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Sink or Swim: Testing the Roles of Science and Religion in Raising Environmental Awareness in Indonesia

Author

Listed:
  • Sim, Armand

    (Monash University)

  • Gultom, Sarah

    (Monash University)

  • Widita, Alyas

    (Monash University)

  • Lee, Wang-Sheng

    (Monash University)

  • Khalil, Umair

    (Deakin University)

Abstract

Promoting awareness and encouraging pro-sustainability behaviors to mitigate climate and environmental issues can be challenging due to their polarizing nature. We conduct a large-scale online experiment in Jakarta, the world's fastest sinking city, to examine the impact of messenger identity and narrative style on awareness and behavior regarding land subsidence, a human-induced climate change phenomenon. We vary the messenger identity (an actor portraying either a religious leader or a scientist) and the narrative style of the message (religious vs. scientific). Our results show that exposure to an environmental video message, as opposed to a placebo, increases beliefs, trust in institutions, and pro-sustainability behaviors. The largest impacts arise when a scientist delivers a message embedded with a religious narrative. The effects are more pronounced among individuals with low prior knowledge, high trust in authorities, and those less reliant on groundwater. However, we find limited evidence of heterogeneous treatment effects on actions. Our findings highlight the importance of carefully considering both the message and the messenger in communication strategies in a diverse population.

Suggested Citation

  • Sim, Armand & Gultom, Sarah & Widita, Alyas & Lee, Wang-Sheng & Khalil, Umair, 2024. "Sink or Swim: Testing the Roles of Science and Religion in Raising Environmental Awareness in Indonesia," IZA Discussion Papers 17184, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17184
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    land subsidence; environmental awareness; religion; science; Indonesia;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy
    • Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion

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