Degree of importance of demographic and socio-cultural factors in environmental perception: bases for the design of public policies in Argentina and Spain

Abstract

Environmental problems on a global scale (such as climate change) are of increasing concern in the scholar. However, it is unclear to what extent society is aware of the severity of these problems. The aim of this study is to advance our knowledge about the environmental perceptions of citizens, with the understanding that citizen participation and action are key to mitigating environmental problems. Specifically, we aim to determine the degree of importance of demographic and sociocultural factors in this perception. To this end, data from 506 questionnaires carried out in Spain and Argentina were analysed. Quantitative data were treated using multivariate analysis based on multiple logistic regression. The results showed that demographic variables, such as location and age, have a greater influence than sociocultural variables, such as profession and sources of environmental information, in the perception of environmental problems. Our findings show that the analysis of environmental perception is a useful tool both for incorporating the point of view of local actors in public policies and for defining effective strategies for action in participatory management. They also show that the different age, occupation and profession of the population must be taken into account and that, to address specific environmental problems, it is necessary to carry out diagnoses focussed on demographic factors, mainly to find out which aspects should be strengthened through programmes and projects aimed at solving environmental problems. It is important to bear in mind that the behaviour of local actors is related to their environmental perception.