scholarly journals University students’ perceptions of climate change: the case study of the University of the South Pacific-Fiji Islands

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravinesh Rohit Prasad ◽  
Ramadhani Lausi Mkumbachi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
University Students ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Student Organizations ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
The South ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Change Perception ◽  
Climate Change Perception ◽  
The University

Purpose Higher education plays a vital role in educating citizens about climate change and promoting pro-environment behavior. Based on this statement, this study aims to analyze and evaluate students’ perception of climate change at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. The study aims to understand the main ideas and concepts of climate change by analyzing information habits and individual opinions on the causes of climate change as perceived by the students of two student organizations aimed at environmental protection. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was used to gather data on students’ perceptions and information habits toward climate change. The data were collected through a questionnaire to characterize students from the socio-demography and their perceptions, information habits and knowledge relating to climate change. This paper uses the case study method to examine students’ climate change perceptions at two different student organizations at the same university. The research study involved a focus group technique. Two focus groups at the University of the South Pacific were administered. The focus groups’ selection in this study took into account the aims and objectives of the students’ organization toward climate change awareness, adaptation, mitigation and environment protection. Findings The focus groups participants believe that climate change is a serious problem in the South Pacific region. Results suggest significant differences in climate change perception at the two students’ organizations chosen for this study. Students at the Econesian society nicknamed climate change as a nuclear weapon for the South Pacific responsible for changes in the habitat, coral bleaching, lifestyle changes, mother of all other environmental problems and the introduction of invasive species into Fiji. Students at Wantok Moana-related climate change to drastic weather changes, lack of fish feed and additional toxins in the sea. The results also showed that students at the Econesian society have a better understanding of climate change than the students of Wantok Moana. Practical implications This paper provides an insight into how students of Small Islands Developing States view climate change and the factors affecting their opinions. It also shows how climate change perception varies within the same university. This implies the need to integrate climate change into the higher education curriculum and more research on this topic. Originality/value This paper is the first to compare and contrast university students’ climate change perception in Fiji. The results make an essential contribution to the extant climate change literature by identifying and categorizing climate change perception and the factors that shape students’ perception of climate change from the university students’ perspective in Fiji.

scholarly journals Perceptions of adaptation, resilience and climate knowledge in the Pacific

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rory A. Walshe ◽  
Denis Chang Seng ◽  
Adam Bumpus ◽  
Joelle Auffray
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
The South ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Content Type

Purpose While the South Pacific is often cited as highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, there is comparatively little known about how different groups perceive climate change. Understanding the gaps and differences between risk and perceived risk is a prerequisite to designing effective and sustainable adaptation strategies. Design/methodology/approach This research examined three key groups in Samoa, Fiji and Vanuatu: secondary school teachers, media personnel, and rural subsistence livelihood-based communities that live near or in conservation areas. This study deployed a dual methodology of participatory focus groups, paired with a national mobile phone based survey to gauge perceptions of climate change. This was the first time mobile technology had been used to gather perceptual data regarding the environment in the South Pacific. Findings The research findings highlighted a number of important differences and similarities in ways that these groups perceive climate change issues, solutions, personal vulnerability and comprehension of science among other factors. Practical implications These differences and similarities are neglected in large-scale top-down climate change adaptation strategies and have key implications for the design of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and therefore sustainable development in the region. Originality/value The research was innovative in terms of its methods, as well as its distillation of the perceptions of climate change from teachers, media and rural communities.

Book Review of Teaching and Learning with Technology: Pushing boundaries and breaking down walls

Open Praxis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 569
Author(s):  
Ramesh Chander Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
The South ◽  
The University ◽  
Learning With Technology

Book review of Teaching and Learning with Technology: Pushing boundaries and breaking down walls, edited by Som Naidu and Sharishna Narayan and published in 2020 by The University of the South Pacific Press.

scholarly journals Climate change, regulatory policies and regional cooperation in South Asia

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Habib Zafarullah ◽  
Ahmed Shafiqul Huque
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Asia ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The South ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regulatory Policies ◽  
Asian Region ◽  
South Asian Region

Purpose With climate change and environmental degradation being major issues in the world today, it is imperative for governments within a regional setting to collaborate on initiatives, harmonize their policies and develop strategies to counter threats. In South Asia, several attempts have been made to create a common framework for action in implementing synchronized policies. However, both political and technical deterrents have thwarted moves to accommodate priorities and interests of collaborating states. The purpose of this paper is to assess these issues and existing policies/strategies in selected South Asian countries and evaluate integrated plans of action based on collaborative partnerships. Design/methodology/approach Using a broad exploratory and interpretive approach, this paper evaluates how harmonization of environmental principles and synergies among countries can help reduce the effect of climate change and environmental hazards. Based on a review of ideas and concepts as well as both primary and secondary sources, including official records, legislation, inter-state and regional agreements, evaluation reports, impact studies (social, economic and ecological), and commentaries, it highlights several initiatives and processes geared to creating environmental protection standards and practices for the South Asian region. Findings Climate change has resulted in devastating impacts on people. It contributed to the proliferation of climate refugees and high incidence of poverty in South Asia. The region faces both political and technical obstacles in developing a sustainable approach to combat climate change. This is exacerbated by non-availability of information as well as reluctance to acknowledge the problem by key actors. The best strategy will be to integrate policies and regulations in the various countries of the region to develop strategic plans. The approach of prevention and protection should replace the existing emphasis on relief and rehabilitation. Originality/value The paper provides a critical overview of the climatic and environmental problems encountered in the South Asian region and provides pointers to resolving shared problems through the use of policy instruments for regulating the problems within the gamut of regional environmental governance. It attempts to identify solutions to offset regulatory and institutional barriers in achieving preferred results by emphasizing the need for redesigning regulatory structures and policy approaches for ecological well-being.

scholarly journals EDITORIAL: Pacific media advocacy

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 6-10
Author(s):  
David Robie
Keyword(s):  
Solomon Islands ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Journalism Education ◽  
The South ◽  
Educational Training ◽  
Media Advocacy ◽  
Regional University ◽  
National University ◽  
The Media ◽  
The University

IN SAMOA during July 2015, a new Pacific journalism education and training advocacy era was born with the establishment of the Media Educators Pacific (MEP) after a talkfest had gone on for years about the need for such a body. A draft constitution had even been floated at a journalism education conference hosted at the University of the South Pacific in 2012. The initiative created unity of sorts between the Technical, Vocational and Educational Training (TVET) media institutes from Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and the regional University of the South Pacific journalism programme. Founding president Misa Vicky Lepou of the National University of Samoa pledged at the time to produce a vision with a difference:

scholarly journals Does Knowledge about Earthquake Vary with Respondent’s Socio-Demographic Dimensions? A Study in Sylhet City of Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Mufti Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Indigenous People ◽  
Family Type ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Sample Size Estimation ◽  
Size Estimation ◽  
Change Perception ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Climate Change Perception ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

The prime and foremost purpose of this study was to explore climate change perception among indigenous people living in Sylhet, Bangladesh. This study also tried to investigate the nexus between some socio-demographic dimensions of the respondents and their perception regarding climate change. The present study followed descriptive-explanative research design where survey method used to collect necessary data. In case of survey method, a self-developed semi structured questionnaire was provided to the respondents for collecting relevant data. Total number of population was 75 and 63 respondents has been interviewed following the sample size estimation of Nurul Islam (2011). Findings of this study revealed that, there is a statistically significant difference between some socio-demographic dimensions (like; Age, Family type, Education and Income) and climate change perception. Furthermore, no statistically significant relationship found between Gender, Religion, Savings and climate c...

scholarly journals Perception and Knowledge on Climate Change: A Case Study of University Students in Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bezon Kumar ◽  
Arif Ibne Asad ◽  
Purnima Banik
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
University Students ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The University ◽  
Change Problem

This paper mainly investigates the perception and knowledge on climate change of the university students in Bangladesh. To carry out this study, primary data are collected from 370 students and uses several statistical methods. Perception and knowledge on the causes, effects and mitigation ways of climate change problems, and perceived duties to combat against climate change are analyzed with descriptive statistics. This paper finds that deforestation is the main cause of global warming and climate change and, the effects of climate change is very serious on people’s health. Majority portion of the students think that it is difficult to combat against climate change problem because it has already been too late to take action. Besides this study also finds that government is crucially responsible for combating against climate change problem. The study calls for government mainly besides industry and youths to aware people about the causes, effects, mitigation ways of climate change so that they can contribute to the sustainable development by mitigating climate change problem.

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