Direct and indirect influences of social-cognitive and experiential factors on pro-environmental

Climate change poses profound existential threats to millions of people, particularly in the Global South, with impacts differing markedly by the nature of climatic events. Slow-onset processes, such as salinization, rising temperatures, and sea-level rise, unfold gradually and disproportionately burden affected communities, while acute events, including floods and cyclones, occur suddenly and can trigger severe mental health consequences. This study examined the psychological, cognitive, and social determinants of climate change risk perception. Additionally, how risk perception channels psychological adaptation and pro- environmental behavior (PEB) across two climatically distinct contexts: slow-onset and acute- onset regions. Using a large-scale cross-sectional online survey, we recruited 652 adults from Bangladesh, including participants from acute-onset regions (n = 541) and slow-onset regions (n = 111). Standardized measures assessed climate-related knowledge, belief certainty, perceived residential vulnerability, social norms, perceived incentives, psychological adaptation, and public and private PEB. Structural equation modeling revealed that, across both regions, perceived social norms and perceived residential vulnerability were the strongest predictors of climate change risk perception. Risk perception robustly predicted psychological adaptation to climate change and private pro-environmental behavior (PEB). Crucially, multigroup analysis uncovered distinct behavioral pathways: a direct, threat-to-action pathway emerged exclusively within the acute-onset context, whereas this direct path was non-significant for the slow-onset context. These findings highlight the need for context-sensitive interventions. Community-based, norm- driven programs may be particularly effective in acute-onset regions, whereas interventions that combine institutional support and incentives with adaptive capacity building may yield greater benefits in slow-onset contexts.