QAZAQ GREEN.  The United Nations Development Programme in Kazakhstan presented the results of a sociological survey, «Awareness of the population of the Republic of Kazakhstan about climate change», at the press breakfast in the capital of Kazakhstan.

The survey involved 2168 people from all regions of Kazakhstan.

"Promoting the climate agenda in Kazakhstan is one of the key goals of our country-wide activities. Conducting such studies allows us to better understand what environmental issues are important to the population across the country. It also makes it possible to track the dynamics in the evolution of public awareness on these issues,"said Sukhrob Khojimatov, UNDP Resident Representative a.i. in Kazakhstan.

The survey results showed that 72.2 percent of respondents believe that human beings and human activities have a strong negative impact on climate change. Yet, more than half the respondents said public awareness of adaptation measures needed to fight the consequences of climate change (61.15 percent) was low.

Compared to the 2012 and 2020 studies, people's interest in the problem of climate change is slightly lower in 2022. The study points to the likelihood of this being due to external factors that have impinged globally since 2020 – the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical crises.

"Rising temperatures, changing precipitation, shrinking water resources, loss of biodiversity, and threats to food security are all impacts of climate change. Today, priority is being given to the adaptation needs of key sectors affected by climate change - agriculture, water management, forestry and disaster risk reduction. In addition to government institutions, civil society and the business community also play an important role in addressing environmental problems and climate change issues. We are very grateful to the United Nations Development Programme in Kazakhstan for conducting such an important study," said Zulfiya Suleimenova, Vice Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan.

Despite some decline in interest in research issues, it is noted that the interest remains stable. Approximately 80 per cent of residents are willing to personally contribute to improving the environmental situation in Kazakhstan through conscious consumption, waste sorting, and other measures. Altogether 55.2 percent of the respondents deem that the level of environmental culture and awareness among the population is average. For comparison, in a study conducted in 2012, 63 percent of respondents believed the level of environmental culture among Kazakhstanis was low.

We note that UNDP in Kazakhstan previously produced a pocket guide on climate change adaptation in the country. This informative guide, which explains the causes of climate change and its impact on the livelihoods of people in Kazakhstan, is intended for a wide audience. The climate guide was produced in Kazakh, Russian and English.