Disparities in Climate Threat Perception: Lessons from LMICs and HICs

Abstract

Awareness of climate threats plays a vital role in enabling households and institutions to adapt their behavior, build resilience, and support mitigation efforts. My study investigates the divergent impacts of climate-related disasters on public perceptions of climate risk, mental health concern, and institutional trust across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs). Using repeated cross-sectional data from the World Risk Poll (2019–2023) and a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) approach with country fixed effects, it examines how exposure to climate shocks shapes individual attitudes and responses over time. The findings reveal significant disparities between LMICs and HICs. In LMICs, public sentiment remains largely unchanged post-shock, with limited evidence of belief updating in terms of how individuals perceive climate-induced threats, or heightened concern. Even in LMICs with high levels of initial awareness about climate threats, exposure appears to lead to desensitization rather than increased risk perception. By contrast, in HICs, high-exposure regions report greater perceived climate threat, particularly among younger and tertiary-educated populations. Demographic factors such as age, gender, education level, and urbanicity play critical roles in shaping individual responses to climate shocks. While exposure is associated with increased environmental concern in HICs, structural barriers — including weak institutions and limited access to information — constrain belief updating in LMICs. By integrating cross-national data, my research contributes to a more global understanding of climate vulnerability and resilience. It emphasizes the importance of context-specific approaches to addressing climate risks and highlights that patterns observed in HICs may not be replicable in LMICs, where structural constraints and data availability limit current research.