Knowledge related to climate change and willingness to act for adaptation and mitigation practices...

22 Vietnam Journal of Public Health - www.vjph.org

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

ABSTRACT

This descriptive analysis sought to test Leiserowitz 2007 findings. Leiserowitz 2007 findingsclaimed that until people gained a general understanding of climate change or it was commonlydiscussed as a part of everyday discourse, people would perceive lesser risk and would be lesswilling to follow mitigation and adaptation measures. A cross-sectional study using a semi-structured questionnaire was conducted among 206 randomly selected respondents in wardnumber one, eight, and nine of Sardikhola village development committee of Kaski districtbetween September and December 2012. The level of knowledge ranged between a high of 41%and a low of 12% with 47% possessing moderate knowledge of climate change. On the basis ofthis range of knowledge of climate change, 38% of respondents indicated they were more willingto adopt mitigation and adaptation actions. This study found that people of Sardikhola who wereaware of the term 'climate change' have moderate knowledge about climate change, respondedthat they were "less willing" to adopt mitigation actions.

Keywords: adaptation; climate change; knowledge; mitigation; Nepal

Knowledge related to climate change andwillingness to act for adaptation andmitigation practices in rural Nepal

A Banstola1,2*, MR Chhetri1, RM Schneider3, M Stebbing4, A Banstola2,5

1 Department of Public Health, School of Health and Allied Sciences, Pokhara University, Lekhnath, Kaski, Nepal.

2 Department of Research and Training, Public Health Perspective (PHP) Nepal, Milanchowk, Hemja-8, Kaski, Nepal.

3 Climate Change Working Group; APHA International Health Section, Senior Public Health Advisor, Health Systems Management,Washington DC, USA.

4 Department of Rural and Indigenous Health, School of Rural Health, Monash University, Australia.

5 Department of Pharmacy, Valley College of Technical Sciences, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Corresponding author: Amrit Banstola, Department of Public Health, School of Health and Allied Sciences, Pokhara University, Lekhnath, Kaski, NepalEmail: [email protected]

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INTRODUCTION

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group I (2001)1 defined climate

change as, “a statistically significant variation in either the mean state of the climate or in its

variability, persisting for an extended period (typically decades or longer).” The IPCC is the

leading international scientific body under the auspices of the United Nations (UN). The IPCC

reviews and assesses the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic research produced

worldwide regarding the issues of climate change. Subsequently, Working Group II of IPCC2

revised the definition of climate change and a revised definition states “climate change refers to

any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human

activity”. These definitions differ from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change (UNFCCC), which defines climate change as, “a change of climate which is attributed

directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and

which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.”

Human beings are exposed to climate change directly through changing weather patterns (for

example more intense and frequent extreme events) and indirectly though changes in water, air,

food quality and quantity, ecosystems, agriculture, livelihoods and infrastructure3. With projected

increases in temperature and changes in rainfall patterns (generally yielding drier climate in dry

seasons and wetter climate in wet seasons), and an increase in the frequency and/or intensity of

tropical cyclones and storms, climate change will significantly present challenges to the public

health community at the global, national, and local levels4.

Nepal is the fourth most climate vulnerable country in the world due to unusual geography (from

just 60 m to over 8,800 m above sea level elevation)5. The World Health Organization (WHO)

stated that the most vulnerable communities to climate change in Nepal were the poor who lived

on the banks of rivers, in slums and squatter settlements, and in remote areas (2009)6. Data from

the Nepali Ministry of Home Affairs7 showed that every year more than one million people were

susceptible to climate induced disasters such as floods, landslides, and droughts.

Kaski district, located in the Western region of Nepal with a population of 492,098 (National

Population Census 2011) is ranked as moderately vulnerable according to an overall climate

change vulnerability index developed jointly by Ministry of Environment and National

Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA)8. This climate change vulnerability is demonstrated

by flash flood on May 5 2012 that hit Sardikhola Village Development Committee (VDC) ward

(an administrative or electoral division of a VDC) number one, eight and nine of this district.

This flash flood killed 77 people and caused great loss of property including homes, business,

crops and livestock.

A limited number of population-based researches have been conducted in Nepal concerning the

perception of climate change, its impact, and mitigation and adaptation actions. These studies

are restricted to farmers' perception9, climate change impacts on biodiversity and agriculture10,

on water resource sector, including water-induced disaster management11 and more recently on

human health in Nepal12.

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Leiserowitz13 stated that until people had a general understanding of climate change or it was

commonly discussed as part of everyday discourse, people might perceive lesser risk and would

be less willing to follow mitigation and adaptation measures. The Climate Leadership Initiative

and the National Center for Conservation Science & Policy asserted that they were more likely

to be vulnerable to climate change impacts14.

Rural people are usually familiar with local climatic conditions so their understanding and

predictions of changes in climate can be an important source of information for policy makers

to develop effective mitigation and adaptation measures15,16, to provide important insights into

the phenomenon for scientists17 and to help communities better anticipate and cope with these

consequences18,19. Understanding the willingness to adopt adaptation and mitigation activities of

rural populations will assist in developing effective policies and programs, and this will work

towards minimizing the impacts of climate change in the future. Having said that, there is a need

to explore their knowledge and perception related to climate change and their willingness to adopt

adaptation and mitigation practices.

The objective of this study was to evaluate knowledge and perception of climate change. In

addition, this study also examined the respondents' willingness to adopt mitigation and adaptation

activities in the Kaski region of Nepal.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study using a semi-structured questionnaire was conducted among 206

randomly selected respondents in ward number one, eight, and nine of Sardikhola VDC of Kaski

District between September and December 2012. These wards were selected as they have been

categorized as a flood-prone area. The study's sampling frame used the updated list of the

households. There were 293 households in ward number one, 64 households in ward number

eight, and 84 households in ward number nine making a total of 441 households.

No particular reliability test such as Cronbach's alpha was performed. However, to ensure the

validity and reliability of the instruments, we identified the issues related to climate change in

the literature and then consulted with experts while developing each of the variables in the

questionnaire and interview guide. We also compared the variables with those included in other

studies. Finally, we pre-tested and field-tested the instruments in 13 percent of the sample in ward

number two and three of Sardikhola VDC; and revised them to produce the final questionnaire

and interview guide. The researchers (Amrit Banstola and Ashik Banstola) visited the randomly

selected households and filled out the questionnaire by asking the questions to the head of

household. To verify data quality, respondents were also queried about the same information but

asked at different points of the survey and in a number of different ways. After the completion

of each interview, the researchers carefully checked all recorded answers, corrected any errors

and conducted re-questioning.

Of the 206 heads of households invited to participate, four declined to be interviewed, five were

untraceable and two died in the flood that hit the village on May 05, 2012. The questionnaire was



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thus administered to 195 (85 male and 110 female) heads of households. The response rate of the

survey was 94.7 percent and no respondents dropped out after starting the interview. For those

who do not comprehend the meaning of climate change, local terms 'hawa paani ma aaeko

paribartan’ were used to explain to them.

The variables 'less willing to act' and 'more willing to act' were based on a median score cut-off

points of either less than 31 or more than 31 respectively on a five-point Likert scale for a

number of possible activities in table 3. Scale ranges from 1 (Definitely not) to 5 (Definitely yes).

The scale for ‘Don't know’ was not excluded but was given a midpoint value. The variable

'knowledge level' was classified as three different levels: high level (80-100%), moderate level

(60%-79%) and low level (less than 59%) based on the responses in Table 2 using Bloom's

(1968)20 cut-off points.

Data were coded and entered in the EpiData 3.1® and exported to the Statistical Package for Social

Science version 20.0 for analysis. Initially, Chi-square test and Spearman Correlation were used.

However, due to the small sample size, these statistical tests were found to be inappropriate, so the

tests were only used to provide the descriptive analysis of the study. Ethical approval was obtained

from the Pokhara University Institutional Review Board. Participants were fully informed and oral

consent was obtained before the study started. Confidentiality of the answers provided by the

respondents and their utilization only for the research purposes was assured by the researchers.

RESULTS

A total of 195 randomly selected respondents of ward number one, eight, and nine of Sardikhola

village were interviewed. Table 1 shows the demographic details of the respondents.

Out of 195 participants, 100 (51.3%) were aware of the term ‘climate change.’ The remaining 95

(48.7%) were not aware of this term. Therefore, for the remaining 95 people, an explanation of

the term was provided, so they could understand the meaning of climate change accurately.

Despite the explanation of the meaning, 100 participants could not comprehend it. As a result,

they could not answer the rest of the questionnaire. There was a 5% difference between males

and females in terms of their awareness of 'climate change'. The study found that 54.1% of males

and 49.1% of females were aware of climate change.

Increase in temperature (95%); irregular, untimely and increase in the frequency of extreme

rainfall (84%); drought (83%) followed by melting of ice caps of Himalayas (82%) and

diminished agriculture productivity (78%) were cited by a majority of the respondents as the

indicators of climate change (Table 2).

The respondents who comprehended the meaning of climate change were asked to report about

contributors of climate change. The majority of the respondents (92%) attributed climate change

to deforestation (Table 2). In addition, they also attributed climate change to forest fires (83%)

and use of vehicles and factories and industries (77% each). However, only a few participants

reported use of electrical appliance (29%) as the contributor of climate change.



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For the purpose of the study, participants were also interviewed about the sources of their

information on climate change. It was found that a majority of the respondents had heard about

climate change from their teachers (79%), followed by the media such as radio, television, and

newspapers (77%). A half of the respondents (50%) had heard about climate change from their

friends and only 16% knew about it through Non-Governmental Organizations.

Respondents claimed that 40% of children, 31% of the poor, followed by 19% of the elderly and

3% of women were the most likely to experience the negative effects of climate change.

Table 1. Demographic characteristics of the survey participants (n = 195)

a US$1 = NRs 87.21 in December16, 2012

b Single family consists of father,mother and their unmarriedchildren.

c Joint family consists of parents,their children, and the children'sspouses and offspring in onehousehold.

d Extended family consists ofgrandparents, parents, theirchildren, and the children'sspouses and offspring in the samehome.



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Respondents were asked, “To what extent are you willing to do some of the following— be

informed of climate change and share the information; increase energy efficiency; do forest

conservation and planting trees; do walking or cycling; use renewable energy; reuse and recycle;

do household waste management”. Overall, this survey found an overwhelming number of

respondents (91-100%) who were probably or definitely willing to carry out the above mentioned

activities of mitigation and adaptation (Table 3).

Table 2. Percent of respondents for each category of knowledge about climate change(n=100)

%%%%%

Table 3. Percent of respondents willing to adopt mitigation and adaptation activities (n=100)



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Household waste management as an activity to reduce their carbon footprint was reported by all

respondents (100%) followed by increasing energy efficiency e.g. turning off the light and

electronic devices when not in use (99%). In addition, 97% of respondents had chosen forest

conservation and planting trees; and reuse and recycle of waste as essential activities to mitigate

and adapt to climate change. Ninety five percent of people were willing to increase their

knowledge about climate change and share the information gained with their family, friends, and

relatives. Besides, 92% of respondents were probably or definitely willing to walk or cycle while

91% had chosen to use renewable energy to mitigate climate change.

The majority of the respondents had answered that they reported in the category of "less willing"

(62%) to adopt mitigation and adaptation actions (Table 4). Both male and female were equally

(50.0%) more willing to take mitigation and adaptation actions. Similarly, respondents aged 25

%%

Table 4. Willingness to act, demographic characteristics and knowledge related to climatechange (n=100)

a literate: all those whowere able to write theirnames.

b illiterate: those who werenot able to write theirnames.



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to 49 years of age (55.3%), who were literate (100.0%), described agriculture as their occupation

(39.5%), had high income (65.8%), and had moderate levels of knowledge related to climate

change (44.7%) were likely to report being "more willing" to take mitigation and adaptation

activities.

DISCUSSION

Out of 195 participants, slightly more than fifty percent respondents were aware of the term

‘climate change’. Of those who were aware of climate change, a majority knew about it from

their teachers, mass media (e.g., radio, television, and newspaper) and friends. Very few people

mentioned International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) and Non-Government

Organizations (NGOs) as a source of their knowledge about climate change. This reveals that,

to date, teachers, mass media and friends are sources of information. Moreover, they can give

support in terms of further involvement and information sharing. It seems that there were no

INGOs and NGOs working to inform people about climate change or the activities they could

perform to reduce its risk. This is consistent with the study conducted in Nepal by Tiwari et al9

in 2010, which reported that "there were no any government or non government organizations

working to make aware and minimize impact on climate change in the field level". Although

information on access to these mass media are useful to make a plan for the dissemination of the

information by the government and INGOs/NGOs, the study only focused on the sources of

information about climate change as the exposure to mass media has been recently assessed by

the Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 201121.

Desertification and changes in the distribution of vector borne diseases (malaria and dengue) as

indicators of climate change were mentioned by relatively few respondents. This finding was

considered as the other indicators of climate change such as increase in temperature; irregular,

untimely and increase in the frequency of extreme rainfall; drought; melting of ice caps of

Himalayas; and diminished agriculture productivity were reported by the respondents based on

their experience. For example, a male farmer, from ward number one said, “After the flood thathit the village on May 05, 2012 there has been an increase in temperature level”. This finding

is similar to the findings of another climate change study conducted in Nepal in 2010 by Tiwari

et al9 in which respondents reported an increase in temperature, the frequency of drought, and

unpredictable rainfall among others.

Usage of electrical appliances is considered to be the lowest perceived contributor to climate

change. This event may be explained by the absence of these appliances in the respondents'

household. Another possible reason is that the amount of appliances utilized by their households

is limited.

The number of males (54.1%) who were aware of the term ‘climate change’ was more than the

number of females (49.1%). One of the reasons for this is that beside their own households, males

tend to have more social relations and connections compared to females. This leads to more

access to information including community level and mass media.



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The study shows that people aged 25 to 49 (55.3%), literate (100.0%), farmer (36.5%), those with

high income (65.8%) and moderate level of knowledge related to climate change (44.7%) are

willing to adopt more mitigation and adaptation activities. The inclusion of the perceptions by

gender has added a new dimension to the existing literature as there is less information regarding

gender in relation to climate change, especially women in developing countries22,23.

The findings of this study can be useful for environmental researchers, policy makers, decision

makers in all levels of the government, stakeholders and community leaders to formulate

appropriate mitigation and adaptation policies and programs that will help minimize the impacts

of climate change. Additional research in a larger and broader sample of Nepalese society may

improve our understanding of climate change knowledge and perceptions in a wider range of

Nepalese; to understand how directors of local government departments view and are responding

to climate change and the association between knowledge of climate change, risk perception and

willingness to act.

LIMITATIONS

This is an initial study and has small sample as its limitation. This study was carried out in only

three wards (wards one, eight, and nine) of Sardikhola VDC of Kaski District which comprises

of small sample size. The findings of this study may be generalized to other rural parts of Nepal

but may not be representative of the whole country. The study was carried out for short durations

(only three months). Adaptive capacity and vulnerability were not explored because the research

was not designed to explain these conditions but to assess the knowledge of climate change and

willingness to take actions on mitigation and adaptation.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that people of Sardikhola were aware of the term 'climate change'. Of those

who were aware of it, 41% were highly aware and 47% were moderately knowledgeable about

climate change. However, importantly 38% responded that they were "more willing" to adopt

mitigation actions. It seems useful on the basis of this study that local people should be

encouraged to act to adopt mitigation and adaptation activities. More work is needed to raise

awareness about climate change by the government, and in particular by INGOs/ NGOs,

community leaders, mass media, teachers and school children.

DECLARATION OF CONFLICTING INTERESTS

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship,

and/or publication of this article.



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