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Public perception, knowledge and policy support for mitigation and adaption to Climate Change in Costa Rica: Comparisons with North American and European studies

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  • R. Vignola
  • S. Klinsky
  • J. Tam
  • T. McDaniels

Abstract

Over the past 20 years considerable efforts have been invested in exploring how the public understands climate change. However, the bulk of this research has been conducted in Europe and North America and little is known about public perceptions of climate change in developing countries. This article presents the results of the first nationally representative study (n = 1473) of public perceptions of climate change in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, a large proportion of interviewees (i.e. over 85%) are highly concerned about climate change in general and feel, as noted in European and North American studies, that its impacts are more worrisome for people farthest away (e.g. in the developed countries or among future generations). At the local level, people feel that food (10.5%) and water (16.1%) shortages as well as poverty (11.3%) and heat waves (11.7%) are the most expected impacts of climate change. Analysis of adaptation behaviour responses suggest that individuals have a relatively lower grasp of emergency and prevention disaster plans but are relatively more proactive in preventing hydro-meteorological extremes related to water scarcity or excess. A majority of respondents engage in mitigation behaviours largely for financial or contextual reasons. Finally, support for adaptation and mitigation policy responses is generally high (i.e. above 70% of interviewee supports them) except for the case of internalizing the cost of watershed protection increasing the water tariffs (52.5%). As discussions about mitigation and adaptation become increasingly common within developing countries, questions about public perceptions in that context are more pressing than ever. Work on climate perceptions needs to be carried out in specific countries to better understand which policies are most likely to resonate with public support, and which might be most difficult to implement. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

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  • R. Vignola & S. Klinsky & J. Tam & T. McDaniels, 2013. "Public perception, knowledge and policy support for mitigation and adaption to Climate Change in Costa Rica: Comparisons with North American and European studies," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 303-323, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:masfgc:v:18:y:2013:i:3:p:303-323
    DOI: 10.1007/s11027-012-9364-8
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    2. Hussey, Lucia Kafui & Arku, Godwin, 2019. "Conceptualizations of climate-related health risks among health experts and the public in Ghana," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 223(C), pages 40-50.
    3. Aikaterini Zerva & Evangelos Grigoroudis & Evangelia Karasmanaki & Georgios Tsantopoulos, 2021. "Multiple criteria analysis of citizens’ information and trust in climate change actions," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 7706-7727, May.
    4. Rachel A. Howell & Stuart Capstick & Lorraine Whitmarsh, 2016. "Impacts of adaptation and responsibility framings on attitudes towards climate change mitigation," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 136(3), pages 445-461, June.
    5. Adelle Thomas & Lisa Benjamin, 2018. "Perceptions of climate change risk in The Bahamas," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 8(1), pages 63-72, March.
    6. Anthony G. Patt & Elke U. Weber, 2014. "Perceptions and communication strategies for the many uncertainties relevant for climate policy," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 5(2), pages 219-232, March.
    7. Frisch, L.C. & Mathis, J.T. & Kettle, N.P. & Trainor, S.F., 2015. "Gauging perceptions of ocean acidification in Alaska," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 101-110.
    8. Daniel Nohrstedt & Jacob Hileman & Maurizio Mazzoleni & Giuliano Baldassarre & Charles F. Parker, 2022. "Exploring disaster impacts on adaptation actions in 549 cities worldwide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    9. Taedong Lee & Sara Hughes, 2017. "Perceptions of urban climate hazards and their effects on adaptation agendas," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 22(5), pages 761-776, June.
    10. Muhammad Suleman Bacha & Muhammad Muhammad & Zeyneb Kılıç & Muhammad Nafees, 2021. "The Dynamics of Public Perceptions and Climate Change in Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-22, April.
    11. April Karen Baptiste, 2018. "Climate change knowledge, concerns, and behaviors among Caribbean fishers," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 8(1), pages 51-62, March.
    12. Adelle Thomas & April Karen Baptiste, 2018. "Knowledge, perceptions, concerns, and behaviors to climate change—the Caribbean context: an introduction," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 8(1), pages 39-41, March.
    13. Rose-Ann Smith, 2018. "Risk perception and adaptive responses to climate change and climatic variability in northeastern St. Vincent," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 8(1), pages 73-85, March.

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