Study of knowledge, attitude and practice (kap) of population on climate change, Mongolia, 2010-2012 / Монголын Анагаах Ухаан

ABSTRACT

BackgroundClimate change, as defined by the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, is a “Change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and is observed over time”. In 2001 an Initial Communication on Climate Change was prepared by the Government as part of its obligations under the UNFCCC. One of its recommendations was for “creating public awareness among a wide range of stakeholders including public, private and community sector organizations”. GoalThe main goal of the study was to develop recommendations and measures on prevention from diseases and adaptation to climate change by assessing knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of population towards climate change. Based on the main goal the following objectives were setup. Therefore addressing the different levels of knowledge and types of attitudes and practices people have towards climate change must initially be dealt with at the local level where site specific variations can be accounted for. Once research has been undertaken at the local level it can later inform decisions and policy at the regional, continental and global levels on how to incorporate site specific variations with in the greater context of the global threat.Objectives:1. To determine knowledge and attitude of population towards climate change;2. To determine practice of population on some adverse consequences of climate change;3. To develop recommendations and measures on prevention from and adaptation to climate change;Materials and MethodsThe study was at once carried out by means of questionnaire. In order to assess KAP of population, the data was collected using a card with 38 questions in three chapters which previously produced and ratified. The questionnaire was structured into 4 sections; demographics, knowledge, attitudes and practices. Two sums in an aimag from each climate zone of Mongolia were selected. In total, 2258 respondents aged 15 to 64 were involved from eight sums in four aimags (Zavkhan, Selenge, Dornod and Umnugovi), and two districts in Ulaanbaatar. The study data was input to computer using EPIDATA-3.6 software and statistically analyzed using SPSS-18.0 software.ResultsA total of 2258 individuals were interviewed. 44.1% 44.1% (995) of the participants was residents of Ulaanbaatar city and remained percentages accounted for residents living in the center of aimags and soums. 56.7% (1281) of participants were women and 43.3% (977) were men aged with 35.2±15.1 in average. Most of the study participants had educated with medium level (34.8%) and high level (30.0%). Employment percentage is 47.5% (1073). However, most respondents interpreted the meaning of climate change as “a change in weather,” “a change in normal climate conditions,” or “a change in temperature” – answers that requires more common sense than climate change savvy. Global warming is one of the evident of climate change. To know study participants awareness about climate change we used terminology of global warming. 25.3% (571) of the total participants answered that climate change revealed by the overheating or warming earth surface. 42.4% of the respondents answered the climate change could affect to health, 33.2% to environment and 16.3% to economy. 84.5% (1908) of the study participants agreed with that climate change has been started. Most of them (71.3%, 1824) allowed that people’s improper use of nature tend to global warming. When ranging the protection practices during the strong storm means of timbering the houses or gers accounted for 42.5% (960). Study participants supported the following activities; 41.2% (931) agreed that is it necessary to increase health services and 34.1% (769) suggested that it is better to enhance training and propagation for increasing awareness of population about climate change adaptation procedures and some information on climate changes and protection events. 85.2% (1923) of the study participants answered that they want to get the information on climate change from public TV.ConclusionsAlthough knowledge on global warming as the climate change was poor among the respondents, they agreed the climate change has already been started worldwide as well as in Mongolia. Only half of the respondents have had practice to prevent themselves from natural disaster.