Authors - Priyanka K, Vinay R K, Vansh Jain, Vinit Kulkarni Abstract - This study examines the influence of both demographic and natural factors on climate change risk perception in New Zealand. Using data from a nationally representative survey, the analysis applies exploratory factor analysis to construct a composite measure of risk perception, followed by correlation and regression modeling to evaluate the relative contribution of environmental exposure and human characteristics. The findings indicate that while natural factors such as temperature anomalies and extreme weather exposure significantly shape perceived risk, demographic variables including prior disaster experience, trust in scientific institutions, and media exposure exert a stronger overall influence. These results underscore the importance of incorporating social and behavioral dimensions into climate risk assessments and policy development to enhance public engagement and adaptive capacity.
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