Climate change is a global crisis. In 2021, record setting climate disasters ranged from locust plagues in Kenya, to sandstorms in China, to megadrought fueled wildfires across the Western U.S. Nearly all the world’s glaciers are melting, as carbon emissions, temperatures, and sea levels continue to rise.
Rising seas, hotter temperatures, and more frequent and extreme weather events, pose a particular threat to coastal areas and island nations. As coastal flooding and erosion increase, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), like those in the Caribbean, project to be some of the most highly impacted and fastest displaced populations across the globe.
But how concerned are residents in the Caribbean about the effects of climate change? And who do they believe is responsible for taking the actions needed to prevent and adapt to those effects? To explore the answers to these questions and more, GeoPoll conducted an SMS survey in April and May 2022 across 13 countries in the Caribbean.
Findings from the survey show that most respondents believe climate change is happening and are at least somewhat worried about it. Hurricanes comprise their biggest concern with experts predicting the seventh consecutive “above average” Atlantic hurricane season in 2022. Most have personally experienced the effects of climate change including damage to infrastructure, and some have already had to move as a result.
Looking ahead, most respondents feel a sense of personal responsibility to reduce climate change, but also believe their country needs to do more.
Click below to download GeoPoll’s full written report or scroll down to view the survey data in the interactive dashboard.
Interactive Data Dashboard
Dive deeper into GeoPoll’s data on climate change perceptions in the Caribbean using the interactive dashboard below. The dashboard provides responses to each question in the survey, filterable by country, age group, and gender.
Conduct Research in the Caribbean with GeoPoll
With the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season currently at hand, the Caribbean once again finds itself in harm’s way. In times of natural disaster, NGOs, governments, humanitarian groups, and other stakeholders in the development and relief sectors turn to GeoPoll for fast and affordable data collection. Our unique remote research system and methodologies, robust database, and direct integrations with mobile network operators enable us to reach affected populations otherwise cut off from the world.
To learn more about GeoPoll’s capabilities and coverage in the Caribbean, please contact us today.
