In Southeast Asia, the proportion of those who see climate change as a serious and immediate threat has dropped to 42.5% in 2024, according to the latest Southeast Asia Climate Outlook Survey by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.
This is down from 49.4% in 2023, 45.8% in 2022, and 72.2% in 2021.
This is despite 2023 being the hottest year on record globally. 2024 is just as extreme, with floods, storms, and heatwaves hitting the region.
Just a few days ago, Typhoon Yagi killed hundreds as it swept across northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand.
The survey shows that many in the region are focused on bread-and-butter concerns, Ms. Sharon Seah says. She is the lead author and coordinator of the Asean Studies Centre and the Climate Change in Southeast Asia Program.
The annual survey of regional climate views also found that nearly 70% of respondents reported experiences of food insecurity, compared with 60% in 2023.
Of the respondents who experienced food insecurity, 42.5% blamed it on rising food prices and 28.8% on climate change.
The survey polled nearly 3,000 people online in all 10 ASEAN nations between 10 July and 17 August.
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