Eighty one percent Indians worried about global warming: Study

New Delhi: As the people of India are observing the climate change, around 81 percent of people in the country are worried about global warming, including 50 percent who are “very worried”, according to the national survey released by the Yale Programme on Climate change and Cvoter International.

The study was designed to investigate current public climate change awareness, beliefs, attitudes, policy support, and behavior, as well as public observations of change in local weather and climate patterns and self-reported vulnerability to extreme weather events.

As per the report, around 80 percent thought that global warming will harm plant and animal species whereas 49 people thought people in India are already being harmed by global warming.

“Half or more think global warming will cause many more disease epidemics (59 percent), severe heat waves (54 percent), severe cyclones (52 percent), and droughts and water shortages (50 percent). More than four in ten think global warming will cause many more famines and food shortages (49 percent) and severe floods (44 percent).

Over the global warming awareness and beliefs, the report said 54 percent of people in India say they know either “just a little” about global warming or have never heard of it, while only 9 percent say they know “a lot.”

On support for Climate and energy policies, it mentioned that most people in India (55 percent) feel that the country should reduce its emissions immediately without waiting for other countries to act.

64 percent said the government of India should be doing more to address global warming, the report informed.
On participation in the Paris Climate Agreement, 74 percent are in favour.

59 percent think India should increase its use of renewable sources of energy, while only 13 per cent think India should increase its use of fossil fuels.

Over the local Weather Events, Observations, Vulnerabilities, and Resilience, 76 percent of people in India have noticed changes in the average annual amount of rainfall in their local area over the last 10 years.

“Whereas 56 percent said that hot days have become more frequent in their local area” the report said.