4. Conclusions

In response to each of the research questions it is possible to make the following conclusions.

• To what extent are people aware of the global issue of declining biodiversity?

The majority of people in the research are aware of the main causes and consequences of declining biodiversity. There is a high level of awareness of the problem in general with about 75% acknowledging the problem. However the research was conducted on young people in school and therefore this may not be true for older people. It is not possible to generalise to the whole population.

• How much do people know about taking action to improve biodiversity?

The majority of young people in the research are aware of the need to take action at all levels of society and recognise their own responsibilities. They are willing to take action and suggest that the individual’s contribution is more important than other agencies’.

• What individual actions to improve biodiversity are people willing to take?

The main forms of action that people are willing to take include:

• Using their ability to buy local and environmentally friendly goods and services

• Giving money to environmental charities and agencies

• Recycling

• Doing something practical in the environment like clearing polluted areas or creating wildlife areas

• What are the barriers to taking action for individuals?

The main barriers to taking action for individuals are:

• Lack of education about the issues and guidance about how to take individual action, especially for older people

• The expense or cost of environmentally friendly goods and services

• The lack of easy access to environmentally friendly goods and services

As a result of this research it is possible to conclude that more needs to be done to raise awareness about the issue of declining biodiversity, particularly about how to respond at an individual level. There is evidence that schools are increasing awareness among younger people. This should be continued and could be enhanced through courses like Global Perspectives. However older people appear not to be as aware of the situation and need to be more informed.

The research also shows that younger people are willing to take action to improve the environment in general and improve biodiversity. The main barriers to changing lifestyles at an individual level appear to be external to the individual and relate to cost and accessibility issues.

5. Evaluation

The research was generally successful and the main research questions were answered.

The background research was helpful and based on reliable sources with credibility and reasonable knowledge claims – research supported by the United Nations is usually regarded as valid and reliable. However some caution should be used as all organisations have a vested interest in promoting research which supports their own objectives. Much of the UN research is based upon official statistics from governments which may be manipulated to show their own countries in the best possible circumstances.

Clear conclusions could be made from the questionnaire and the findings applied to the population sampled – young people in schools. The results can be generalised with some confidence to all young people in Kazakhstan. The large sample from two different schools supports this claim and makes the research both representative and reliable. If repeated in different schools similar results are likely to be obtained. However the conclusions are not generalisable to older adults as they were not included in the sample.

The unstructured interviews worked particularly well – the participants talked openly and freely about their opinions and views; even when admitting that they didn’t always act in ways which were consistent with their beliefs and values. Creating the right conditions for the interviews enabled this to happen – informal atmosphere, relaxed conversational style and simple recording techniques all helped. This gave a deep insight into the barriers to change in lifestyles – trends and fashions in society, peer groups, costs and accessibility. This made the data gathered valid and accurate. If more time was available more interviews could be conducted to strengthen the results. Interviews with older people would be of value, for example. Overall, the results from the unstructured interviews confirmed the results from previous research and the questionnaires. This gives increased confidence in the conclusions to this research.