Doris Chasokela, Farai Matawa, Abel Nyamapfene, Tawanda Mushiri, Desalegn Yayeh Ayal, Ulisses M. Azeiteiro, Henri-Count Evans, Inga Grinfelde, José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade Guerra, Jasenka Gajdoš Kljusurić, João Carlos Correia Leitão, Chunlan Li, Newton R. Matandirotya, Bethwel Mutai, Gustavo J. Nagy, Thierry Razanakoto, Jame Schaefer, Goran Trbic, Roberto Ariel Abeldaño Zuñiga, Sane Pashane Zuka, Charles Galdies, Adriana Consorte-McCrea, Francisco Platas, Mittul Vahanvati, Pedi Obani, Safwatun Nida, Lucas Gabriel Zanon, Mayara Régia Sousa de Melo, Alison Glover, Roman Vakulchuk
Human-induced climate change poses a significant threat to the well-being of individuals globally, necessitating immediate action to mitigate and adapt to its consequences. Engineers play a pivotal role in addressing this crisis, offering innovative technological solutions to combat climate change. However, the level of preparedness and understanding of climate change among engineering students and graduates in Zimbabwe requires further investigation. This study aimed to explore the knowledge of climate change impacts, the role of engineering faculties in universities, and the level of climate change education in Zimbabwean engineering curricula. An online survey was administered to 152 engineering students, university lecturers, and researchers, yielding insightful results. The majority of respondents demonstrated a high to medium understanding of climate change impacts, acknowledging the importance of universities in addressing this global issue. Notably, most respondents opined that universities play a significant role in promoting climate change education and resilience-building. Nevertheless, the study highlighted considerable room for improvement in integrating climate change topics into engineering curricula and research initiatives. Challenges to implementing climate change education include limited resources, inadequate information, and resistance to change. Conversely, opportunities for integration include research and development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and curriculum reform. Alarmingly, the study’s findings suggest that engineering graduates in Zimbabwe are poorly equipped to tackle climate change. The study concludes that the current university curriculum fails to provide students with the necessary skills to address this pressing global issue. As such, universities in Zimbabwe must work to develop effective climate change education programs, prioritizing interdisciplinary collaboration and curriculum reform. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
The Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Eswatini, Manzini, Kwaluseni Campus, Matsapha, South Africa; Institute of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Engineering, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava, Latvia; Center for Sustainable Development (Greens), Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (Unisul), Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil; School of Urban and Regional Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China; Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Centre, Beitbridge, Zimbabwe; Kgotso Development Trust, Beitbridge, Zimbabwe; Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay; CERED, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar; Marquette University, Milwaukee, United States; University of Sierra Sur, Oaxaca, Mexico; University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Land Economy, University of Malawi, The Polytechnic, Blantyre 3, Malawi; Institute of Earth Systems, University of Malta, Msida, Malta; Academy for Sustainable Futures, Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom; Casa de Cultura de la UAEMéx en Tlalpan, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico; School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom; Science Education Department of Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia; University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil; State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil; The Open University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Oslo, Norway; National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre, Harare, Zimbabwe; University College London, London, United Kingdom; Center for Food Security Studies, College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa Univesity, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
