ENVIRONMENT
1 2
*AninditaRoySaha,AmbujKumar1AssociateProfessor,DepartmentofEconomics,IndraprasthaCollegeforWomen,UniversityofDelhi,Delhi,India.
(*CorrespondingAuthor)
2Student,DepartmentofEnvironmentalStudies,UniversityofDelhi,Delhi,India.
ABSTRACT
Inthepresentstudy,anattempthasbeenmadetomeasureenvironmentalconsciousnessamongthepeopleofMadhubanidistrictinBihar,India,famousforitsunique art form, the Madhubani paintings which depict nature and the living world. The analysis of different parameters viz. affective dimension, cognitive dimension, dispositionaldimensionandactivedimensionshowsthatthemeanoftotalenvironmentalconsciousnessscoreofalloccupationalgroupstakentogetheris0.62ona scaleof0to1.Thisscoreexhibitsadiffusedlevelofenvironmentalconsciousness.Groupsthatareengagedinprofessionsthatrequireknowledgeandinformation have shown a much better response in terms of environmental consciousness e.g., government/ private officials, teachers, business/other works and students in comparisontothosewhoareinvolvedinnature-basedactivitieslikepaintings.Acommunitythathasidentifiednatureasanintegralpartoftheirartandculturehasthe potential to improve their pro-environmental behaviour Initiation of environmental projects and appropriate sensitization can surely bring in a change in their perspectivetowardsnatureandmakethenaturepaintersofMadhubanileadersfortomorrowinenvironmentalawareness.
KEYWORDS:Madhubani,Naturepainting,Occupation,EnvironmentalConsciousness,Pro-environmentalbehavior
1.INTRODUCTION:
The world-famous art form known as Madhubani painting belongs to the Madhubani (meaning forest of honey) district of Bihar Madhubani paintings depictnatureinanintriguingway Whilethesepaintingsportraythedeitiesand scenesfromvariousancientepics,theyalsopresentnaturalobjectslikethesun, moonandreligiousplantssuchasTulsi,Banyan,Pipal,etc.Evenwhiledepicting scenesfromtheroyalcourtandsocialevents,thegapsinthepaintingsaregenerallyfilledbyflowers,animals,birds,andevengeometricdesignsthatreflectan associationwithnature.Madhubaniartistsdidcolorfulartworksontreetrunksin ordertoresistdeforestationin2012.Asaresult,notevenasinglepaintedtreewas cutonhighwaynumber52oftheMadhubanidistrictanditbecameawell-known center for tourist attraction.As per a report by the BBC, the Madhubani artists havepresentedbeforetheworldhowanartformcanbeusedtoexpressastrong socialmessageeffectively(Tewary2012).
India'srecentgrowthstoryhasbeencloudedbyseverelydegradingthepristine physical environment of rural areas and the increasing scarcity of the natural resources that are crucial for supporting further growth and development. The economicallybackwardregionof Madhubani, likemostotherdeprivedareasof thecountry,alsohappenstobeenvironmentallyvulnerable.Thereareproblems oferodedsoils,pollutedwaterbodies,anddegradedforests.Ontheotherhand, hastygrowthhasalsounleashedgreaterpublicawarenessandanunprecedented demandforthecomprehensivemanagementofnaturalresourcescomprisingair, water, forests, and biodiversity Environmental management and sustainability areswiftlyevolvingasthenextmostimportantdevelopmentalpolicychallenge for the country Pollution, natural resource management, ecosystem functionalitiesandbiodiversityconservationhavebecomeequallyimportantas povertyalleviationinruralareas.
Astudyofthelocalcommunitiesof Madhubani canraiseacuriosityintheview oftheirlongassociationwithnaturewhichmayhaveadirectbearingontheirlifestyleandbehavior Thepeopleofthisregion,includingthepaintercommunity andthoseengagedinotheroccupations,mayhavecertainperceptionsaboutenvironmentalandecologicalpractices.Whatisdepictedintheirtraditionalartform maybedeep-rootedintheirage-oldthoughtprocess(Rozario1997).Thismaybe reflectedintheirawarenessandsensitivitytowardsecologicalandenvironmentalconcerns.However,therearemanyotheroccupationsfollowedbythepeople of this region. Therefore, a study of the district Madhubani must focus on the paintersaswellastheothers.Thepoorercommunitiesareoftenengagedinmanualworkwhilepursuingtheirartisticcommitment.Acommunitywidelyunequal intermsofwealth,educationandlivingstandardsmayhavevaryingperceptions andconsciousnessabouttheseecologicalandenvironmentalissues.Itisaninterestingexercisetotracethejourneyofthesepeoplefromdepictingnatureincolor toperceivingthesignificanceandchallengesoftheenvironment.
1.1EnvironmentalConsciousness:
EnvironmentalConsciousnessisanextensiveandmultifacetedpsychological constructthatreflectsanindividual'sawarenessandperceptionoftheenvironment.Anecologicallysensitiveindividualisonewhoengagesinanextensive
range of pro-environmental behaviors based on certain values and attitudes (AxelrodandLehman1993).Thus,environmentalconsciousnesscorresponds towhatcanbeconsideredastheattitudinalaspectofpro-environmentalbehavior(Sánchez and Lafuente 2010). Environmental consciousness functions on thekeyendogenousfactorsthatinfluenceenvironmentalbehavior.However, certainstudieshaveshownthatpro-environmentalbehaviormayalsobeinfluenced by other non-attitudinal exogenous or situational factors Proenvironmentalpracticesenhanceanindividual'slevelofsatisfactionandtheir closeassociationwiththeenvironment.Awarenessalongwiththewillingness toperformorcreateanimpactinsocietytowardspro-environmentalactioncan bringinanoverallsocietalchange.Astudyinvolvingmeasurementofenvironmentalconsciousnessisbaseduponfourdimensionsviz.affective,cognitive, dispositionalandactive.
1.1.1
AffectiveDimension:
Theaffectivedimensionshowstheattitude,feelingandsentimentofanindividualtowardsanobject.Therearevariouswaystoexpressthesesentiments andfeelingsintermsofgoodorbadandpositiveornegative.Thisdimension of environmental consciousness includes concerns, hopes, moods, feelings andreactionsrelatingtoenvironmentalproblems(MaloneyandWard1973). It also reflects an individual's outlook towards the surroundings. The most established approach of research on environmental concern centers around therelationshipbetweenhumanbeingsandnature,baseduponcertainvalues andbeliefs(K.D.V LiereandDunlap1980;DunlapandLiere2008).Social behaviorists incorporate the affective dimension, mainly concentrating on theprimitiveprinciplesthatarebelievedtohaveanimpactonamoreexact and broader set of outlooks towards environmental concerns and a greater impact on pro-environmental behavior '(Dunlap et al. 2000). In line with these learnings, individuals can presume that a pro-environmental world viewissignificantasadescribingelementofenvironmentalconsciousness. Severalstudieshaveshownthatenvironmentalconcerncouldbebasedupon directpersonalexperienceoftheenvironment,withouttheneedtosharesymbolicrepresentationsoftheglobalproblems (Gooch1995).
1.1.2CognitiveDimension:
Thecognitivedimensionmeasurestheindividual'slevelofinformationand specificknowledgeaboutenvironmentalproblems.Thisdimensionhelpsin shapingone'sbehaviourpatternbydevelopingpersonalnormsandinternalizing values, beliefs and practices that are rooted in environmental consciousness. Precise information or knowledge is important in shaping personal attitudes and values which in turn can transform these attitudes and beliefs into practices(Matthews 2002). The cognitive dimension incorporatesinformation,knowledge,aptitudeandpolicy-makingcapabilitiesofan individual.Itshowsthelevelofunderstandingofvariousissuesandreflects the way an individual's brain function. It also reflects the decision-making power of an individual in terms of choices and procedures that are made whichhavearealimpactontheenvironment.Althoughknowledgeandinformationpromotehighenvironmentalvalues,itcannotguaranteeexpertisein thefieldofenvironment(Makower2009).
1.1.3DispositionalDimension:
The connection between the affective dimension and the active dimension can be viewed as a chain of intermediate attitudinal patterns, namely, dispositional dimension. One of the most widely acknowledged theories in thisregardhighlightstheroleofpersonalnormsasthehighestattitudinalvariables that intervene between principles, beliefs and behaviors. Individual moralnormsareregardedtobethemostcentralattitudinalbasisforinclinationstowardscertainpro-environmentalbehaviors(Geller1995).Thesense of individual responsibility and spirit of self-efficacy gives a boost to this dimension. The moral aspect of pro-environmental behavior can be made functionalbytherealizationofpersonalonusanindividualhastowardshis behavior (Schwartz 1977).This individual personal norm is understood as thedegreetowhichapersonassumesdutyforenvironmentalanomaliesand considers it to be vital to take action independent of what others do. This aspectincludespersonalattitudestowardsindividualactionfromtheviewof the spirit of self-effectiveness and the perception of individual duty Proenvironmentalattitudesarealsoreflectedinthereadinesstobearthecostsof differentenvironmentalpolicies.
1.1.4ActiveDimension:
Empirical evidence shows the presence of different pro-environmental behaviors, which are leveraged by combining different types of behaviors (Stern 2000). It may be an involvement in environmental activism that embraces collective behavior such as, being a member of a particular environmentalorganization,participateintheenvironmentaldemonstration,ventureasenvironmentalvolunteersandguides,etc.Individualbehaviorsmay also reflect low-cost behaviors such as reduce-reuse-recycle or refusing high-costconsumerism,minimizingautomobileuse,etc.
Examiningenvironmentalconsciousness,therefore,istoclubtogetherwith theactofendorsementofpro-environmentalvaluesandtheawarenessabout environmentalconditions(affectivedimension)withthelevelofinformation or specific knowledge (cognitive dimension), individual response towards particular environmental action (dispositional dimension) and engagement orinvolvementinpro-environmentalbehaviors(activedimension).Theconnectionbetweenthesedifferentaspectsisbidirectional(Figure1).One'sproenvironmentalbehaviorcanbestrengthenedbygeneralbeliefs,certainattitudinal instincts and environmental behavior which all may be enriched by informationorknowledge.
towards pro-environmental behavior, beliefs, attitude, level of information, knowledgeandtheirabilitytoconnectwithnature.
2.METHODOLOGY:
2.1Studyarea:
Madhubani districtissituated60kmsouthofPatna,thestatecapitalofBihar 2 (Figure 2). It is spread over an area of 3,501 km with a population size of 44,87,379. Among the 8,96,643 households of Madhubani district, the total sizeoftheworkingpopulationis16,36,938(DirectorateofCensusOperations 2011).
EnvironmentalConsciousnessistofigureoutspecificpsychologicalparametersorconstructsrelatedtoanindividual'sinclinationtoparticipateinproenvironmentalbehavior(WesleySchultzandZelezny1999).Theideaofenvironmentalismisbuiltaroundvaluesandbeliefsintherealmofhuman-nature relationship. An environmentally conscious human being will show proenvironmentalbehaviourandactiveinvolvementinmaintainingthebalance betweenthetwo.Environmentalismencompassesquestionsaboutvaluesor beliefs and generally witnesses the relationship between human beings and the environment. Environmental consciousness deals with the level of endorsement of pro-environmental behavior(Dunlap et al. 2000; K. D. V LiereandDunlap1980;K.D.VanLiereandDunlap1981).Themoraldimensionofpro-environmentalbehaviorhasbeenoperationalizedbydetermining the level of personal obligation (Schwartz 1977). It reveals the sense of responsibilitythatapersonpossesses,considersitadutyandtakesactionsin solvingenvironmentalproblems.Thisalsoreflectsthedegreetowhichapersonassumesresponsibilityforenvironmentalproblemsandconsidersthatit isessentialtotakeactionindependentofwhatothersdo.
Inthepresentstudy,anattempthasbeenmadetomeasureenvironmentalconsciousnessamongthepeopleofMadhubanibasedonoccupationalstructure. Followingthereviewofmanyimportantanalyticalmethodsfoundintheliterature,thisstudyhastriedtomeasureamultifacetedandbehavior-oriented environmental consciousness score for the chosen sample. Since the study incorporates psychological constructs, it is tough to quantify the degree of environmental consciousness which varies with geography, resource availability, socio-economic conditions, demography and general worldview However, this study attempts to analyze and rank people's inclination
Thedistrictconsistsofavastlowlyingplainintersectedbynumerousstreams andmarshesbuttraversedalsoinpartsbyuplandridges.Thesoilofthedistrict is highly calcareous with a mixture of clay and sand in varying proportions. This contains a tiny proportion of sand and since it can retain moisture, it is suitedforpaddycultivation.Therearethreewell-markedseasons,viz.apleasant cold season, a dry summer season and the rainy monsoon season. Madhubani district gets more rain than its adjoining districts. The average annualrainfallinthedistrictvariesbetween900mmand1300mm.Thelandin the district is mainly plain and produces one crop in a year Madhubani, like otherdistrictsofNorthBihar,isdependentonthelocalrainfallforitscrops.
Althoughthepeopleof Madhubani areengagedinvariousfarmandnon-farm activities,themajoroccupationisagricultureandalliedactivities.Farmersand agriculturallaborersconstitutethelargestproportionofthepopulation.Allied activitiesincluderearingoflivestocks,cattleraising,fishing,toddybrewing, etc. Secondary and tertiary activities are not very organized in this economicallybackwarddistrictofBihar However,thereareasignificantnumberofpeopleemployedinserviceslikedoctors,engineers,teachers,businessmen,laborers,constructionworkers,governmentandprivatesectorofficials,etc.Alarge numberofpeopleworkashousekeepersinricherhouseholds.Thepoorlaborersandworkersarealsotheoneswhoareengagedin Madhubani asafamily occupation.
2.2Survey:
The present study is based on a sample of 150 people from different occupations,educationallevels,socio-economicclasses,age,andgender Themethod usedwasaquestionnaire-basedstratifiedrandomsurvey Thetargetgroupcomprised of seven categories, namely, housekeepers, teachers, government/ privateofficials,students,business/otherworks,farmersandagriculturallaborers.Astratified random survey was carried out on the respondents who were askedquestionsonseveralenvironmentalissuesthatcoverthefourdimensions ofconsciousness,asdefinedearlier
To study the affective dimension, questions were asked to check the level of consciousnessaboutglobalenvironmentalproblemsrelatedtowater,climate, pollution,etc.Theywerealsoexaminedonthegeneralworldview,leadership andadoptedmeasuresatalllevels.Respondentswerealsoaskedquestionsto testtheirlevelofknowledgeandinformationabouttheenvironmentinorderto calculatethecognitivedimension.Thethirdsetofquestionswasaimedatcapturing the dispositional dimension. Questions were designed in this segment about their attitudes, habits about energy use, waste management and other household activities that reveal the personal attitude of the respondents. Finally,therespondentsweresurveyedontheactivedimension.Thisincludes their pro-environmental behavior, consumption pattern, and behavior on one handandengagementincollectiveactionprogramsontheother
Ascorewasassignedaccordingtothenumberofpro-environmentalanswers givenbyindividualsforquestionsrelatedtoeachofthefourdimensions,asper thefollowingformula:
Score in each dimension = number of pro-environmental answers given in
eachdimension/totalnumberofquestionsaskedineachdimension.
Themeanscoreofeachdimensionwascalculatedforeachofthesevencategories of respondents. Finally, a grand mean of all seven categories was calculatedforeachdimension.Themeanvalueofeachdimensionwasusedtorate thelevelofconsciousness.Ascalewasdevisedrangingfromvalues0.1to1to representdifferentlevelsofenvironmentalconsciousnessforeachcategoryin different dimensions as well as overall environmental consciousness. Subsequently, they were categorically ranked as mature (0.9-1.0), good (0.8-0.89), average (0.7-0.79), diffused (0.6-0.69), unsatisfactory (0.5-0.59) and worst (0.1-0.49).
3.RESULTSANDDISCUSSION:
3.1Thefourdimensionsofconsciousness: AmongtheoccupationalpopulationofMadhubani,ascrutinyofthemeasures ofthefourdimensionsforeachofthesevenoccupationalcategoriesrevealscertainspecificpatterns(Table1).
Table1:Scoreineachdimensionfordifferentoccupationalclassesand meanscoreofeachdimension
Occupation
HouseKeeper 0.75 0.75 0.71 0.64
Teacher 0.85 0.95 0.77 0.66
Govt./Privateofficials 0.83 0.96 0.77 0.71
Student 0.83 0.88 0.79 0.69 Business/otherworks 0.83 0.93 0.64 0.79
Farmer 0.61 0.48 0.68 0.59
Agri./householdlaborers 0.41 0.32 0.59 0.59
Meanscore 0.73 0.75 0.71 0.67
Theeducatedsectionsofthesocietycomprisingofofficers,teachers,students, and businessmen, score high (>0.83) in the affective dimension. The housekeepersscoreaverage(0.75)whilethefarmersandagriculturallaborersshow diffused (0.61) and poor (0.41) levels of consciousness respectively This pushestheoverallscoretoanaverageof0.73(Figure3).
category of respondents has shown maturity in this matter While officials (0.71) and businessmen (0.79) are average in this aspect, the others have diffused consciousness (0.64-0.69).The farmers and agricultural laborers are at anunsatisfactorylow(0.59).Asaresult,theoverallscoreontheactivedimensionisdiffusedat0.67.
The scores for the farmers and household laborers are lower than any other group.Whileitissignificantlylessforaffectiveandcognitivedimensions, the gapislessincaseofdispositionalandactivedimensions.
3.2Meanenvironmentalconsciousnessofeachoccupationalgroup: Combining the scores of all four dimensions, the mean environmental consciousness of each occupational class was calculated as a simple arithmetic mean(Table2).
Table2:Meanenvironmentalconsciousnessfordifferentoccupational classes
Occupation
Meanenvironmental consciousness Remarks
Housekeeper 0.71 Average
Teacher 0.81 Good
Govt./PrivateOfficials 0.82 Good Student 0.8 Good Business/otherwork 0.8 Good Farmer 0.59 Unsatisfactory Agri./householdlaborers 0.48 Worst Meanenvironmentalconsciousness ofallgroups 0.71 Average
Theoverallmeansoftheprofessionalclasseshavecomeouttobegood(0.800.82).Thehousekeepersdobetter(averageat0.71)thanthefarmers(0.59)and agriculturallaborers(0.48).Thegrandmeanofallclassesstandsatanaverage scoreof0.71asitcoversthewiderrange(Figure4).
Figure3:Meanvaluesofalldimensionsfordifferentoccupational classes
Note. Scale for remarks on the mean value: mature (0.9-1.0), good (0.8-0.89), average (0.7-0.79), diffused (0.6-0.69), unsatisfactory (0.5-0.59) and worst (0.1-0.49)
The difference is sharper in the cognitive dimension of consciousness. The knowledge and information levels are mature (> 0.93) for the professional class,followedcloselybythestudents(0.88).Itisexpectedthatthefarmersand agriculturallaborersdonothavemuchaccesstoinformation.Therefore,they score as low as 0.48 and 0.32 respectively. It is interesting to note that the housekeepershaveanaveragelevelofawareness(0.75)whichmaybeattributedtotheirproximitytotherelativelymoreeducatedpeople.Themeanofthe cognitive dimension stands at an average score of 0.75 for all classes taken together
The dispositional dimension that expresses personal behavior came out to be averagefortheprofessionalclasses(0.71-0.79).Peopleengagedinhousekeepingjobshaveshownconsciousnesssomewhatatparwithothers.Onthecontrary,thebusinessmenhaveshowndiffusedconsciousness(0.64)thatiscomparabletothefarmers(0.68).Theagriculturallaborersareatthebottom(0.59) andtheoverallmeanisaverage(0.71).
Thefourthandlastparameteranalysedinthissegmentistheactivedimension thatshowscollectiveactionandinvolvementinenvironmentalinitiatives.No
Figure4:Meanenvironmentalconsciousnessofalloccupational groups
The better performance of the officials, businessmen, teachers and students maybeattributedtotheirawarenesscreatedfromdifferentelectronicandprint media sources. Their exposure to the wider world helps them develop and behave more maturely These people enjoy higher status and facilities in the society Therefore,itisalsotheirmoralresponsibilitytospreadthisconsciousnessamongdifferentsectionsofthesocietyandalsocommunicatetothegovernment about the grievances of the public regarding mismanagement of the resourcesandneedsofthepeopletohelpraisetheirstandardofliving.Those involvedinbusinessmayinitiatesustainablepracticesandtherebyspreadenvironmental consciousness to the lower strata of people who are yet to receive educationandawareness.Theteachersandstudentsmusttakeresponsibilityat alargerscaletobuildanenvironmentallyawarenation.
Themostimportantcommunityinruralareasisthatoffarmersorcultivators andagriculturallaborerswhoconstitutethelargestchunkofthepopulationina region. They are also a group of people who are involved with the famous Madhubani paintings.They are extremely vulnerable to climate change, low agriculturalproductivityandecosystemmalfunctioning.Interstingly,thissectionofpeopleinthecurrentstudyhasrankedverylowonthescaleofenvironmental consciousness (0.59).An unsatisfactory overall consciousness makes themevenmoreexposedasnoneoftheschemeslaunchedforthembythecentreorthestategovernmentswillworkfortheirbenefitunlesstheymakeaconsciouseffort.Theyneedtohaveaprogressivemindsettoreapthebenefitsof thesesocialschemes.Theyneedgreateropportunitiesinthefieldsofeducation andscientificandsustainableagriculturalpractices.
Thecommunityofhouseholdandagriculturallaborersrevealedtheworstenvironmental consciousness. This deprived section of the society is generally belowthepovertylinestrugglingforexistence.Itisamoraldilemmatoexpect much from them in terms of environmental consciousness. Vulnerability to environmentalpollution,ecologicaldegradationaddstotheiralreadyexisting conditionsofpoverty,hungerandmalnutrition.Seriouspolicyinterventionis requiredinthissegment.
3.3Meanvalueofeachdimension:
Thecurrentstudyrevolvesaroundacommunitythathasproducedoneofthe finesttypesofartdepictingnature.However,whenitcomestoenvironmental consciousness, these people have not shown a very aware and sensitized mindset.Acloselookatthemeanvaluesofthefourdimensionsfortheentire sample reveals an average level of consciousness for affective, cognitive, dispositionalandactivedimensions(Table3).
Table3:Meanvalueofscoresforthefourdimensionsconstitutingenvironmentalconsciousness
contributiontothetotalenvironmentalconsciousnessisfromagriculturaland householdlaborers(60percentofthepopulation)whichfallinthecategoryof worstenvironmentalconsciousnesswiththelowestvalueof0.48.Theenvironmentally detrimental attitude, behavior, activities and lifestyle of the largest segmentofthepopulationshouldbeamajorconcernforsociety Information andknowledgeviaeducationwillhelpthemimprovetheirattitudeandbehaviorandsocio-economicconditionsaswell.
Thecognitivedimensionhasthehighestaveragescoreof0.75despitethehigh dispersionacrossclasses.Pro-Environmentalbehaviorhascomeouttobediffused(0.67).Thisimpliesalowlevelofinvolvementofthelocalpeopleinenvironmentalactionplans,programsandinitiatives.Thelowlevelofactiveness canbeattributedtothelackofconcernandenterpriseonthepartofpoliticalrepresentativeswhoareresponsibleforthelocaldevelopmentalactivities.People in the lowest socio-economic stratum have developed a tendency to compromisewiththesituationandhavelearnedtolivewiththepoorqualityofoverall environmentallife.
3.4Environmentalconsciousnessofthedistrictpopulation:
Theresultsofthesamplestudymaybeusedtointerpolatethelevelofenvironmental consciousness of the entire Madhubani district. It was calculated as a weightedscorebasedontheoccupationalstructureanditspopulationdistribution,usingthefollowingformula(Table4).
Meanenvironmentalconsciousnessoftheentiredistrict=totalweightedvalue ofenvironmentalconsciousness(∑M*N)/totalpopulation(∑N)=∑(M*N)/ ∑(N).
Table4:Totalweightedvalueofenvironmentalconsciousnessofthe entiredistrictbasedonoccupationandpopulation
Figure5:Totalweightofenvironmentalconsciousnessbasedon occupationandpopulation
Farmers and cultivators representing 24 percent of the working population havecontributedanunsatisfactoryscoreof0.59tothetotalmeasureofenvironmentalconsciousness.Theyrepresentasectionofthesocietythatshouldbe themostawareofnaturalandenvironmentalissuesbyvirtueoftheirdirectassociationwithnature(Myers2012).Theirdismalperformancesuggeststhatdue attentionshouldbepaidtoimprovetheiraptitudeandthinkingwhileproviding resourcestoengageineco-friendlyandsustainableagriculturalpractices.The business class constituting 10.5 percent of the total working population has done well with a mean value of 0.80. However, there is scope for further improvement on this scale by enhancing their knowledge, attitude, belief, behaviorandactiveness.
Studentsabovethesecondarylevelconstitute2.5percentofthetotalpopulationof Madhubani district.Theyoungadultpopulationhasagoodmeanconsciousness score of 0.8. To improve this further, they may focus more on dimensionsconcernedwithknowledge,information,behaviorandactiveness. Whileimprovingknowledgewouldhelpthemtoknowabouttheenvironment better,itwillalsohelpthemgrowastheleadersfortomorrowtosavetheenvironment.Theofficials,thoughonly3percentofthepopulation,havethepotential to contribute a lot in terms of policy making and implementation. Their already high score of 0.82 shows that they can use their awareness and consciousnesstosignificantlyimprovetheoverallstateofsociety.
Theteachershaveamajorroleinimpartingknowledgeandgeneratingawareness in society.They have recorded a high mean value (0.81) as is expected. Thisverysmallsectionofthesociety(1.52percent)canusetheirknowledgeto spread education and awareness about environmental problems and the impactsonhumanhealth,floraandfaunathatcanhelpcreatehealthyandconsciouscitizens.
4.CONCLUSION:
Madhubani,oneofthemostbackwarddistrictsofBihar,hasperformedpoorlyin terms of environmental consciousness as well. Their overall perception and awarenessoftheenvironmenthavebeenfoundtobeunsatisfactory Whilethis maybelargelyattributedtoabjectpovertyanddeprivation,therehavebeenfailuresatthelevelsofpolicyinitiatives.Thelaborersandthefarmersarethemost vulnerablegroupsintermsofclimatechangeandothervagariesofnature,yetare unawareoftheconsequences.Alotofeffortsneedtobetakentomaintaincleanliness,healthinitiativesandresourcemanagement.Thepoorpsychologicalstate ofthepeopleshouldbetakenasanalarmtowardscreatingahealthysociety
The mean environmental consciousness of the entire district thus calculated came out to be 0.62.This puts Madhubani in the category of overall diffused environmentalconsciousnesslevel.Thegrandmeanofweightedenvironmental consciousness of the entire district is diffused even though five out of the sevenoccupationalclasseshaveshowngoodlevelsofconsciousness.Thereasonbehindthismaybetracedtothefactthataround60percentoftheworking populationisthepoorfarmersandagricultural/householdlaborers.Theirpoverty,malnutrition,illiteracyandoveralldeprivationleadtoalowenvironmental consciousness as well However, it is interesting to note that this marginalizedsegmentwasnotverydiversefromotherclassesindispositional andactivedimensions.This,however,isnotduetoagoodperformanceontheir partbutduetoapoorperformancebyalloccupationalclasses.
Thesectoralcontributionofthedifferentoccupationalgroupstothetotalenvironmentalconsciousnessalsopresentsinterestingresults(Figure5).Thehighestcontribution(20percentofthetotalpopulation)comesfromthehousekeepershavinganaveragemeanconsciousnessvalueof0.71. Theothersignificant
Acommunitythatidentifiednatureasanintegralpartoftheirart,cultureandexistence will surely respond to proper policy prescriptions(Carolan 2009; Herva 2006).Ahostofmeasuresmaybedrawnup,includingawarenesscampaignand education, environment centers, long term strategic planning, subsidies on renewable energy sources, formulation and implementation of stringent laws, cheapalternativestopolytheneandplastic,rainwaterharvesting,strictenforcementofbuybackpolicyandmanymore.Whiletheleadersmaybethegovernment,corporate,andNGOs,thestakeholdersincludeeverycitizen.Oncethenecessary pro-environmental steps are taken to protect the environment, it will ensureapathwayforsustainabledevelopmentforall'(Hocking2020).Underthe targetedpolicyinterventionandsensitization,thenaturepaintersof Madhubani maybecomeleadersfortomorrowinenvironmentalawareness.
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