The Awareness Levels of Environmental Conservation Practices Among the Media Users: The Perception of Climate Effected Residents of Pakistan

Abstract

Environmental Change is a significant global issue, and the media is one of the main sources of information about environmental change awareness. This study aims to investigate the media users understanding of environmental conservation methods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Malakand Division. This study is quantitative in nature, and survey data collection was used. A simple random sampling method was used to gather data from 446 media users in the Malakand Division's Dir Lower, Malakand, Swat, Bajaur, and Chirtal districts. To determine a representative sample, the sample was computed using an online sample calculator. Data was examined using both descriptive and inferential statistics using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). It has found that the majority of the residents of Malakand division consumed time with different media for awareness about environmental issues but social media is the most effective source of information and awareness regarding environmental issues. The Chi-squre test results confirmed the relationship between media exposure and environmental conservation practices significantly with P value, 0.001. The findings of Chi-Sqaure p-value of.029 also disclosed that there is a strong correlation between environmental conservation practices and social media as compare to television. Additionally, the relationship test also supported the assumption the television is more effective about environmental conservation practices awareness and public opinion change than print media with P value, 0.003. It is recommended that public should actively participate in environmental conservation discourse through awareness campaigns. The media outlets to prioritize environmental issues and enhance coverage through dedicated segments; investigative reporting; and feature articles to raise awareness, similarly, the government should focus on policy integration and brought up legislative reforms for environmental conservation and biodiversity protection