Communicating Climate Change
Communication, Public Awareness and Public Education for Climate Change and DRR
…and there are some challenges
to communicating about it…
• The media often focuses on worst case scenarios in the far future that can make people feel disempowered
• Hard to communicate CC simply at the same time as based on scientific fact
• Hard to reach all members of the community
• Uncertainty of climate
predictions can make people
…but talking about it doesn’t
need to be difficult!
• We need to talk to
people about climate change
• But we have to be careful about the
messages we convey! • Integration is key
• there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to communicating about
In this presentation
• Principals of
communicating climate change
• Understanding the
psychology of climate change communication
• Examples from the Red
Cross Movement
• Exercise: integration in
DRR
Getting started:
When should
you talk about climate change?
• Should you be talking about climate change? • It is not always relevant to all communities or
programmes
• Putting too much emphasis can lead to people attributing all problems to climate change!
What are your comms
objectives?
• What do you want to achieve with your communication
about climate change?
• What do you want people to do
differently – how do you want
them to change behaviour?
• Raising awareness of a
particular problem?
• Delivering simplified forecast information, e.g on rainfall or drought?
Peruvian Red Cross at
information stand at UNFCC COP 20, Lima
• Awareness raising is key
to behaviour change
• About climate change
and why it is happening
• About increasing
humanitarian impacts
• About what the RC is
doing to address impacts and vulnerabilities
Raising
awareness
Awareness-raising at the COP
• CCA often about a
behaviour shift (e.g. rather than building things: ducks vs chickens)
• Need to be clear about
what people can do to reduce vulnerability to climate change?
• Why should they do it? • Often targeting specific
groups or communities
Behaviour
change
Hand-washing in Kenya
But remember…
Climate change awareness alone does not lead directly to people adopting
climate-smart DRR. People take action only when:
•they know what specific actions can be
taken to reduce their risks
•they are convinced that these actions will
be effective
•they believe in their own ability to carry
out the tasks.
• Helping people understand
complex scientific information
• Integrating scientific info into
DRR progs – to make climate-smart
• Communicating forecasts in a
useful & understandable way
• Incorporate changing risk
patterns in community risk reduction plans
Bridging science
and practice
Using forecasts for early warning in Ethiopia
1. Tailor messages
to your audience
2. Used mixed
methods and
approaches
3. Manage your
community
engagement well
Principles for communicating
Climate Change
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE!
Who are they
? What groups do they
belong to?
What are the misconceptions
around risk and climate change?
How can we work to change
these
misconceptions or use them for our
benefit?
Principle 1: Tailor messages to your audience:
Consider the following groups:
• Communities (includingspecific group such as farmers, fishermen)
• VDMCs and other
community committees • Local authorities
• RC branch staff and volunteers
What might they need to know about climate change? What would your key messages be?
What are your key messages?
•
What information
about climate
change does your
target group
need
?
•
What (if anything)
do you want them
to
do
?
•
Why
should they
do it?
Considering water management options in a changing climate in Nepal lowlands
TAILORING MESSAGES
• Tailoring messages to
your audience makes them more effective
• What are the key
messages you need to give to each type of audience?
• Be as specific as
possible
• How can you INTEGRATE into what you are
already doing / communicating??
Information about
rising uncertainty and more climate
extremes
Information about where to get good forecasts
Information
about changing seasonal
rainfall
Information about how to use
forecasts
Use climate information to inform decision-making
Seek advice on other ways of
building resilience to a changing
climate Consider
livelihood
diversification
Developing your messages : tips
Keep it simple and straightforward – don’t use scientific terms
Be positive – avoid creating fear Ensure that your messages are
correct – have an expert check them
Consider religious and
traditional belief systems
Build on existing community
knowledge of weather and climate
Be careful that people don’t
Module 3b Communication
How to get your audience’s
attention: tips
• Frame climate change as a local issue:
increases sense of connection and
understanding and promotes development of local solutions
• Reinforce the humanitarian link: talk
about climate change not only as an
environmental problem, but linked to health, economy, security etc.
• People approach goals differently, so
tailor messages to reflect this:
• those with a promotion focus see a goal as an ideal and prefer to act eagerly to maximize or increase gains.
Module 3b Communication
Example: tailoring a message for
promotion and prevention
If we want people to change people’s behaviour on
managing solid waste we should explain options in different
ways:
A promotion message
emphasizes “going the extra mile” (e.g., going out of one’s way to dispose properly of
waste, how this benefits the community).
A prevention message
encourages being careful to
Module 3b Communication
The brain has two processing
systems: experiential (controls survival behaviour, source of
emotions and instincts); and
analytical (controls analysis of scientific information).
The most effective
communication targets both:
use experiential tools AND facts and figures.
Vivid imagery: film footage, personal accounts, concrete
comparisons;
Messages designed to create and highlight personal
experience and to get an
emotional response.
Now & Future
For behaviour change, present information that people aware of potential
current and future losses if they do not take action as well as focusing on current and future gains.
•a diversification of crop
planting can provide solutions now and can
Principal 2: used mixed methods: How will you communicate your key messages?
•
Who
is going to communicate?
•
How
will they communicate?
•
How can you
reach all groups?
Participatory games for communicati on and
learning in Nicaragua
Remember…
Different groups…
…require different approaches
Publications Posters and leaflets Games and competitions
Performing arts
Audio and video materials Social media
Keep it
interactive
Keep your audience
involved with
participatory
methods:
Films Surprises
• Jokes • Art
• Flash mobs
• Drama
• Games
Principal 3:
Manage community
engagement:
Encourage group
participation & discussion!
• Many community
decisions related to CCA are group decisions
• understanding community
dynamics and fostering participation is key
• Group processes allow
individuals with a range of knowledge, skills, and
Module 3b Communication
How To Set the
Stage for Effective
Group Discussions
on Climate Change
General facilitation skills apply– e.g.
understanding your audience & group dynamics, allow time for discussion
Ask the community about how they are already
experiencing climate change. This is the best way to start a discussion about what climate change is (and isn't)
Use discussion to generate solutions. People
are more willing to talk about a problem if they feel there are solutions
This helps keep messages positive, encourages
optimism, and demonstrates how groups can be a powerful force in tackling climate change
Module 3b Communication Example: Benefits of talking
about Climate Change info in groups
Extensive evidence
from CRED’s work with farmers in Africa
suggest that people may understand
information about things that might
happen better when it is presented to a group, where
members have a
chance to discuss it, rather than as
Examples from the field:
participatory video
• Villagers in Ethiopia
and Uganda made films to demonstrate adaptation techniques to their peers
• Raising awareness and providing
examples of resilience building activities
• Smaller target group, defined messages
Participatory video training of women village leaders in Mali
Climate
Visuals
Use visuals to
communicate climate change – but use the RIGHT visuals
Images should be positive
and focus on solutions
so people feel they can do something about it:
climate solutions generate positive emotional
responses and feelings of hope – climate impacts
and causes can create fear
Module 3b Communication
Climate Visuals: key principals
Use real people and real photos and eye
contact
Couple scenes of destruction with photos of
solutions
Tell new stories: people can’t always relate to
typical images
Show causes of climate change at scale –
not just how individuals are causing it. This is more likely to be understood.
Showing climate impacts is powerful – but
need use with ideas for concrete behaviour
change to do something about it
Show local impacts – but they have to be
serious enough to provoke action
Know your audience: different images will
Things to consider: partnerships
• Find other actors to work
with – this can strengthen your message
• Link your communications
campaigns to events like e.g. National DRR day, or the release of a major
climate change report
• Build relationships with
Afterwards: were you
successful?
•
Did you achieve
your objectives?
•
How do you
know?
•
If not, why not?
•
What would you
do differently next
time?
Climate games in India
4 working groups
Step 1: One set of hazard key messages is assigned to each group (on drought)
Step 2: Identify 2-3 key messages that are most “climate smart” to deliver to the communities you work with.
Step 3: Consider “misconceptions” of risk and CC linked to these messages – what behaviour do we want them to change?
Step 4: Decide which medium of dissemination to use (example: radio, brochures, etc.)
Step 5: Decide with whom to coordinate about the content of the Key Messages.
Key
Resources and other ideas
Many ideas can be developed from the IFRC
communication guide for DRR
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON BENEFICIARY COMMUNICATIONS AND ACCOUNTABILITY, PLEASE CONTACT:
MANDY GEORGE, BENEFICIARY COMMUNICATION ADVISER TEL. : 09 25465 6372
EMAIL: amanda.george@ifrc.org
Or
ZIN MAR THET, BENEFICIARY COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER TEL: 09 509 8161
