Biodiversity Profile in Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of the Citizens of Mashhad Metropolis applying Sustainable Development

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

2 Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Planning, Management and Environmental Education, Graduate Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

4 Department of Social Sciences, Factulty of Letters and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Decades of environmental conservation experience have shown that Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of human society is an essential part of conservation. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to investigate the KAP of Mashhad citizens towards biodiversity and related factors. This research was conducted with a mixed quantitative and qualitative method. The statistical population of the study, using Cochran's formula, 384 samples of people over 15 years old living in different areas of Mashhad, was determined based on clustering. The data collection tool was a localized EU questionnaire whose validity and reliability were 0.73 for 5 items of variable attitude, 0.77 for 7 items of variable and 0.71 of 5 items of variable behaviour. Descriptive statistics and results from Exell2016 and SPSS16.0 software as well as distribution and frequency tables and related graphs were applied to describe the data. SPSS16.0, t-test, test hypotheses from t-test, variance analysis and Spearman correlation test were applied to analyse the data and hypothesis test. The results showed that less than a third of people had heard of the biodiversity term. University education contributes to the improvement of the term biodiversity. There is also a significant relationship among the variables of gender, income and education's type of citizens' attitudes toward biodiversity. In addition, there is a positive and significant correlation between environmental knowledge and attitude. In fact, with the increase in the level of knowledge, the attitude of citizens towards biodiversity has been raised to a higher level. As a result, their behaviours are directed towards the protection of the environment. There is also a significant difference between the KAP of citizens living in different areas. Finally, by analysing the biodiversity profile in the KAP of Mashhad citizens and referring to the Delphi panel, a conceptual model of the research was presented.
Extended Abstract
1-Introduction
Decades of efforts for environmental and biodiversity conservation have shown that accurate knowledge of the level of awareness, worldview and human society information is essential for effective conservation. Thus, doing a pre-launch investigation on knowledge and attitude of a society before launching a conservation and management project is essential. For this purpose, by the request of European commission, a project was conducted (between 2007-2013) to investigate attitude of the Europeans toward biodiversity.  In this study, peoples from 27 European countries were interviewed using a survey method. Almost all of the Europeans believe that the water and air pollutions and climate changes are the major causes of the biodiversity loss. However, unbelievably, less that one of five believes that they have already been affected by the biodiversity loss. Almost 3/4 of the Europeans hadn’t heard about the Natura 2000, a network of protected areas, which includes 26000 land and see sites containing almost 1/5 of Europe. The interesting results were obtained from this study in Europe, motivated us to do such investigation in Iran, and in a metropolitan city facing various environmental problems, as a pilot. In general, the results of the studies conducted in past show a positive and significant correlation between knowledge and attitude with performing the environmentally friendly behaviours.  In this regard, the present study was conducted to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice of Mashhad citizens towards biodiversity and related factors.
2-Materials and Methods
This research was conducted by survey and sampling by a random-systematic method. The municipal districts of city, based on the social- cultural data, were clustered to 4 groups. Selection of the distinct and the individual for doing the interview was done randomly. The statistical society included over 15-year-old residents from all the 13 municipal districts of Mashhad city.  The statistical society included the residents and the environmental specialists and urban planners. Based on Cochran's formula, 384 questionnaires were filled out by the people living in different municipal districts of Mashhad city. The data collection tool was a localized EU questionnaire whose validity and reliability were 0.73 for 5 items of variable attitude, 0.77 for 7 items of variable and 0.71 of 5 items of variable behaviour.  Uni- and multivariate analyses were done by different statistical software as SPSS ver. 16.0. In order to test the hypotheses, the t-test, analysis of variance and Spearman correlation test were done using SPSS16.0 software. Demonstration of the results was done using relevant graphs and figures.
 
3- Results and Discussion
The results showed that less than a third of people had heard the term biodiversity. University education contributes to the improvement of the term biodiversity. There is also a significant relationship among the variables of gender, income and education's type of citizens' attitudes toward biodiversity.  The findings reveal that although more than half of the studied individuals believe that the protection and respect to the biodiversity is a social responsibility, almost half of them did not know that biodiversity protection is essential for the human welfare and environmental sustainability. In addition, there is a positive and significant correlation between environmental knowledge and attitude. In fact, with the increase in the level of knowledge, the attitude of citizens towards, biodiversity has raised to a higher level. As a result, their behaviour is directed towards the protection of the environment. There is also a significant difference among the knowledge, attitude and practice of citizens living in different areas. In the qualitative part of this article, after the formation of the Delphi Expert Panel. The main reason for "unbalanced and uneven distribution of nature experience Opportunities" was identified in order to identify the causes of differences in the biodiversity-friendly practice of citizens in different areas of Mashhad. In fact, this study showed a direct and significant relationship between the possibility of experiencing nature's citizens in environments such as all green spaces (forest parks, parks, etc.), natural history museums and zoos and the emergence and institutionalization of environmental behavioral patterns towards biodiversity. Finally, the suggestions of this research in order to develop environmental justice in Mashhad and consequently balanced development, the possibility of experiencing nature and indirect and spontaneous environmental education, were presented in six areas including "expansion of urban green spaces with the approach of developing environmental justice", "development and support of nature schools". "Reopening and redesigning the only zoo in Mashhad according to the latest international standards", "Strengthening and developing natural history museums", "Holding festivals, exhibitions and special street environmental programs" and "Supporting nature tours".
 
4- Conclusion
The findings from the present study revealed the effect of environmental knowledge on environmental practice and attitude of individuals. In fact, they proved that an increase in environmental knowledge, citizens' attitudes towards the environment leading to environmental practice change towards environmental conservation. Finally, the conceptual model of the research was presented by analysing the biodiversity profile in the knowledge, attitude and practice of the citizens of Mashhad metropolis and summarizing the opinions of the members of the Delphi expert’s panel.

Keywords

References

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