71% Indians experienced severe heatwave in last 12 months: study
A survey conducted across Indian cities found that 71% of Indians have experienced severe heatwaves. The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) and CVoter (an international survey company headquartered in New Delhi) surveyed 10,751 people above the age of 18 from December 5, 2024, to February 18, 2025. The survey revealed that Indians have recently experienced extreme heat waves, floods, water shortages and irregular monsoon patterns. These events not only harm lives and livelihoods but also shape how people perceive both climate change and extreme weather, the report said.
The survey was conducted by a team of researchers: Marija Verner, Jennifer Marlon, Jagadish Thaker, Jennifer Carman, Seth Rosenthal, Yashwant Deshmukh, Gaura Shukla, Emily Richards, Emily Goddard and Anthony Leiserowitz.
Most respondents in the field survey said they had personally experienced at least one extreme weather event or related impact in the past 12 months. Marija Verner said, 'While Majorities of Indians said they had experienced severe heat waves (71%), 60% said they had suffered agricultural pests and diseases, 59% faced power outages, 53% faced water pollution, 52% faced droughts and water shortages, and 52% faced severe air pollution.'
The survey said that large majorities of Indians are worried about extreme weather or related impacts harming their local area. The paper said, 'More than half of Indians say they are 'very worried' about extinctions of plant and animal species (61%), severe heat waves (56%), agricultural pests and diseases (62%), droughts and water shortages (58%), water pollution (55%), severe air pollution (54%), and famines and food shortages (51%).'
Jagadish Thaker said that during the survey, they found that the majority of people think global warming is affecting extreme weather and related impacts in India. '64% Indians said global warming is affecting extinctions of plant and animal species, causing severe heat waves (62%), droughts and water shortages (60%), 59% feel its leading to severe air pollution, water pollution (57%), severe cyclones (54%), famines and food shortages (53%), severe floods (53%), monsoons (52%), and severe storms (50%) are happening a lot.'
Additionally, 43% of Indians think global warming affects electricity power outages a lot.
Extreme weather events and related impacts are common and deeply worrisome for many people in India, Emily Richards said. 'Climate and weather-related risks are not abstract concerns for many Indians but are part of people's day-to-day lives. Moreover, worry about local impacts is widespread and reflects people's experiences with these events. After hearing a definition of global warming, most respondents said it affects these events, especially plant and animal extinctions, heat waves, and agricultural disruptions.'
However, 32% of people in India have never heard of global warming, the report said. Jennifer Marlon emphasised, these findings highlight the critical need to raise public awareness about climate change and local climate impacts and reinforce the urgency of both reducing carbon pollution and preparing for future extreme events.
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