摘要：Andrea Malek Ash 博士是盖洛普的研究顾问，她在那里从事 K-12 和高等教育等主题的原创研究。在 Gallup 的公共部门部门，她帮助机构、基金会、非营利组织和其他组织与高质量的数据和分析建立联系。她拥有爱荷华大学科学教育博士学位，并拥有教师背

作者：安德里亚・马莱克・阿什

Andrea Malek Ash 博士是盖洛普的研究顾问，她在那里从事 K-12 和高等教育等主题的原创研究。在 Gallup 的公共部门部门，她帮助机构、基金会、非营利组织和其他组织与高质量的数据和分析建立联系。她拥有爱荷华大学科学教育博士学位，并拥有教师背景，曾与 6-12 年级学生、本科生和在职教育工作者合作。

Dr. Andrea Malek Ash is a Research Consultant at Gallup, where she works on original research studies with topics such as K-12 and higher education. In Gallup’s public sector division, she helps connect institutions, foundations, non-profits, and other organizations with high-quality data and analytics. She holds a PhD in science education from the University of Iowa and has a background as a teacher, having worked with 6th-12th graders, undergraduates, and in-service educators.

故事要点

• 61%的Z世代表示他们经历过与气候相关的水问题

• 低收入家庭中，不安全的自来水问题更为常见

• 三分之二的Z世代预计气候变化的影响将恶化

华盛顿特区消息 —— 根据沃尔顿家族基金会和盖洛普的一项新研究，水问题是 Z 世代正在经历的与气候变化相关问题的常见方式。61% 的 Z 世代表示，在过去两年里，他们所在的社区至少受到一种与水有关的问题的影响，比如洪水、干旱或不安全的自来水。在这三个问题中，干旱是最常被提及的，36% 的 Z 世代称他们所在的城镇在过去两年里经历过干旱。

这份数据源自沃尔顿家族基金会与盖洛普联合发布的最新报告《下一代浪潮：Z世代对水资源与气候的观察》。报告将Z世代定义为12至27岁的年轻群体。

需要说明的是，Z世代反馈的部分影响可能是间接的。该调查既未评估水资源问题的严重程度，也未说明问题与受访者的直接关联性（仅确认事件发生在受访者所在城镇或家中）。此外，环境危机的技术性定义可能与问卷措辞存在差异。

但联邦统计数据印证了水资源事件的普遍性。美国国土安全部数据显示，过去五年全美49%的郡县遭遇过洪灾。而根据国家抗旱中心的监测，2024年期间，美国本土经历中度以上干旱的地区比例在12%至54%之间波动（重度及以上干旱的比例区间为3%至28%）。

本研究通过Z世代的自我报告数据，揭示了这代人对广泛气候事件的认知图景。

在调研涉及的三大水问题中，自来水不安全现象的人口差异最为显著。数据显示，低收入家庭以及非裔/拉丁裔的Z世代，比其他群体更频繁报告近期遭遇自来水安全问题。

多种因素可能导致低收入家庭的水质下降。罗德岛大学进行的研究表明，规模较小的饮用水系统含有更高水平的污染物，而这些较小的系统更有可能出现在低收入社区。美国环境保护署也强调了一些家庭在支付不断上涨的水电费方面面临的困难，这可能迫使家庭依赖不安全的水源。

34% 的 Z 世代黑人以及 36% 的 Z 世代西班牙裔被告知他们的自来水饮用不安全，而他们的白人同龄人中这一比例为 27%。这一发现与盖洛普此前的研究一致，即自 21 世纪初以来，黑人和西班牙裔美国人比白人美国人更担心水质问题。

总体而言，三分之二的 Z 世代预计，气候变化的影响在他们有生之年肯定（26%）或很可能（41%）会恶化。这些预期可能与个人经历有关：在过去两年中经历过洪水、干旱或不安全自来水的 Z 世代，比没有经历过的人更有可能预计气候变化会恶化。

与水相关的负面经历和对未来气候变化影响的悲观情绪之间的关系因政治派别而异。在民主党家庭中，大约 80% 的 Z 世代预计气候变化的影响会恶化，无论他们是否有过洪水、干旱或不安全的自来水问题经历。在共和党和政治独立家庭中的 Z 世代总体上不太可能预计气候变化会恶化 —— 但在这两个党派群体中，有过与水相关问题经历的人比没有经历过的人更有可能预计气候变化会恶化。

即使在考虑了自我报告的气候变化知识后，近期经历与对气候变化的未来预期之间的关系依然存在，这表明与水相关问题的个人经历可能会影响对未来气候变化的悲观情绪，无论个人对该话题的了解程度如何。

尽管在代际层面上，人们对气候变化的关注度呈上升趋势，但 Z 世代对水和气候的看法，仍受到多样的经历和观念的影响，这与他们的前辈们并无二致。大多数 Z 世代（61%）表示，在过去两年里，他们在自己的城镇或家中经历过洪水、干旱或不安全的自来水问题。特别是黑人、西班牙裔和低收入的 Z 世代，比同龄人更有可能经历过不安全的饮用水问题。

三分之二的 Z 世代预计，在他们的有生之年，气候变化的影响将加剧。对一些人来说，这些悲观的预期可能与他们在水相关问题上的个人经历有关。总体而言，经历过与水相关的气候问题的年轻人，比没有经历过的年轻人，更有可能认为气候变化的影响在他们的有生之年会加剧。然而，这种关系因政治派别而异：对于来自共和党和无党派家庭的 Z 世代来说，负面经历与对气候变化未来的负面预期相关联。

Z 世代一生中的无数经历和观念，可能会塑造他们解决气候相关问题的方式。

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Water problems are a common way that Gen Zers are experiencing climate change-related issues, according to a new study by the Walton Family Foundation and Gallup. Sixty-one percent of Gen Zers say their community has been affected by at least one water-related problem in the past two years, such as flooding, drought or unsafe tap water. Drought is the most commonly reported of these three, with 36% of Gen Zers saying their town has experienced a drought within the past two years.

These results come from the Walton Family Foundation and Gallup’s latest report, The Next Wave: Gen Z's Perspective on Water and Climate. Generation Z encompasses young people aged 12 to 27.

Some of the effects reported by Gen Zers may be indirect, as the poll does not address the severity of water-related problems nor their proximity to the individual (other than that they have occurred in the person’s town and/or home). Technical definitions of environmental crises may also differ from the survey wording.

Yet, federal statistics corroborate the widespread nature of water-related events. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 49% of counties in the U.S. have experienced a flood in the past five years. While drought conditions vary greatly over time, the portion of the continental U.S. experiencing at least moderate drought conditions ranged from 12% to 54% during 2024 (the prevalence of severe drought conditions or worse ranged from 3% to 28%), according to the National Drought Mitigation Center.

Self-reported findings from Gen Zers in the present study provide insight into their generation’s perceptions of these widespread events.

Among the three water-related problems asked about, experiencing unsafe tap water varies most by demographic characteristics. Gen Zers in lower-income households, as well as Black and Hispanic Gen Zers, are more likely than their peers to report a recent encounter with unsafe tap water.

Multiple factors may contribute to lessened water quality in lower-income households. Research conducted by the University of Rhode Island has shown that smaller drinking water systems have higher levels of contaminants, and these smaller systems are more likely to be present in lower-income communities. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has also highlighted the difficulties that some households face in affording rising utility bills, which can force households to rely on unsafe water sources.

Thirty-four percent of Black Gen Zers and 36% of Hispanic Gen Zers have been told their tap water is unsafe to drink, compared with 27% of their White peers. This finding is consistent with prior Gallup research showing that Black and Hispanic Americans worry more than White Americans about water quality, a trend that has persisted since the early 2000s.

Overall, two-thirds of Gen Zers expect the effects of climate change to definitely (26%) or probably (41%) get worse during their lifetime. These expectations may be related to personal experiences: Gen Zers who have experienced flooding, drought or unsafe tap water in the past two years are more likely than those who have not to expect climate change to worsen.

The relationship between negative water-related experiences and pessimism about future climate change effects varies by political affiliation. Roughly 80% of Gen Zers in Democratic households expect the effects of climate change to worsen, regardless of their experiences with flooding, drought or unsafe tap water. Gen Zers in Republican and politically independent households are less likely overall to expect climate change to worsen -- but within these two party groups, those who have experienced a water-related problem are more likely than those who have not to expect climate change to worsen.

The relationship between recent experiences and future expectations for climate change persists even when accounting for self-reported knowledge about climate change, suggesting that personal experience with a water-related problem may influence pessimism about future climate change, regardless of how knowledgeable someone feels about the topic.

Despite a generational trend toward higher concern about climate change, Gen Zers’ perspectives on water and climate are still informed by diverse experiences and beliefs, much like the generations before them. A majority of Gen Zers (61%) say they have experienced the effects of flooding, drought or unsafe tap water in their town or home within the past two years. In particular, Black, Hispanic and lower-income Gen Zers are more likely than their peers to have experienced unsafe drinking water.

Two-thirds of Gen Zers expect the effects of climate change to worsen during their lifetime. For some, these pessimistic expectations may be linked to personal experiences with water-related problems. Overall, young people who have experienced water-related climate issues are more likely than those who have not to say the effects of climate change will worsen during their lifetime. This relationship, however, varies by political affiliation: For Gen Zers in Republican and independent households, negative experiences are linked to negative expectations for the future of climate change.

Myriad experiences and beliefs throughout their lifetime are likely to shape Generation Z’s approach to solving climate-related problems.

来源：非 常道