Public Perceptions and Attitudes toward Climate Change in Pakistan

Abstract

The basic objective of this study was to examine the relationship of Pakistani people’s perceptions of climate change reality and climate change causes, the consequences, and temporal distance and spatial distance of the consequences of climate change with the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP), the negative affect associated with climate change, and the risk perception of climate change.Despite the expanding scientific accord, the public agreement towards the risks of climate change is uncertain. People’s perceptions and attitudes toward climate change led to the understanding of how people respond to the risks caused by climate change, yet this mass subjective assessment has not been sufficiently done in terms of highlighting risks and consequences. To conduct this study, an online survey was employed including the respondents from several areas of Pakistan who were educated enough to understand the terminologies related to climate change. The study sample consisted of 200 people with the age range 16 to 36 & above. The findings suggest that people’s perceptions of climate change reality and climate change causes, the consequences, and temporal distance and spatial distance consequences of climate change are interestingly related and directly proportional to how people advocate the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP), experience the negative affect associated with climate change, and anticipate the climate change risks. It is crucial to address the absence of subjective assessment to inform evidence-based policies and communication strategies that connect with the Pakistani public. This will help foster meaningful engagement and encourage collective action to mitigate the effects of climate change.