Public Perception of Climate Change in Labutta Township, Myanmar

Publication Type

Primary Document

Summary

Identifying the perception about changing climate and adverse effects and the related influencing factors are imperative in producing support for policymakers to promote the response to climate change. There are a number of studies identified the level of public perception and the influencing factors on public awareness and knowledge of climate change and its impacts. Nevertheless, little studies have examined the public perception of climate change in Myanmar. This study purposes to examine the perception among residents about climate change and the influential factors in shaping such perceptions using a household survey in the most vulnerable area to the severe impacts of climate change. This research aimed to examine how the public perceives about climate change in Labutta township. 220 respondents were selected to collect data for the study through the multi-stage stratified random sampling. The socio-economic characteristics were collected from the households as primary data including gender, occupation, age, and educational status. The survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The ambition of this paper is to improve the understanding of public perceptions of climate change, find out how they are affected by climate change impacts. Age, gender, education, occupation, traditional knowledge, climate information, and social media are realized as influential factors on public perception of climate change. In supporting policymakers to develop strategies and plans in responding to climate change, understanding public perception about climate change and its trends is essential.