Tuan Fauzan Tuan Omar, Ahmad Zaharin Aris,

Environmental knowledge
Environmental knowledge can be defined as general knowledge of facts, concepts, and relations related to nature and its key ecosystems (Aprile &Fiorillo, 2017 andFryxell &Lo, 2003). According to Onder & Kocaeren (2015) and Mohammad Affendy Omardin & Nazirah Zainul Abidin (2014), knowledge regarding the environment is a lifelong learning process. It aims to generate awareness to all levels of age in the community about the environment, having the knowledge, skills, and commitment to make decisions that directly or indirectly impact the quality of the environment. Environmental education is crucial in the community because it is the key to sustainability (Tucker & Izadpanahi, 2017 and Noor Azizah Samsudin & Zanaton H. Iksan, 2015). In short, environmental knowledge involves what people know about the environment. This important connection leads to aspects or effects of the environment and the collective responsibility required for sustainable development.

Environmental values
Environmental value is interpreted as a system that supports any action that leads to the well-being of the environment

Attitude
Attitude is abstract and it reflects the individual's character, personality, and the individual himself (Bamberg &Rees, 2015 andVasile, 2011). With attitude, personality can be formed. Attitude is shaped by experience and is greatly influenced by one's behavior (Turkyilmaz, Uslu, &Durmus, 2015 andSchultz, 2002). Individual attitudes play an important role in balancing nature. Optimistic individuals will instil the right mindset for the environment in their daily lives (Paco &Lavrador, 2017 andVasile, 2011).

Perceived behavioral control
The perceived behavioral control is the degree to which a person has control over a given behavior and how he or she can act (Wang et al., 2019 and Botetzagias, Dima, & Malesios, 2015). The degree of control and ability of the individual is based on the resources and opportunities that exist from within or outside the person (Ajzen, 2012). If a person has high confidence in his or her ability to execute the behavior, then his or her intention to carry out the behavior is stronger. Whereas, control of the perception of low-level behavior should be less motivated to engage in the action (Prapavessis, Gaston, & Dejesus, 2015 and Ajzen, 2002).

Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is associated with positive behaviors and attitudes of an individual (Huang, 2015). Self-efficacy can be clarified as a person's assessment of himself or how he views himself in positive or negative ways (Bandura, 1991 andBandura &Adams, 1977). An individual's self-efficacy can produce effective environmental behaviors. A study conducted by Onder & Kocaeren (2015) and Ojedokun & Balogun (2010) shows that self-efficacy has a significant connection with environmental behavior. An individual must be confident and have high self-efficacy for each behavior to be more effective in addressing environmental issues such as recycling by Zhang et al. (2016) and using reusable shopping bags (Kim, Kim, Han, & Holland, 2016). It can also affect the effort people put into their behavior (Bandura & Adams, 1977).

Subjective norm
Subjective norms involve behaviors expected by society and motivation to engage themselves in those behaviors mentioned. Subjective norms refer to human perceptions of other people who are significant to them and consider whether they are behaving in that expected way (

Exposure to environmental messages through the media
The role of the mass media in publishing documentaries and publishing reading material by environmental issues is essential for the public to get information on accurate and up-to-date environmental issues (Srivastava, Nakazawa, & Chen, 2016 and San & Norzaini Azman, 2011). Also, the shows and programs that inculcate the public's attitude towards maintaining public hygiene that is repeatedly published in the media can emphasize the importance of maintaining cleanliness and health in the community. Indirectly, it will affect people's knowledge and awareness of it to determine their behavior patterns in the environment (Hong, Kim, & Xiong, 2019 and Lee, 2011). Besides, the use of precise and natural language and having simple graphics through advertisements in electronic medias such as television, radio, and print media like newspapers, magazines, and posters can help raise public awareness of the environment (Jiménez-Castillo & Ortega-Egea, 2015 and Mustafa Ozden, 2008). Community participation can also have a profound effect on the effectiveness of the campaign. For instance, community involvement in recycling programs will not only address environmental issues but also create a thriving attitude among the community (Miliute-Plepiene, Hage, Plepys, & Reipas, 2016).

Recycling facilities
One of the most effective steps that can be taken to address waste disposal issues is through recycling activities (

Intention
The intention variable is defined as the motivation, or the desire and willingness of the person to engage in the behavior (Ajzen, 2012 andAjzen, 1991   is important first to identify the specific behavior that you want to change. This makes it more convenient and efficient to do and, at the same time, makes it easier to monitor the success of this change program. These identified behaviors need to be continuously focused on so that they become a habit rather than an instruction. This is since habits can be formed through repetition and strengthening techniques.

METHODOLOGY
The research design used in this study was quantitative research using the survey method. Data collection was carried out at ten areas at the rivers, which were categorized as contaminated  Table 1.  Table 2 shows the distribution of respondents' profiles by a detailed category. The total number of respondents for this study was 373 residents living within 500 meters of 10 rivers, which were categorized as contaminated in the state of Terengganu. The respondents in this study were those aged 16 years and above. Based on the respondents, the findings found that the majority of respondents with 25.7% (96) percent were at the age of 30 to 39 years old. Next, the results showed that the majority of respondents with 55.5% (207) percent were female. The majority of respondents were married couples with a percentage of 64.6%, which equals to 241 respondents. The findings also showed the majority of the respondents are educated up to the upper secondary level, with 48.0% (179). In terms of employment, the majority of 24.9% (93) respondents were housewives. Finally, 56.3% (210) of the respondents had a household income below RM1500.

Determinants of respondents' behavior
Based on Figure   perception control (β = .046, p = .709), self-efficacy (β = .066, p = .454), subjective norms (β = .060, p = .471) and recycling facilities (β = .012, p = .827) do not indicate significant predictor variable for behavioral variables on river conservation when the p-value exceeds the alpha value (p> .05).  Thus, the findings indicate that factors of knowledge and media exposure can influence respondents' behavior towards river conservation. However, from both of the predictors, exposure to environmental messages through the media has a greater impact (β = .575) than knowledge (β = −.224). This indicates that the factor of exposure to the media is more prominent than the knowledge factor. The result of the SEM analysis indicates that the variance value in the endogenous behavioral variables predicted by the eight variables is .530. This implies that 53 percent of the variance in behavior is predicted by both the exogenous variables of knowledge and the exposure to environmental messages through the media. This denotes that there is a .470 or 47 percent variance in the behavioral variables that cannot be predicted by this regression model. This variant might be due to unknown external factors throughout the study.

DISCUSSION
The novelty of this research is to explore the factors that determine the environmental behavior of the community living in polluted rivers in Terengganu. The results of this study found that knowledge and exposure to environmental messages through the media are the determinants of river conservation behavior among the respondents living near the polluted rivers. This shows that having great knowledge and high exposure through media can further enhance people's behavior towards river conservation. On the other hand, having low knowledge and low exposure through the media can cause residents to fail to behave well in maintaining river conservation. This finding is consistent with the study Otto & Pensini, (2017); Nor'Aini Yusof, Suraiyati Rahman, & Iranmanesh (2015), and Onder & Kocaeren (2015). This suggests that the discussion of Ajzen's (1991) Planned Behavior Theory and early models of environmental pro-behavior as well as environmental responsibility behavior models on the relevance of knowledge to proven behavior are still relevant in empirical studies in the community scenario for today's river conservation. Knowledge is essential for life, and education is a process to improve one's behavior or morals for the better. Knowledge is essential in educating and creating a society that loves cleanliness and perfection in the management system associated with garbage. This element should be owned by the community to streamline the management machinery. In fact, not only for solid waste management, other programs and activities will also be disrupted if public knowledge is low or poor. According to Paco & Lavrador, (2017); Zareie & Navimipour, (2016), and Zsoka, Szerenyi, Szechy, & Kocsis, (2013), a high level of knowledge will encourage respondents to behave well. Respondent's awareness of the issue related to river pollution is a very important matter, and the enhancement of respondents' knowledge of river conservation will be able to produce a caring and environmentally responsible community. Knowledge of river conservation is important to the pursuit of the well-being of life. Knowledge of river conservation can be gained through formal or informal education. An effective way to foster this awareness is to provide education, awareness, and understanding of environmental well-being (Wan Nor Azilawanie Tun Ismail & Aziz Amin, 2020b).
Furthermore, the exposure of information through the media is seen to influence one's thinking and actions. This result is consistent with the study of Hynes & Wilson (2016) and Hong et al. (2019). The media is important in educating and providing complete information to society. Inaccurate information leads to misunderstandings, inaccessible information, skeptical society, and so on that involve elements of disbelief. Therefore, the media is very important in influencing the background of study respondents or society in general. According to a study conducted by Huang (2015), people rely on media such as television, newspapers, and the internet for information or information on environmental issues. Liao et al. (2016) and Ors (2012) state that the media is an effective way to bring attention to environmental issues and to make the public aware of the problems caused by pollution. Thus, it can play an important role in building public pressure to do something through their involvement in pro-environmental behavior. The media is also seen as the middleman between the public, the government, and the private sector in the dissemination of information. The media is also seen as a platform to channel knowledge and provide information that can educate the public to act decisively to ensure the river is protected. Besides, the government and organizations can use media as a promotional tool to encourage environmental action by individuals. The results of the study conducted by Huang (2015) dan Ors (2012) reveal the important function of media use in people's behavior. Information from the media can be a powerful force as society relies on media-related environmental messages that may influence their environmental actions.

CONCLUSION
The issue of the decline of river water quality is one of the dilemmas of environmental change that is closely linked to daily activities and health quality. To create a peaceful river environment, it depends on the knowledge, attitudes, involvement, and understanding of society on the adverse effects of an individual's actions. The well-being of a river can only be attained if everyone plays their part in their responsibility. The findings show that the determinants of knowledge and the disclosure of information through the media have a direct link in contributing to the behavior of river conservation among respondents. Knowledge of river conservation is essential to the pursuit of well-being. Knowledge of river conservation can be achieved through formal or informal education. An effective way to foster awareness is to provide education, awareness, and understanding of the well-being of the environment. The education-related to environmental issues is a tool for gain knowledge and awareness of environmental problems, which is the basis for responsible actions and behaviors for the environment. Furthermore, mass media plays such an important role in today's life that everyone can't isolate themselves