Climate Change is not viewed as a major issue by South Africans, according to a survey

Globally, climate change is a severe danger to food production, is displacing people, and is raising health hazards. Addressing climate change necessitates massive investments in decarbonizing businesses and producing food in a sustainable manner. Primarily, it demands international cooperation and commitment based on a precise understanding of the pertinent concerns.

However, less developed nations face competing obstacles. Poverty, inequality, violence, and access to education and work tend to dominate climate change efforts in South Africa, for instance.

The South African government began considering how to incorporate environmental concerns into the national budget in 2022, citing eleven active projects as proof. This is a crucial step in making climate change a national priority. However, other socioeconomic issues affecting the population are currently the primary focus of government spending.

This is comprehensible. One in four South African women between the ages of 18 and 49 had suffered intimate partner abuse. HIV prevalence is 13.5%, and unemployment is at a multi-decade high of 33.9%. South Africans view these concerns as critical and requiring rapid attention. They are reflected in the National Development Plan of the country.

However, these challenges are interconnected. Current and future efforts to protect livelihoods, grow the economy, and avoid sickness and loss of life face a greater danger due to climate change. It is crucial to understand the public’s perspective on environmental concerns and the importance of addressing them.

This was the impetus for my study of South Africans’ perspectives on environmental issues in connection to competing socioeconomic challenges.

A nationally representative sample of individuals was drawn from the 2017 South African Social Attitudes Survey for this study. In the study, 3,173 persons selected what they considered to be the three most pressing issues in South Africa at the moment. Environmental concerns were on the list from which they may choose.

Environmental issues did not figure on their list of the top ten most significant difficulties. Only 0.09 percent of respondents cited environmental concerns as the nation’s top priority. The environment ranked seventeenth among respondents’ primary concerns. The top three concerns were unemployment, HIV, and criminality.

The analysis of responses found that 77.62% of respondents held negative views about the environment, while 22.37 % held good views.

The results of the study indicate that South Africans would prefer see efforts directed toward addressing other difficulties, despite the fact that climate change would exacerbate these challenges. The results also indicate where efforts to alter attitudes could be concentrated.

The study was conducted five years ago, and the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant influence on people’s life since then. Therefore, it is possible that if questioned today, climate concerns would rank even lower on the list of South Africans’ priorities.

Additionally, this is how climate change affects the transmission of illness.

The population of the study consisted of 16-year-old and older persons of both sexes, of all races, geographic areas, and nations. The outcomes were adjusted for these demographic and socioeconomic factors.

Participants answered three inquiries:

what they perceived to be South Africa’s three greatest challenges (in order)

whether “people’s taxes” were utilised for environmental protection.

if additional taxes ought to be spent on the environment.

Among all respondents, 65% ranked unemployment first, 15% HIV/AIDS second, and 11% crime and safety third as the country’s top three challenges. Only 0.09% of respondents cited the environment as their primary concern. This final group of responders consisted solely of men.

Environmental issues also did not rank in the top ten of the second or third most significant challenges.

Crime and safety, service delivery, and corruption topped the list of the second most significant concerns. Environment ranked fifteenth (1.04%) here. 69% of those who placed the environment second were women.

Poverty, corruption, and education led the list of the third most significant issues. Environment ranked tenth (3.18%), with a more equitable distribution of men and women.

Participants who placed social difficulties as their top priority were also more likely to have a favorable outlook on environmental challenges. This indicates that there is a population segment that could be targeted by environmental and social reform groups.

62.28% of respondents who said more tax dollars should be spent on the environment were male, while 37.74% were female.

Males and urban dwellers were more likely than females and rural individuals to have negative attitudes toward environmental issues.

Older than 16 to 19 years of age; female; black; less educated; and unemployed were the groups most likely to have an unfavorable view of the environment.

The fact that females do not prioritize environmental concerns as highly as males presents an opportunity to educate females on the immediate benefits that climate change measures could provide for the care and daily functioning of their households. About 42% of South African households are headed by women.

These results indicate that competing economic, social, and health interests now trump environmental concerns in South Africa. This is justifiable at the present time, but many of these difficulties will be exacerbated by climate change in the future, posing an additional obstacle to the country’s economic potential.

Second, attempts to lessen competing challenges could provide a chance to increase awareness of environmental change and development issues.

To inform and aid the public in reducing carbon footprints and developing sustainable technology, it is necessary to design strategies that include, among others, women and rural residents.

In doing so, there are two essential considerations to keep in mind. Interventions should not increase public expenditures or increase population vulnerability. In addition, the solutions sought and the information presented should be tailored to the population’s livelihoods, food production and consumption requirements, and economy. In other words, an African-led approach and solution are necessary.