Prakash PanwarSwati Inani2024-08-222024-08-222024Inani S. and Panwar P.https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810213574Climate change is a global problem caused by greenhouse gases that warm the Earth and cause harmful effects. The "carbon footprint" is a way to measure how much we contribute to this issue. It mainly comes from activities like using fossil fuels, deforestation, industries, household activities and farming. These gases stay in the atmosphere, leading to problems like rising temperatures and extreme weather. The present study examines the knowledge and practices of rural women in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, India, regarding their carbon footprints, particularly linked to household activities of rural women such as cooking fuel consumption, electrical appliance use, kitchen waste and plastic waste. The study was conducted in Bhilwara district of Rajasthan, India. There are 12 Panchayat samities in district, out of them three panchayat samities from each direction i.e. north, east, west and south were selected purposely and after that from each direction one panchayat samiti was selected randomly which were namely Kotri, Mandal, Hurda and Suwana. List of villages was prepared from each panchayat samiti. From this list two villages were selected randomly. Thus, total eight villages Jawal, Kanti, Mandal, Meja, Dantra, Dhanpura, Suwana, Kodukota were selected to have a representative sample of Bhilwara district. A list of rural women in the age group of 20-45 years, having at least primary education and a smart phone was prepared for each selected village with the help of Anganwadi workers. From each village, a sample of 30 rural women who were willing to participate, ready to answer and cooperate with the investigator were purposely included for study. Thus, the total sample of the study consisted of 240 rural women. Data collection was carried out through interviews using a structured questionnaire. The data collection process consisted of two phases: pre-test and post-test. In the pre-test phase, the existing knowledge and practices of rural women in different areas were assessed using a knowledge test and practice scale which helped in identifying the knowledge gap. A mobile application “meracarbon.com” was designed based on the knowledge gap. In the post-test phase, one-day training was organized for the respondents on whom the pre-test was administered. During the training, the mobile application was introduced to the respondents and they were provided with the necessary instructions and guidance. After the training, link was shared to the respondents on Whatsapp. Post-test was conducted immediately after the exposure to assess the gain in knowledge. After training, a performance test was administered on individual to evaluate the effectiveness of use by the respondents. The profile of the respondents revealed that more than half of the respondents (55.83%) belonged from medium socio-economic status. Before training a majority of respondents (87.08%) had poor level of knowledge about carbon footprint. This implies that they had limited understanding or awareness of the concept, its significance and its implications. In terms of overall practices, the data indicates that majority of respondents (87.50%) exhibited poor practices, reflecting a low level of engagement with sustainable behaviors aimed at reducing carbon emissions. The result shows that a significant portion of the respondents (68.75%) had Co2 emissions from various cooking fuels, more than one-third of the respondents (35.83%) had Co2 emissions from various electrical appliances, 77.50 per cent of the respondents had Co2 emissions generated from kitchen waste and 41.67 per cent of the respondents were responsible for Co2 emissions derived from plastic waste. This leads to an average emission of 2.38 tons of carbon dioxide per year per respondent. To address these issues researcher developed a web-based mobile application enabling users to calculate their carbon emissions easily. Evaluation of the mobile application by experts was rated excellent by experts. The findings revealed a significant and noteworthy increase in knowledge among the respondents after the training program. The t-value comparing the initial and post-training knowledge scores was highly significant (29.94) at a significance level of 1%.These findings reflect that dissemination of messages regarding carbon footprint was effective as well as the training had more significant impact which resulted in very good learning. Majority of respondents (97.92%) displayed a high level of proficiency and effectiveness in utilizing the mobile application. The application was highly effective enhancing respondents' knowledge and facilitating its application. Recommendations emerged to enhance environmental awareness, advocate for energy-efficient appliances and enforce environmental regulations. The study highlights the importance of comprehensive efforts involving government initiatives, awareness campaigns and community engagement to tackle the knowledge-practice gap and reduce carbon footprintsEnglishThesis