Concerns about climate change shrank across the world last year, a survey shows, with fewer than half of those questioned saying they believed it posed a “very serious threat” to their countries in the next 20 years.
Only 20 per cent of people in China, the world's biggest polluter, said they believed that climate change was a very serious threat, down 3 percentage points from the previous poll in 2019, the survey by Gallup World Risk Poll showed on Wednesday.
Globally, the figure fell by 1.5 percentage points to 48.7 per cent in 2021, it said.
The Covid-19 pandemic and concerns about more immediate issues such as health and livelihoods may partly explain the drop, the survey, based on more than 125,000 interviews in 121 countries, showed.
Climate change awareness rose slightly in the US in 2021, the second biggest global polluter, to 51.5 per cent, it said.
Regions with the highest ecological threats are on average the least concerned about climate change, with only 27.4 per cent of the Middle East and North Africa and 39.1 per cent of South Asian respondents concerned about the risks.
The findings come before the next round of global climate talks when countries meet in Egypt in November for Cop27.
But despite the shrinking concern, the ecological bill of climate change is growing globally.
A study by the Institute for Economics and Peace of 228 countries and territories found that 750 million people globally are now affected by undernourishment and climate change, as well as rising inflation.
Furthermore, Russia's war in Ukraine is expected to exacerbate food insecurity in the future.
More than 1.4 billion people in 83 countries face extreme “water stress”, where more than a fifth of the population does not have access to clean drinking water, the study showed.
Several European countries are expected to experience critical clean water shortages by 2040, including Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and Portugal, the report found, which will also hit most of sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa.
Annually, air pollution has cost the world $8.1 trillion, or 6.1 per cent of the global gross domestic product, causing between six to nine million deaths, the study showed.
The average global cost of natural disasters reached $200 billion annually, four times higher than in the 1980s, it said.
“Negotiators at Cop27 need to consider the ways in which climate change is exacerbating the impacts of ecological threats … and how the international community can mitigate them,” said Steve Killelea, founder of the Sydney-based institute.
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A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Brief scores
Day 1
Toss England, chose to bat
England, 1st innings 357-5 (87 overs): Root 184 not out, Moeen 61 not out, Stokes 56; Philander 3-46
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
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Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
