Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

7. Vulnerability and Resilience

7.1 Nearly two in three people in India receive advance warnings about extreme weather, but about one in three do not.

Nearly two in three people in India (63%) receive warnings ahead of time when an extreme weather event (such as a heat wave, flood, or cyclone) happens in their local area. However, more than one in three (36%) say they do not receive such warnings.

7.2 About half of people in India say they receive warnings about extreme events from television and family, friends, or neighbors.

Nearly two-thirds of people in India say they receive warnings about extreme weather ahead of time (refer to Section 7.1). This includes about half of people in India who say they receive warnings about extreme weather events from television (53%) and family, friends, or neighbors (51%). Four in ten or more say they receive warnings from social media (49%) and SMS text messages (46%), and three in ten or more say they receive warnings from phone calls (37%), local government officials (34%), and radio (31%).

7.3 A majority of people in India say it would take them several months or more to recover from a severe drought or flood.

Nearly two-thirds of people in India (64%) say it would take their household several months or more to recover from a severe flood. A large majority (74%) also say it would take several months or more to recover from a severe drought. This includes about one in four respondents who say it would take them several years to recover from a severe flood (26%) or a severe drought (27%).

7.4 Three in ten people in India have moved or considered moving because of weather-related disasters.

Three in ten people in India (30%) say have either already moved or considered moving because of weather-related disasters such as extreme heat, droughts, sea-level rise, flooding, or others. This includes 12% who say they “have already moved because of weather-related disasters” and 18% who say they “have not moved but have considered doing so.” About two-thirds of people in India (67%) say they “have not moved or considered moving” due to weather-related disasters.

7.5 Few Indian households have an air conditioner or solar panels for electricity generation.

Only 16% of people in India say their household has an air conditioner, and about one in ten people in India (11%) say their home has solar panels that generate electricity.

7.6 Many people in India lack access to clean drinking water.

Respondents were asked how often they or any member of their household had to go through the day without enough clean drinking water over the past year. Eight percent say it happened “very often,” 7% “often,” and 21% “sometimes,” while nearly two-thirds of people in India (64%) say they or their household members have “never” faced this issue in the past year.

7.7 More than half of people in India say their income does not cover their needs and they face difficulties.

Only 13% of people in India say their household income covers their needs and they are able to save money, and another 25% say their income covers their needs, but by just enough. In contrast, more than half of people in India say their income does not cover their needs and that they either have “some difficulties” (27%) or “great difficulties” (33%).

7.8 More than four in ten people in India say they have no friends or relatives they could count on for help if they were in trouble.

When asked how many relatives and friends they could count on if they were in trouble and needed help, more than four in ten people in India (43%) say they have “none.” A large percentage (34%) say they have “1 to 5” friends or relatives they could count on to help them, while fewer say they have either “6 to 10” (10%) or more than that (12%).