Climate change

Knowledge, interest, and engagement of Science education undergraduates in climate change and mitigation actions in Imo State, Nigeria

admin_irjstem Abstract , , , ,

Knowledge, interest, and engagement of Science education undergraduates in climate change and mitigation actions in Imo State, Nigeria
Corresponding email: [email protected]

A B S T R A C T

This study examined the knowledge, interest, and engagement of Science Education Undergraduates in Climate Change and Mitigation actions in Imo State, Nigeria. The relationships existing among knowledge, interest and climate engagement was specifically studied. This study adopted a descriptive survey and a correlation design. Using a researcher-made 3-sectioned instrument, the researchers collected data from the respondents. To answer the research questions, frequencies, percentages, pie charts, mean scores, and standard deviations were used while the hypothesis was tested with Pearson r statistics at a 0.01 significance level. From the major findings, it is seen that 54% of the sampled students demonstrated high knowledge of climate change while 22% and 24% demonstrated moderate and low knowledge of climate change respectively, high climate interest levels exist among the respondents (mean =3.27), majority of the students participate in personal actions which help to mitigate climate change effects such as changing their lifestyle (84.90%), considering environmental impacts in choice of goods (93.00%), water conservation (91.80%), planting of trees and flowers (79.70%) and waste recycling (70.90%), there is low involvement of the undergraduates in online and offline climate change and climate change mitigation awareness (19%), 67% of the respondents engage in climate change mitigation actions to a high extent, 22% of the participating undergraduates have moderate engagement levels in climate change mitigation actions while 11% of the respondents have low engagement levels in climate change mitigation actions, high and significant relationships exist between climate change knowledge and climate interest among the undergraduates (r= 0.750, p<.05); significant relationship also exists between interest in climate change/mitigation actions and engagement in climate change actions (r=0.323, p<.05) while the relationship between knowledge of climate and engagement in climate change mitigation activities is low and non-significant (r=0.117, p>.05). The findings imply that the use of digital tools to create climate change awareness should be greatly emphasized by lecturers, as this will promote undergraduates’ interest and digital participation in climate actions and universities should incorporate climate change topics into various courses, making environmental knowledge a fundamental part of students’ academic experience.

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The impact of Jhum cultivation on hilly area (Rangamati, Khagrachari)

admin_irjstem Abstract , ,

A.B.M. Kamal Pasha1, Sagar Mozumder2, Kornia Chakma3
Daffodil International University, Bangladesh
Corresponding email: [email protected]

A B S T R A C T
In our research work, we surveyed Jhum cultivation of Langadu Upazila, Rangamati, and Babuchara, Dighinala in Khagrachari and collected data based on interviews. This survey was conducted from August 2020 to December 2020. The objectives of this survey were to understand the impact of Jhum cultivation on environmental degradation, and we also reviewed the existing crops production system in that hilly area which gave us an idea about the current situation of Jhum cultivation. Data was collected in three parts, we collected general information from Jhum landowners by a survey questionnaire, demonstrate the study area with photographs, and direct field observation was used to get the idea of the current situation. People with different age groups and different educational qualifications took part in our survey. Most of the respondents were < 50 years but very few of those respondents were uneducated and it is observed that 10 persons out of 30 were educated. From the survey, we got to know that about 67% of the framers are practicing Jhum for more than 6 years. And we found out that about 30 types of yields are filled with Jhum Chas whereas previously they used to cultivate only 15 to 20 types of yields that means the soil is being used more than the previous time. But surprisingly about 86% of our local respondents think that because of Jhum cultivation they are facing deforestation and about 60% of them think that they lose different types of bird and animal species because of Jhum cultivation, also about 40% of them think that they are facing environmental issues because of Jhum. Most importantly we found out that overall, 94% of people think that population growth is the main culprit for the overly practiced Jhum cultivation which is currently practicing on the perpetual territory. So, from this research, we can identify that the local people are aware of the adverse effect of Jhum cultivation but they don’t have alternatives that is why they are still relying on this cultivation process.

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