Evaluating the success of a Public Engagement Project for the Conservation of the Ural Saiga population in Kazakhstan - Carlyn Samuel, MSc Thesis

C. Samuel
Evaluating the success of a Public Engagement Project for the Conservation of the Ural Saiga population in Kazakhstan - Carlyn Samuel, MSc Thesis

Awareness campaigns are employed in many situations as a form of environmental education, in order to raise awareness and knowledge of the participants. Aimed at adults and children alike, the overall aim is to foster positive attitudes and behaviour towards the target. It is also proposed that knowledge transfer between community members can multiply the effect of a campaign. This thesis aims to evaluate the success of an awareness campaign which has been providing local communities with information on the ecology and conservation status of the Ural saiga population. Finally, the thesis makes not only makes recommendations, based on findings, for the future of the project in the region, but also highlights points of interest and future research s which may be of interest to all future conservation awareness campaigns.

The study provides an insight into how knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intent may have been influenced by the campaign, and the major variables which may influence the success of the campaign. Additionally, it aims to outline how 'external' conservation measures and processes are judged by local people, and how this impacts their success.