CLIMATE CHANGE KNOWLEDGE, ENGAGEMENT IN LOW CARBON BEHAVIOUR AND BARRIERS TO ADOPTION AMONG STUDENTS IN THE WESTERN HIMALAYAS, JAMMU & KASHMIR, INDIA

Abstract

Jammu and Kashmir being part of Himalayas is thought to be particularly vulnerable to climate change, developing adaptation methods for the region to deal with its effects is essential. Local to regional levels of grassroots participation should be involved in the development and implementation of these adaptation programmes. Locals must be aware of climate change and its effects in order to participate in the process of development and implementation of the programmes in an informed manner. Hence, we explored the level of awareness among undergraduate students regarding climate change, engagement in low carbon behaviour, barriers in adoption of low carbon behaviours and views on effects of climate change. We observed the differences in the responses of the students with respect to their gender, residence, subject stream, semester, parental education, father’s occupation and family income. Convenient sampling was used and data was collected through online google form questionnaire from undergraduate students of twenty Govt. Degree Colleges spread over ten districts of Kashmir Valley and received 1129 responses. It was found that students are not much aware about the causes, impacts and solutions of climate change. However the students were intending to be engaged in low carbon behaviours, but hurdles in engagement were also found to be high. It was also found that there exists significant difference, in understanding of climate change, among students with respect to their gender and mothers’ education. In case of “engagement of Low Carbon Behaviours (LCBs)”, students were found to have significant difference with respect to gender and subject stream and no significant difference was observed among students with respect to barriers in adoption of LCBs and in case of views on impacts of climate change on several aspects in Jammu and Kashmir, significant difference was observed with respect to gender, father’s education and family income.