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In some developing countries disproportionately affected by warming, the figure rises to more than 65 percent
ROME, July 28 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - It's hard to fix a problem that no one knows about.
Surprisingly, given the attention climate change receives, 40 percent of the world's adults have never heard of it, Yale University researchers have found.
So scientists and policymakers need to do a better job communicating the importance of the problem if solutions are to be found.
In developing countries disproportionately affected by warming temperatures, including India, Egypt and Bangladesh, more than 65 percent of the population has not heard of climate change, the Yale University study analyzing public opinion data from more than 110 nations said.
In North America, Europe and Japan, more than 90 percent of the public is aware of climate change, the study, published on Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change, showed.
Based on interviews from the 2007-2008 Gallup World Poll, it is the first global study to compare climate change opinion data from around the world, researchers said.
The situation may have improved since then, as the issue is getting more attention, but the message is clear: many people just aren't aware.
Globally, education level tends to be the strongest factor impacting awareness of climate change, but other issues including civic engagement, household income and proximity to urban areas also play a role.
"Improving basic education, climate literacy and public understanding of the local dimensions of climate change are vital for public engagement and support for climate action," Anthony Leiserowitz, the study's co-author and a Yale professor, said in a statement.
Residents of Europe and Latin America tend to view climate change as a greater threat when they realize human activity is its major cause, the study said.
In much of Africa and Asia, risk perceptions are influenced by local factors, including temperature rises.
Chinese citizens view climate change as a greater threat when they are worried about local air quality, and when they understand global warming is caused by human activities, researchers said.
"We need to develop tailored climate change communication strategies for individual countries," said Tien Ming Lee, a Princeton University researcher who worked on the report.
Working in northern Mali a couple of months ago, I heard stories from local residents of reduced rainfall, hotter weather, dead animals and increasing violence as communities competed for grazing land.
Local people didn't, however, describe the problem as climate change, or global warming. They just said life was getting harder.
As temperatures rise, affected communities will no doubt spot the changes.
But if the problems aren't seen in the context of fossil fuel emissions and other human activities, then finding the tough solutions the problem requires will become that much more difficult.
(Reporting By Chris Arsenault, editing by Tim Pearce. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit www.trust.org)
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