Climate Change in the Indian Mind

A 2011 survey of 4,031 Indian adults found that while initial awareness of global warming was low, a majority of respondents believed in its occurrence and human cause after receiving a brief definition. Most participants reported vulnerability to extreme weather and supported national efforts to reduce global warming and increase public education, despite potential economic costs.

• Initial awareness of global warming among the Indian public was low, with 41 percent of respondents stating they had never heard of it or did not know, and only 7 percent claiming to know "a lot". However, after being provided with a short definition, 72 percent believed global warming is happening, 56 percent attributed it mostly to human activities, and 61 percent expressed worry about it.
• A majority of the 4,031 surveyed individuals supported national action to mitigate global warming and increase public knowledge, with 54 percent favoring a large or moderate-scale effort even if it incurred significant economic costs, and 70 percent supporting a national educational program.
• Respondents reported high vulnerability to extreme weather, noting that their household income, health, and food and water supplies are susceptible to severe droughts or floods, with recovery estimated to take from months to years.

APA

Leiserowitz, A., & Thaker, J. (2011). Climate Change in the Indian Mind. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/climate-change-in-the-indian-mind-2/

Chicago

Leiserowitz, Anthony, and Jagadish Thaker. Climate Change in the Indian Mind. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2011. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/climate-change-in-the-indian-mind-2/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Leiserowitz |first1=Anthony |last2=Thaker |first2=Jagadish |title=Climate Change in the Indian Mind |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=8 December 2011 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/climate-change-in-the-indian-mind-2/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{leiserowitz2011climate, author = {Leiserowitz, Anthony and Thaker, Jagadish}, title = {{Climate Change in the Indian Mind}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2011}, month = dec, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/climate-change-in-the-indian-mind-2/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }