Climate change awareness and flood risk perception among future engineers

Increasingly frequent and intense floods, driven by climate change in Poland, highlight the need to raise public awareness of their causes, impacts, and adaptation strategies, with education playing a key role. A survey among over 200 final-year engineering students at the Cracow University of Technology examined attitudes toward climate change, floods, and adaptation measures. Results showed that 89% considered climate change a serious problem, while 80% emphasized the need for pro-environmental actions. The most frequently identified consequences were heatwaves, droughts, and floods, whereas flood prevention was associated mainly with protective infrastructure, water monitoring, and spatial planning. Experience of the 2024 flood in Poland significantly increased risk perception, while proximity to rivers was not decisive. Women more often than men viewed climate change as a serious threat and declared greater readiness for pro-environmental engagement. Media were the main source of knowledge, highlighting the importance of academic education.