Public Perception And Response Towards Climate Change Based On The Perspective Of Risk

Research on the public perception and response of climate change risk will contribute to perfecting man-earth relationship in the system of the sustainable development theory. Public accurate perception of local climate change risk is the foundation of making effective adaptation strategies. To avoid the simplification of responding patterns, it is important to envisage the public perception difference, which can provide empirical basis for decision makers to make more appropriate policies. According to the review and summary of the previous related literatures and theories, the questionnaire was designed. With the method of random sampling and field investigation, 600 questionnaires were handed out in Baoji, and 391 valid questionnaires were collected for the further analysis. Then the questionnaire data was made statistical analysis with Origin, SPSS and Arc GIS software to reveal the public perception deviation of climate change and research the spatial differentiation characteristics of public perception and responses towards climate change risk from the view of geography. Then the structural equation model was constructed from aspects both of individual character, emotion and values to explore the formation mechanism of perception and behavior. Finally, based on the empirical research results, some proposals were given out to address climate change risk. The main conclusions were as follows:(1) The climate had changed significantly during 1974~2013 in Baoji. The annual average temperature had rose with rate of 0.38℃/10 a and the reduction rate of annual precipitation was 3.85 mm/10 a, the trend of climate change in Baoji was becoming warmer and drier, which was shown with wary variation in time. And this warm and dry climate was the most prominent in the spring.(2) The trend of climate change was heterogeneous in space. The warm and dry tendency was the most obvious in tableland area, followed by loess hilly and gully region. Least apparent among areas in Baoji were Qinling and Guanshan mountains, where the trend was becoming warmer and wetter in the winter.(3) The public perception of climate change was consistent with actual climate change relatively, but the risk perception of climate change had significant spatial heterogeneity. People of mid-west region had strong perception of water shortage, and the public perception of ecological crisis was the strongest in central region. People in Linyou county and downtown of Baoji had strong perception on heavy rain and infectious diseases; people of Fengxiang county had the weakest perception of sandstorm, but also had the strongest perception on rainstorm. Only the public in Qianyang and Linyou counties had strong perception on husbandry fluctuation, only these people in Feng county had strong perception on flood, and only the public in northeast of Baoji and Long county had strong perception on cold wave.(4) Significant difference exists among the public responses towards climate change. In terms of resource utilization, people in the northern region did better than the public in the southern. And people in the northwest region and Mei county were more willing to buy green products, however the willingness of public was the weakest, who were living in the east of Feng county and the west of Taibai county.(5) The public individual characteristics, emotion and values had significant effect on perception and response towards climate change risk. Occupation, education and concern about climate change were influencing factors of public perception on climate change risk, and age, income, policy evaluation, concern about climate change, perception were effective predictors of response behavior.