Anthropogenic Climate Change: Social Science Perspectives - Volume II

A special issue of Climate (ISSN 2225-1154).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 9352

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Education, Man and the Biosphere Research Group, Kristianstad University, Elmetorpvägen 15, 231 88 Kristianstad, Sweden
Interests: environmental social science; specifically climate adaptation; connectedness to nature; environmental education; landscape science
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ongoing social science understanding of climate change is critical for addressing the complexity and seriousness of the climate crisis. While the study of climate change is inherently interdisciplinary, we wish to acknowledge that the drivers of greenhouse gas emissions are rooted in human behavior. Further, we can also acknowledge that the solutions to this enormous problem are primarily social, requiring political, economic, and educational foci. This Special Issue will provide a forum for social science research to demonstrate how the social sciences can contribute useful methods and data, critical perspectives, and creative insight into climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Kind regards,

Dr. Thomas Beery
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • social science
  • climate change
  • climate change mitigation
  • climate change adaptation
  • human behavior

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 480 KiB  
Article
Reliability and Exploratory Factor Analysis of a Measure of the Psychological Distance from Climate Change
by Alan E. Stewart
Climate 2024, 12(5), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli12050076 - 18 May 2024
Viewed by 1432
Abstract
Psychological distance from climate change has emerged as an important construct in understanding sustainable behavior and attempts to mitigate and/or adapt to climate change. Yet, few measures exist to assess this construct and little is known about the properties of the existing measures. [...] Read more.
Psychological distance from climate change has emerged as an important construct in understanding sustainable behavior and attempts to mitigate and/or adapt to climate change. Yet, few measures exist to assess this construct and little is known about the properties of the existing measures. In this article, the author conducted two studies of a psychological distance measure developed by Wang and her colleagues. In Study 1, the author assessed the test–retest reliability of the measure over a two-week interval and found the scores to be acceptably stable over time. In Study 2, the author conducted two exploratory factor analyses, using different approaches to the correlation and factor extraction. Similar results were observed for each factor analysis: one factor was related to items that specified greater psychological distance from climate change; a second factor involved items that specified closeness to climate change; and a third involved the geographic/spatial distance from climate change. The author discussed the results and provided recommendations on ways that the measure may be used to research the construct of psychological distance from climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anthropogenic Climate Change: Social Science Perspectives - Volume II)
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14 pages, 704 KiB  
Article
People’s Perception of Climate Change Impacts on Subtropical Climatic Region: A Case Study of Upper Indus, Pakistan
by Bashir Ahmad, Muhammad Umar Nadeem, Saddam Hussain, Abid Hussain, Zeeshan Tahir Virik, Khalid Jamil, Nelufar Raza, Ali Kamran and Salar Saeed Dogar
Climate 2024, 12(5), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli12050073 - 16 May 2024
Viewed by 1436
Abstract
In developing countries like Pakistan, the preservation of the environment, as well as people’s economies, agriculture, and way of life, are believed to be hampered by climate change. Understanding how people perceive climate change and its signs is essential for creating a variety [...] Read more.
In developing countries like Pakistan, the preservation of the environment, as well as people’s economies, agriculture, and way of life, are believed to be hampered by climate change. Understanding how people perceive climate change and its signs is essential for creating a variety of adaptation solutions. In this study, we aim to bridge the gap in current research within this area, which predominantly relies on satellite data, by integrating qualitative assessments of people’s perceptions of climate change, thereby providing valuable ground-based observations of climate variability and its impacts on local communities. Field-based data were collected at different altitudes (upstream (US), midstream (MS), and downstream (DS)) of the Upper Indus Basin using both quantitative and qualitative assessments in 2017. The result shows that these altitudes are highly variable in many contexts: socioeconomic indicators of education, agriculture, income, women empowerment, health, access to basic resources, and livelihood diversifications are highly variable in the Indus Basin. The inhabitants of the Indus Basin perceive the climate changing around them and report impacts of this change as increase in overall temperatures (US 96.9%, MS 97%, DS 93.6%) and erratic rainfall patterns (US 44.1%, MS 73.3%, DS 51.0%) resulting in increased water availability for crops (US 38.6%, MS 39.7%, DS 54.8%) but also increasing number of dry days (US 56.7%, MS 85.5%, DS 67.1%). Communities at these altitudes said that agriculture was their primary source of income, making them particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and the dangers that go along with it. The insights are useful for determining what information and actions are required to support local climate-related hazard management in subtropical climate regions. Moreover, it is vital to launch a campaign to raise awareness of potential hazards, as well as to provide training and an early warning system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anthropogenic Climate Change: Social Science Perspectives - Volume II)
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35 pages, 2508 KiB  
Article
The Changing Climate Is Changing Safe Drinking Water, Impacting Health: A Case in the Southwestern Coastal Region of Bangladesh (SWCRB)
by M. Ashrafuzzaman, Carla Gomes and João Guerra
Climate 2023, 11(7), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11070146 - 12 Jul 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5705
Abstract
This study focuses on investigating the impact of climate change on the availability of safe drinking water and human health in the Southwest Coastal Region of Bangladesh (SWCRB). Additionally, it explores local adaptation approaches aimed at addressing these challenges. The research employed a [...] Read more.
This study focuses on investigating the impact of climate change on the availability of safe drinking water and human health in the Southwest Coastal Region of Bangladesh (SWCRB). Additionally, it explores local adaptation approaches aimed at addressing these challenges. The research employed a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to gather data. Qualitative data were collected through various means such as case studies, workshops, focus group discussions (FGDs), interviews, and key informant interviews (KIIs). The study specifically collected qualitative data from 12 unions in the Shyamnagar Upazila. On the other hand, through the quantitative method, we collected respondents’ answers through a closed-ended questionnaire survey from 320 respondents from nine unions in the first phase of this study. In the next phase, we also collected data from the three most vulnerable unions of Shyamnagar Upazila, namely Poddo Pukur, Gabura, and Burigoalini, where 1579 respondents answered questions regarding safe drinking water and health conditions due to climate change. The findings of the study indicate that local communities in the region acknowledge the significant impact of sea-level rise (SLR) on freshwater sources and overall well-being, primarily due to increased salinity. Over 70% of the respondents identified gastrointestinal issues, hypertension, diarrhea, malnutrition, and skin diseases as major waterborne health risks arising from salinity and lack of access to safe water. Among the vulnerable groups, women and children were found to be particularly susceptible to waterborne diseases related to salinity. While the study highlights the presence of certain adaptation measures against health-related problems, such as community clinics and health centers at the upazila level, as well as seeking healthcare from local and paramedical doctors, it notes that these measures are insufficient. In terms of safe drinking water, communities have adopted various adaptation strategies, including pond excavation to remove saline water (partially making it potable), implementing pond sand filters, rainwater harvesting, and obtaining potable water from alternative sources. However, these efforts alone do not fully address the challenges associated with ensuring safe drinking water. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anthropogenic Climate Change: Social Science Perspectives - Volume II)
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