DefinePK

Abstract

Purpose:The paper explores community level awareness, perceived effects, adaptation behavior, obstacles, and desirable approaches to climate change in Pakistan, one of the highly susceptible countries to climate variability.
Design/methodology/approach:A quantitative research design was adopted with a structured questionnaire being conducted on 380 respondents in seven regions of Pakistan. The survey was used to collect demographic profiles, awareness, and adaptation practices, and perceived challenges. The analysis of the data was conducted using descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, to help gain the evidence-based picture of the climate change dynamics.
Findings:Findings show that there is a lot of awareness regarding the issue of climate change, and those who take part are more than aware of the adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture, water, and livelihood. However, adaptation practices remain inconsistent, with water conservation relatively more common compared to disaster preparedness and resilient farming. Among the most crucial challenges are the shortage of financial resources, low level of governmental support, and technical inaccessibility. Public awareness campaigns, government investment in infrastructure, and nature-based solutions were all of high preference by the respondents as priority adaptation strategies.
Originality/value:The research provides one of the best community-level evaluation of Pakistani climate change adaptation. Connecting awareness, practices, barriers, and strategies, the findings offer action-able information to policymakers, development organizations, and researchers in the area of climate resilience and sustainable development.