The Impact of Post-Covid-19 Economic Recession on Public Perception of Climate Change and Environmental Behavior in Pakistan

Abstract

The interconnection between economic development, fervid crossovers in the frame of contagious diseases, and environmental problems, in particular, have, until now, seen less scrutiny from environmental economists. Empirical evidence suggests that great economic recessions have proven to affect the prioritization of environmental and climate protection. The current study surveys the perception of the residents of Lahore, Pakistan regarding their environmental perception and awareness of climate change issues at the time of post-COVID-19 economic recession. Furthermore, the present study investigates several economic factors including the impact of economic recession influencing the environmental behavior of mainstream society. A cross-sectional quantitative research design was utilized to gather data from 343 respondents belonging to a public university in Pakistan. To statistically analyze the date, chi square test and multinomial logistic regression was utilized to examine significant economic factors associated with environmental behaviors. The findings reveal that climate change is viewed as one of the main ecological problems in Lahore, Pakistan. Furthermore, significant association was found between individual’s socioeconomic background and impact of economic recession with their prioritization of climate action. The present research has several implications as identifying rising challenges of economic and climate-related threats can aid in adopting a more dynamic approach to strategic and structural investments. The current paper suggests robust policy interventions against financial instability to ensure collective as well as individual effort against climate change for a stable and sustainable future.