Abstract:
Awareness of climate change does not match the level of public engagement
needed. The problem emanates from challenges that affect public comprehension
of climate change. It is in furtherance to the above premise that the study sought
to assess the strategies used in communicating climate change in selected
communities along the coast of Ghana. The enquiry adopted the simultaneous
triangulation mixed-methods which compensated for the inadequacies in
quantitative and qualitative methods while leveraging on their strengths, in four
selected coastal communities from the Western and Central Regions of Ghana.
The findings revealed that 85% of the targeted respondents were conscious of
climate change. Although 65% claimed they understood climate change, the data
from the qualitative phase pointed to the contrary. In terms of perceptions, the
respondents exhibited ambivalent views about the drivers and repercussions of
climate change. The findings, again, uncovered that occupation and community
are the most important predictors of climate change communication perception.
Public understanding of climate change is impeded due to barriers encountered in
the uptake of information which have resulted in limited knowledge on
adaptation, little or no adaptation, destruction of properties emanating from
unannounced disasters, and poor living conditions. The study also discovered
more community-level strategies meant to improve future climate change
communication by spurring the necessary engagement needed. The hypothesis
found that religion influences one‘s perceptions of climate change causes, by
shaping individuals‘ worldview, values and beliefs about the environment's origin
and human responsibility. This can lead to varied perceptions, with some
attributing climate change to divine will or natural cycles, while others emphasise
human activities as primary drivers. Again, awareness of climate change is
influenced by the community, marital status, educational level and religion. The
study concluded by highlighting that there are gaps in current approaches in
climate change messaging, emphasising the significance of localised messaging,
community engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Recommendations
made include integrating indigenous knowledge, utilising multimedia platforms,
and fostering partnerships for sustained impact.
