Most Indians report feeling the direct impact of climate change in their daily lives.

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Extreme weather is no longer an abstract concept for the Indian public. A massive survey reveals that a majority of citizens have personally experienced severe heat waves, air pollution, and water shortages in the last year, fueling widespread anxiety about the future of their local environments and livelihoods.

Between December 2024 and February 2025, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and CVoter surveyed 10,751 adults across India. The findings indicate that climate-related risks have become deeply embedded in the daily experience of the population. A clear majority of respondents reported personal encounters with severe heat waves, agricultural pests, and power outages within the previous 12 months. This personal exposure correlates strongly with high levels of worry; over 60% of Indians express significant concern regarding the potential extinction of local plant and animal species, while more than half are deeply troubled by the prospect of food shortages and worsening air quality.

While the public is acutely aware of these shifts, there remains a notable gap in climate literacy: 32% of the population has never heard the term global warming. However, once provided with a definition, a majority of Indians readily attribute extreme weather events—such as cyclones, floods, and irregular monsoons—to global warming. This attribution is particularly strong regarding heat waves and agricultural disruptions, which are increasingly viewed as consequences of a warming planet rather than isolated natural anomalies.

The urgency of these findings is underscored by the broader environmental context. India’s climate has already warmed by 0.7 °C between 1901 and 2018, leading to more frequent and intense heat waves. Scientific projections suggest that events which were once rare are becoming commonplace; for instance, heat waves of the severity seen in 2010, which previously might have occurred once every 312 years, are now expected to strike every three years. As the nation grapples with these changes, the survey highlights a critical need for expanded public awareness and robust strategies to both mitigate carbon emissions and bolster resilience against future climate-driven disasters.

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