Behaviour Towards Climate Change – Intentions of The People of Karachi

Abstract

 In Pakistan, climate change is affecting agricultural output, increasing healthcare burden, causing havoc with lives, and damaging properties. Urban flooding has become a continuous issue. But are the people able to make a link between their actions and the impact it may have on causing climate change?  Although some climate change mitigation strategies are being implemented by the government and various non-governmental organizations, they are far from being successful. Besides blaming the authorities little is being done by the people towards conservation, a major factor being the lack of interest in climate change. It is important to understand whether the general public recognizes the significance of mitigation strategies, and if so what actions, if any, are they taking. The current research uses primary crosssectional data of 398 respondents collected using social media platforms in 2022, in order to find the intention of the public behind actions such as energy and water conservation and usage of cloth bags in place of plastic ones. Using logistic regression and qualitative analysis this paper investigates the level of awareness of the residents of Karachi in the context of climate change and their responsiveness regarding the need to take steps to reduce the adverse effects of climate change. The results show that the general behaviour of the people stems from their own preferences instead of concern for climate change, indicating the need for a deeper understanding of behavioural response towards climate change. This study calls for policy actions inducing behavioural change in the citizens, through green nudges.