Climate change is among the five leading challenges facing Bulgaria

Climate change is in fifth place on the list of challenges facing Bulgaria, ranking after political instability, living standards, unemployment and access to healthcare.

This is the opinion of the majority of participants from the country in the seventh climate survey commissioned by the European Investment Bank (EIB). For 96% of respondents in Bulgaria, it is important for the country to adapt to climate change, and half of them are of the opinion that this should be a priority. The survey also found that 89% of respondents approve of the immediate costs of climate adaptation to avoid higher costs in the future.

These are some of the leading conclusions of the EIB's seventh climate study. With similar public attitudes, Bulgaria is in line with the average ratios for the entire EU, the EIB reports.

The research covers the views on climate change of more than 24000 respondents across the EU and the US. 1007 people took part in Bulgaria, and the survey was carried out in August 2024. This year, the country's summer was marked by prolonged high temperatures, persistent drought and hundreds of forest fires, preceded by heavy rainfall and flooding in previous years.

Personal contact with extreme phenomena

The personal experience of extreme weather phenomena is also decisive for the attitude of Bulgarians towards taking precautionary measures and actions. Of the participants from Bulgaria, 94%, or 14% above the EU average, stated that they had been affected by at least one extreme weather event in the past five years. Specifically, 62% were affected by extreme heat and heatwaves (7% above the EU average), 48% were affected by forest fires (27% above the EU average) and 45% faced droughts (10% above the EU average). The consequences of extreme weather events for Bulgarians are visible and diverse, with the most frequently mentioned difficulties being related to access to drinking water, power outages or difficulties with energy supply, the destruction of forest or natural sites near home.

As a result of all this, Bulgarians are aware of the need to adjust, concludes the EIB based on the aggregated data. For example, 74% of respondents admit that they will have to change their lifestyle due to climate change; 41% (6% above the EU average) assume that they will need to move to a more climate-proof location to avoid floods, forest fires or extreme weather events, nearly a third of those who say that will have to move to a region or country with lower temperatures (6% above the EU average).

The EIB's latest climate study also found that Bulgarians perceive adaptation to climate change as an economic opportunity and a long-term investment for the country. There is a prevailing opinion (88% of respondents) that climate change adaptation investments can help create jobs and boost the local economy.

Priorities

According to the study, the Bulgarian respondents indicate the following leading priorities for adapting to the climate - planting climate-resistant vegetation (48%); cooling cities by greening the streets or creating additional green spaces (40%); improving infrastructure through better drainage systems, flood barriers, storm shelters or sustainable power grids (40%).

On the question of who should bear the costs of adapting to climate change, Bulgarians answer as follows: 39% believe that the costs should be borne by the companies and industries that contribute the most to climate change; nearly a quarter are for an even distribution of costs among all; 17% think the more affluent should shoulder the costs by raising taxes.

The research is interested in who benefits first from the means of adjustment. According to the summary information, the attitudes of Bulgarians look like this: for 32%, the priority group should be the elderly; 29% believe that the benefits should be shared equally among all; 26% believe that those living in high-risk areas should benefit first.

The question of who should benefit from adjustment aid is a supranational priority, the study reports. 54% of Bulgarians consider the need to support the world's adaptation efforts and believe that their country should do more for the most vulnerable developing nations to adapt to the deepening effects of climate change.