Above three-quarters of the adults from Australia were affected due to the nation's bushfire crisis, as per a poll conducted by Australian National University (ANU). More than 3,000 Australians were taken as sample size and the poll asked about the experiences and the exposure they had during the recent bushfires which caused havoc in the country.
The bushfires killed at least 33 people along with destroying more than 3,000 homes further causing a devastating impact on the economies in certain regions of Australia, as reported by Xinhua news agency. The lead researcher Nicholas Biddle stated that even he was "surprised at just how far-reaching" the impacts were.
Above three-quarters Australian adults were affected by bushfires
He said they found that about three million people, more than 14 percent of adult Australians, said they were directly exposed to the fires including having their property damaged or threatened or being advised to evacuate. Analysis of the data also showed that more than three-quarters of Australian adults, more than 15 million Australians, reported some form of indirect exposure.
"Nearly every Australian has been touched by these fires and many of us will be living with the effects for years and years to come," he said in a media release.
"These fires have been unprecedented in scale and global impact. And now our poll shows just how far and wide and how many Australians have felt the negative and long-lasting effects of this disaster, regardless of their economic, social or cultural background."
Respondents were asked about their attitude towards their own lives
Respondents to the poll were also asked about their attitude towards their own lives, Australia's political leaders and the environment. Only 27 per cent of respondents said that they were confident or very confident in the federal government. The poll found that Prime Minister Scott Morrison's current average approval rating was 3.92 out of 10, down from 5.25 compared with the result in June 2019.
"We estimate that about 60 per cent of adult Australians were either satisfied or very satisfied with the way the country is heading in January 2020, a significant and substantial decline from 65 per cent in the October 2019 ANUpoll," Biddle said. On a range of 0 to 10, life satisfaction in January 2020 declined to 6.90 from a score of 7.05 in October 2019.
(With agency inputs)
