PERCEPTION IN A CHANGING CLIMATE: A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF AWARENESS ACROSS INDIAN DEMOGRAPHICS

Abstract

Climate change is one of the biggest problems of the modern age, and public perception and awareness are critically important to the development of effective mitigation policies. Climate change awareness and perception across different sections of the Indian population are analyzed in this study using a structured survey of 400 respondents. The survey assessed knowledge, personal experience, and concern regarding climate change, dividing age groups into 16–29, 30–50, and 51 years and above. The results indicate that while there is some variation in perceived effect by age groups, education level was the most statistically significant predictor of familiarity and concern, with higher education corresponding to greater awareness and knowledge of anthropogenic climate change. This study also found that the sources of information, such as media, education, and social networks, exert an effective influence on perceptions, with significant discrepancies observed across educational levels. These results underscore the significance of tailored climate communication strategies to successfully reach populations with lower educational attainment. By addressing demographic disparities in climate literacy, this research supports the development of targeted awareness programs essential for fostering public engagement and encouraging behavioral change in the context of climate adaptation and policy reform.