The climate of knowledge is changing

An awareness campaign in Diyala to address the health and economic challenges of climate change
In a proactive step to raise community awareness of the risks of contemporary environmental challenges, the Faculty of Basic Education at the University of Diyala, represented by the Women’s Affairs Unit, and in fruitful cooperation with the Media and Government Communication Division and the Volunteer Work Unit, an awareness campaign on climate change and spreading awareness of the related health and economic risks and ways to address them.
The campaign, in which a number of teachers and students participated with great enthusiasm, aimed to highlight the direct and indirect negative effects of climate change on public health and decent livelihoods, and to promote a culture of response and adaptation to these challenges at the individual and community levels.
The field campaign activities included putting up carefully designed awareness posters in various corridors and departments of the college, carrying simplified guidance messages on daily environmentally friendly practices and how to prevent health risks associated with extreme weather events, in addition to focusing on the role of the individual in mitigating these effects.
This awareness campaign is fully aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations and closely matches the following goals: Goal 3: Good health and well-being: The campaign aims to raise awareness of the health risks associated with climate change (such as vector-borne diseases and heat stress), thereby contributing to ensuring healthy lives for all. Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities: The campaign strengthens the capacity of the university and local community to adapt and be resilient to disasters and climate change and makes cities more sustainable and safer. Goal 13: Climate action: The activity is directly aligned with the call for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, through awareness raising and institutional capacity building. Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals: Cooperation between different college units (women’s affairs, media, volunteer work) is an example of effective partnership to achieve sustainable development goals.