Survey says 90% of adults in state personally experienced effects of global warming

A striking 90% of adults in Tamil Nadu say they have personally experienced the effects of global warming, the highest in the country, according to the newly released Climate Opinion Maps for India by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.

- SV KRISHNA CHAITANYA @Chennai

The findings align with what the state’s own Economic Survey has repeatedly said, Tamil Nadu is on the frontline of rising temperatures, altered rainfall patterns and an escalating burden of extreme weather.

The survey also shows that 66% of adults in Tamil Nadu report knowing “a lot” or “something” about global warming, again among the top in India. Experts say this heightened awareness may be linked to the state’s high urbanisation, concentrated industries, and recurring climate-linked disruptions, from heat stress in cities to erratic monsoon spells affecting reservoirs and agriculture. For comparison, awareness levels are significantly lower in states such as Uttar Pradesh (52%) and Bihar (48%), while higher levels are seen in Kerala (62%) and Delhi (70%).