Biodiversity conservation perception among university students in Mekong Delta, Vietnam

ABSTRACT

The global threat posed by biodiversity loss has increased recently. Ecosystem destruction puts human beings in peril, exacerbates climate change, and endangers food security. Similar issues exist in the Mekong Delta, also known as the mega diversity region. Potential threats to this region’s biodiversity include increasing populations, expanding agriculture with increased pesticide and fertilizer usage, and shifting water levels during flood and salinization seasons. Human conduct is one aspect that threatens biodiversity richness. Given the interdependence of humans and nature, biodiversity conservation must be given top priority if we are to maintain our ability to interact with the natural world. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine how university students perceive biodiversity conservation in light of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). A survey of 387 students in universities in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam was conducted for this study. The results of this study demonstrate how awareness, knowledge, and attitude significantly influence behaviors related to biodiversity protection. The study also uncovered important concerns like the disparities in behavior among majors, the common information sources used to learn about biodiversity and the favorable and obstacles factors that students must deal with. Simultaneously, potential recommendations are put forth to support the development of students’ biodiversity protection behaviors.

KEYWORDS:

• Behaviour
• biodiversity conservation
• Mekong Delta
• university students

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express the students from universities in Can Tho for taking part in the research and offering many helpful comments throughout the project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no direct funding for this research.