Perceptions of environmental changes among a climate-vulnerable population from Bangladesh

Effective climate change adaptation requires a thorough understanding of whether and how affected populations perceive climatic and environmental changes. Existing research has been inconclusive regarding the consistency of these perceptions compared to objective meteorological indicators. Moreover, no systematic comparison has been done for the perception of discrete environmental events such as floods or erosion. This study relies on novel panel survey data of approximately 1700 households residing along the Jamuna River in Bangladesh as well as on unique individual-level, satellite-based erosion data. It compares respondents' perceptions of environmental events, namely riverbank erosion, and three climate change indicators, specifically long-term temperature change and changes in precipitation during wet and dry seasons, to objective measurements using satellite imagery and climatic time-series data (CRU TS). I find that long-term temperature change is perceived more accurately than long-term changes in precipitation. Given that educational attainment and climate change literacy among the study population are low, this indicates that global temperature increases are felt even by remote populations who have never heard the term climate change. Erosion is strongly overestimated, especially by those respondents who had been personally affected by it. Since human behavior is guided by perceptions rather than objective data, this has important policy implications, underlining the importance of considering people's perceptions if the goal is to assist them in adapting to environmental changes.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10584-024-03678-6.

Social participation in the city: exploring the moderating effect of walkability on the associations between active mobility, neighborhood perceptions, and social activities in urban adults

BACKGROUND

Living in urban environments is associated with several health risks (e.g., noise, and air pollution). However, there are also beneficial aspects such as various opportunities for social activities, which might increase levels of social participation and (physically) active mobility that in turn have positive effects on health and well-being. However, how aspects of the environment, active mobility, and social participation are associated is not well established. This study investigates the moderating effect of low vs. high walkability neighborhoods on the associations between active mobility, and social participation and integrates individuals' subjective perception of the neighborhood environment they are living in.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data from 219 adults (48% female, mean age = 46 ± 3.8 years) from 12 urban neighborhoods (six low, six high walkability) were analyzed: First, social participation, active mobility, and subjective neighborhood perceptions were compared between people living in a low vs. high walkability neighborhood via t-tests. Second, multigroup path analyses were computed to explore potential differences in the associations between these variables in low vs. high walkability neighborhoods.

RESULTS

Social participation, active mobility, and subjective neighborhood perceptions didn't differ in low vs. high walkability neighborhoods (p: 0.37 - 0.71). Active mobility and subjective neighborhood perceptions were significantly stronger related to social participation in low vs. high walkability neighborhoods (active mobility in low: ß = 0.35, p < .01 vs. high: ß = 0.09, p = .36; subjective neighborhood perceptions in low: ß = 0.27, p < .01 vs. high: ß = 0.15, p = .18).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite living in neighborhoods with objectively different walkability, participants rated social participation and active mobility equally and perceived their neighborhoods similarly. However, zooming into the interrelations of these variables reveals that social participation of residents from low walkability neighborhoods depends stronger on active mobility and perceiving the environment positively. Positive perceptions of the environment and active mobility might buffer the objectively worse walkability. Future research should focus on underlying mechanisms and determinants of subjective neighborhood perceptions and active mobility, especially in low walkability neighborhoods.

Adaptive ecological knowledge among the Ndjuka Maroons of French Guiana; a case study of two 'invasive species': Melaleuca quinquenervia and Acacia mangium

BACKGROUND

To understand how local ecological knowledge changes and adapts, here in the case of the recent introduction of plant species, we report the knowledge and perceptions of the Ndjuka (Maroon) of French Guiana concerning two tree species, Acacia mangium and niaouli (Melaleuca quinquenervia), which are categorized as "invasive alien plants" in the savannas of their territory.

METHODS

To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted between April and July 2022, using a pre-designed questionnaire, plant samples and photographs. The uses, local ecological knowledge, and representations of these species were surveyed among populations of Maroon origin in western French Guiana. All responses to closed questions collected during the field survey were compiled into an Excel spreadsheet in order to perform quantitative analyses, including the calculation of use reports (URs).

RESULTS

It appears that the local populations have integrated these two plant species, which are named, used and even traded, into their knowledge systems. On the other hand, neither foreignness nor invasiveness seem to be relevant concepts in the perspective of the informants. The usefulness of these plants is the determining factor of their integration into the Ndjuka medicinal flora, thus resulting in the adaptation of their local ecological knowledge.

CONCLUSION

In addition to highlighting the need for the integration of the discourse of local stakeholders into the management of "invasive alien species," this study also allows us to observe the forms of adaptation that are set in motion by the arrival of a new species, particularly within populations that are themselves the result of recent migrations. Our results furthermore indicate that such adaptations of local ecological knowledge can occur very quickly.

Exploring the impact of the pandemic on the relationship between individual types and the natural environment:

COVID-19 is a global event that has impacted every individual on earth in some way and can be viewed as a mortality salience trigger. Although there were reports of increased nature exposure across the world, research is needed to understand whether the pandemic event impacted the underlying psychology of the human-nature nexus. Given the likelihood of pandemics and environmental challenges increasing in frequency in the future, there is a need for a deeper understanding of how pandemics impact individuals' relationship with the natural environment in South Africa. To achieve this, the study applied psychological types (grouping individuals based on homogeneity) to explore potential shifts as human nature is neither fixed, nor universal. The study asked: Given the multiple significant impacts of COVID-19 on the African continent, how have perceptions and attitudes towards the natural environment changed within and between types of individuals from 2016 (pre COVID) to 2021 (COVID) in South Africa? In a longitudinal, quantitative study, separate samples 721 in 2016 and 665 in 2021 were obtained. Participants in 2021 were grouped into the same six types using the same criteria, for comparison with the 2016 data. The results showed limited potential for pandemics to act as catalysts for long-term individual change towards increased pro-environmentalism. The study confirmed the main tenets of Terror Management Theory that individuals tend to be driven to uphold worldviews when confronted with mortality. Furthermore, there was a reduced experience of personal control over outcomes that increased reliance on sources of control outside the self as an attempt to buffer against mortality concerns. The study contributes towards Terror Management Theory's application during pandemics, and how that relates to individual environmental attitudes and perceptions.

Anthropause appreciation, biophilia, and ecophilosophical contemplations amidst a global pandemic

In 2020, COVID-19 mitigation measures, including lockdowns and travel bans to curtail disease transmission, inadvertently led to an "Anthropause" - a unique global pause to anthropogenic activities. While there was a spike in ecological studies measuring Anthropause effects on environmental indicators, people's experiences of the Anthropause or its potential to inspire change were hardly considered. Hence, we aimed to measure people's appreciation of the environmental outcomes of the Anthropause, ecophilosophical contemplations about the pandemic, and experiences of lockdown-triggered biophilia (human's innate love for and draw towards nature) and test the hypothesis that these experiences would be consistently more prominent among the already environmentally inclined. To that end, we developed and tested three measures on a representative sample of 993 New Zealanders. Anthropause Appreciation received the highest overall mean ratings, followed by Lockdown-Biophilia and Eco-Contemplation. Pre-existing pro-environmental dispositions and behaviours did not consistently influence our three measures as expected. Demographic variables had little influence, while experiences of financial and mental health impacts due to COVID-19 had no influence. We interpreted the limited influence of explanatory variables as indicative of a degree of uniformity in people's experiences. High appreciation of Anthropause benefits suggests that the public may be supportive of policies and ways of living that can lead to similar outcomes post-pandemic - offering environmental policymakers and communicators a basis for action. Ecophilosophical contemplations and biophilic draw among the public suggest an awareness of the significance of the human-nature relationship - offering a symbolic global keystone for communicating and advocating conservation and the many values of pauses in life to connect with nature. Building women's environmental leadership capabilities and the ongoing greening of Christianity may be essential steps for global post-pandemic environmental behaviour transformations.

Survey data of public awareness on climate change and the value of marine and coastal ecosystems

The long-term provision of ocean ecosystem services depends on healthy ecosystems and effective sustainable management. Understanding public opinion about marine and coastal ecosystems is important to guide decision-making and inform specific actions. However, available data on public perceptions on the interlinked effects of climate change, human impacts and the value and management of marine and coastal ecosystems are rare. This dataset presents raw data from an online, self-administered, public awareness survey conducted between November 2021 and February 2022 which yielded 709 responses from 42 countries. The survey was released in four languages (English, French, Spanish and Italian) and consisted of four main parts: (1) perceptions about climate change; (2) perceptions about the value of, and threats to, coasts, oceans and their wildlife, (3) perceptions about climate change response; and (4) socio-demographic information. Participation in the survey was voluntary and all respondents provided informed consent after reading a participant information form at the beginning of the survey. Responses were anonymous unless respondents chose to provide contact information. All identifying information has been removed from the dataset. The dataset can be used to conduct quantitative analyses, especially in the area of public perceptions of the interlinkages between climate change, human impacts and options for sustainable management in the context of marine and coastal ecosystems. The dataset is provided with this article, including a copy of the survey and participant information forms in all four languages, data and the corresponding codebook.

Recreational users' perceptions of coastal water quality in Rhode Island (USA): Implications for policy development and management

Stakeholders' understanding of water quality influences how they approach water policy problems and their support for potential solutions. This study explores how resource policy in the United States accounts for different water quality meanings held by recreational users. In-person surveys were conducted along the shoreline in Rhode Island (USA) to examine how recreational users make sense of coastal water quality. Findings indicate that recreational users' understanding of water quality is constructed from an array of environmental conditions (e.g., chl a, phosphates) and attitudinal factors (e.g., perceived problems associated with sewage, algae, or trash), and the meanings ascribed to water quality extend beyond the biophysical indicators typically employed by water resource managers. Potential management strategies based on these findings include expanding current definitions of water quality and monitoring a broader suite of factors, conducting research that captures nuanced meanings of water quality held by different users, and developing outreach programs that clarify the potential impacts of water quality components on human health and well-being.

Air pollution, environmental perceptions, and citizen satisfaction: A mediation analysis

Air pollution is more than an environmental or health issue. Our findings suggest that Chinese citizens exposed to more industrial sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and dust emissions are less likely to be satisfied with environmental administration. Chinese citizens living with poorer air quality also tend to be dissatisfied with law enforcement. Last, perceptions of air pollution are affected by measured industrial emissions and shape citizen satisfaction. In sum, this paper provides evidence that air pollution corrodes citizen satisfaction via environmental perceptions. This improves understanding of the political costs of environmental degradation and the underlying mechanism.

Gender differences in the associations between perceived environment and walking for recreation in Taiwanese adults

This study examined gender differences in the associations between perceived environmental factors and walking for recreation in Taiwanese adults. In 2014, a telephone-based, cross-sectional survey targeting Taiwanese adults (20-64 years) was conducted. Data on nine items about environmental perception, time spent in walking for recreation, and socio-demographic variables were obtained from 1,065 adults using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-long version and its environmental module. Adults who perceived good aesthetics (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.36-2.23) and reported seeing people being active (AOR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.21-2.06) were more likely to perform 150 minutes of recreational walking per week. Furthermore, significant interactions regarding walking for recreation were observed between gender and five environmental correlates: access to shops (p = .046), the presence of sidewalks (p < .001), access to recreational facilities (p = .02), seeing people being active (p = .001), and aesthetics (p < .001). These five perceived environmental factors were positively associated with recreational walking in women but not in men. Gender is a potential modifier between perceived environment and walking for recreation in adults. Perceived environmental factors appear to be more critical for women in performing health-enhancing levels of recreational walking than they are for men.