From the frontlines of climate change: Survey investigates stances of small-island states

Photo credit: phys.org Excerpt from phys.org

Small island states are among the most vulnerable to climate change, but there's surprisingly scant research revealing what such residents think about these threats, says Parrish Bergquist, assistant professor of political science in the School of Arts & Sciences.

"This segment of the population is pivotal to global conversations around climate change. Their leaders are front and center when these discussions happen, but we know so little about what members of the public in these places think and feel."

A paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences closely examines exactly that issue. Through a first-of-its-kind survey completed by Bergquist and national colleagues, the researchers gained insight into how residents across 55 small-island states and territories are approaching climate change.