Description
Background:
Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. Its impacts scatter through every stratum of the society placing the marginalized clusters atthe highest vulnerability and call for action at all levels. Adaptation enhances the resilience, whereas mitigation minimizes the anthropogenic forces of climate change; are crucial initiatives fclimate-resilientlient sustainable development. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes on climate change adaptation and to determine the factors associated.
Methods:
A descriptive study was done to assess knowledge and attitudes of school teachers in three educational zones of Kalutara district using random cluster sampling. Cluster units were defined as Type1AB and Type 1C schools and 25 clusters were selected from 106 cluster units randomly. Self-administered questionnaire including twenty five equally weighted questions to assess knowledge and ten statements to assess attitudes was used.
Results:
The response rate was 98.8% [n=618] and 95% of the study population agreed that the global warming is happening. It was revealed that 23% of the study population had poor knowledge in climate change adaptation and mitigation at individual level. Satisfactory knowledge was observed among 54.7% of the participants. Favorable attitudes were observed among more than 65% of participants for all the statements on climate change adaptation and mitigation. Average family income, working duration, involvement in school environmental societies and highest education qualificationa showed significant positive association whereas age and current grade had a significant negative association with good knowledge. Level of knowledge had no significant variation among male and female teachers.
Conclusions:
Overall wledge on was poor among more than 20% of the teachers highlighting the need for school and community based awareness programs to be implemented to address the issue. Further qualitative studies are recommended to describe multidimensional factors associated windividual-levelevel climate change adaptation and mitigation activities to implement targeted intervention.
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