"Between September and November 2009, the BBC World Service Trust’s Research and Learning Group, on behalf of the British Council, conducted research in DR congo to gauge public understanding of climate change. the research consisted of 12 focus group discussions in six locations with congolese ci
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tizens, as well as 17 in-depth interviews with opinion leaders from government, religious institutions, the private sector, the media and civil society. The overall objective was to find out what people think about climate change and to determine how to tailor communication and media strategies to support dr congo’s response to climate change.
Key findings
There is a universal perception among Congolese people that their climate is changing. they tell of changes in the rainy seasons and increases in temperature and use the word ‘climate’ to describe these.
Many people talk about the “disruption” of the dry and rainy seasons and say that it is causing crop failure and affecting the country’s forests. people are particularly concerned about these changes because of the population’s reliance on natural resources.
Many are aware of the terms “climate change” and “global warming” and cite the media and schools as their main sources of information. However, few relate these terms to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Most simply use the terms to refer to the changes in the rainy seasons and increases in temperature they are experiencing.
People have a number of misconceptions. Some people inaccurately link climate change to ozone depletion, and outside the capital, most think that “global warming” refers to an increase in the temperature of the air or earth over a short period of time.
There is a strong notion of environmental stewardship linked to people’s faith. people have seen how human activity has harmed their natural environment, and they perceive that human activity could also have an effect on the weather. many think that the natural environment, including the weather, is god’s creation, and believe that they have a responsibility to protect it.
Many people believe the weather changes that they are witnessing have local causes. for example, they say that deforestation in their local area is leading to a reduction in local rainfall, and some believe that local smoke and pollution from wood fires and industry lead to increases in temperature.
Some also inaccurately relate increases in temperature to ozone depletion, which they think is caused by smoke, air pollution and other factors such as rockets and weapons. Some see changes in temperature and weather as the will of god – a view particularly prevalent among female rural populations." (Executive summary)
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"FAO and the Italian Ministry of Environment and Territory have agreed to a joint initiative named Communication for Sustainable Development Initiative (CSDI) to strengthen national efforts in the applications of ComDev approaches and strategies to sustainable development policies and programmes, as
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well as to food security and rural livelihoods. Special attention is given to the application of ComDev activities and initiatives to climate change adaptation in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors and in sustainable natural resources management. Within this framework, CSDI fielded two missions in Bangladesh to support FAO Livelihood Adaptation to Climate Change (LACC) project, which is currently in its second phase. Particularly, two consultants in Communication and in ICT for Development and Environment visited LACC stakeholders at both national and local levels. This was done to systematize lessons learned on the role of communication within project activities as well as to design a proposal for an ad hoc ComDev and ICT component for the next phase of the Project." (Introduction, page 1)
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"In May and June 2009, the BBC World Service Trust’s Research and Learning Group, on behalf of the British Council, conducted research in ethiopia to gauge public understanding of climate change. the research consisted of 16 focus-group discussions with Ethiopian citizens, as well as 18 in-depth i
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nterviews with opinion leaders from government, religious institutions, the private sector, the media and civil society. the overall objective was to find out what people think about climate change, and to determine how to tailor communication and media strategies to support ethiopia’s response to climate change. Key findings: Drought and extreme weather are causing frustration across Ethiopia. Farmers and pastoralists in particular say they are struggling to survive. Ethiopians have noticed changes in their weather. they say that it is getting hotter and the rains no longer fall as they used to. Most, however, have no understanding of the relationship between these issues and climate change. Most Ethiopians are not aware of the concepts of climate change and global warming. they believe the term ‘climate change’ refers to changes in the weather or seasons, and most have no knowledge of its global context or the greenhouse effect. Ethiopians draw heavily on their beliefs and existing knowledge to explain changes in the weather and their environment. Many, particularly in rural areas, believe that god is ultimately responsible for the changes they’ve experienced, and feel that there is little they can do to respond. Others point to local deforestation and local pollution as the primary causes of the drought and environmental degradation they have experienced. Yet most ethiopians do not understand the role that trees or pollution play in the global climate system." (Executive summary)
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"Media coverage of REDD+ in Indonesia indicates that the issue has captured the attention of a broad cross-section of society. However, opinions are evidently polarised and some voices are clearly louder than others. Moreover, while the engagement of all levels of society has been constructive for m
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oving the policy debate forward, equally it has raised financial expectations and created conflict over resource control. Consequently, the need to balance conflicting and competing interests is likely to have significant implications for creating a REDD+ strategy that is effective, efficient and equitable." (Page 1)
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"Many Ghanaians do not understand the science of climate change, although they have noticed changes in the weather and seasons. They tell of rising temperatures, extended periods of drought and increasing variability in seasonal rainfall. Most people, however, do not connect these with global climat
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e change. Changes in climate are not noticed by Ghanaians in isolation from broader environmental changes. People in Ghana are keenly aware of environmental degradation and natural resource depletion. They make little distinction between environmental degradation and climate change. Drought and crop failure are causing frustration and despair. Farmers and pastoralists do not have a sense of how they would cope if the problems became worse. other issues that people are worried about include bush burning, deforestation, flooding, pollution and poor sanitation. opinion leaders are particularly concerned for rural communities and the urban poor. There is a strong tendency for Ghanaians to hold themselves individually and collectively responsible for local changes in the weather. They believe that their own activities, such as cutting down trees and burning the bush, have directly brought about these changes. There is little awareness that climatic problems – now or in the future – are likely to have causes that extend beyond Ghana." (Executive summary)
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"In May 2009, the BBC world Service Trust’s Research and Learning Group, on behalf of the British Council, conducted research in Kenya to gauge public understanding of climate change. The research consisted of 12 focus-group discussions with Kenyan citizens, as well as 17 in-depth interviews with
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opinion leaders from government, religious institutions, the private sector, the media and civil society. The overall objective was to find out what people think about climate change, and to determine how to tailor communication and media strategies to support Kenya’s response to climate change.
Key findings
Drought and food scarcity are causing frustration and despair across Kenya. Farmers, fishermen and pastoralists do not know how they would cope if these problems became worse.
Kenyans have noticed changes in their weather. They say that it is getting hotter, that the seasons have shifted and that the rains are more unpredictable. Most, however, have no understanding of the relationship between these issues and climate change.
Most Kenyans are unfamiliar with the concepts of climate change and global warming. They believe the term “climate change” refers to changes in the weather or seasons and have little knowledge of its global context or the greenhouse effect.
People need more information about the causes of climate change and how its long-term impacts will affect their lives." (Executive summary)
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"From May to September 2008, The BBC World Service Trust’s research and Learning group, on behalf of the British Council, conducted research in Nigeria to gauge public understanding of climate change. The research consisted of 24 focus-group discussions with Nigerian citizens, as well as 31 in-dep
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th interviews with opinion leaders from government, religious institutions, the private sector, the media and civil society. The overall objective was to find out what people think about climate change, and how to tailor communication and media strategies to support Nigeria’s response to climate change.
Key findings
Most Nigerians do not understand the science of climate change. They have, however, noticed changes in the weather and seasons. They tell of unusual changes in rainfall patterns, increases in temperature and the worsening of existing environmental problems. Most people do not connect these with global climate change.
People in Nigeria are keenly aware of environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources. However, they make little distinction between this degradation and climate change.
There is low awareness of the concepts of climate change and global warming among the Nigerian public. Many understand climate change to mean changes in the weather or seasons. Opinion leaders agree the general public has very low awareness of climate change concepts and terminology.
There is a strong tendency among Nigerians to hold themselves individually and collectively responsible for local changes in the environment and the weather. There is little awareness that climatic problems – now or in the future – are likely to have causes that extend beyond Nigeria.
Nigerians draw on existing knowledge and beliefs to explain the effects of climate change. For example, many think that deforestation in their local area reduces local rainfall, and some incorrectly believe that smoke from cars, bush fires and factories damages the ozone layer, making it hotter.
There is a strong connection between faith and environmental stewardship in Nigeria; many people see changes in the weather as the will of god, and religious leaders emphasise humans’ duty of care to god’s creation." (Executive summary)
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"In May 2009, the BBC World Service Trust’s Research and Learning Group, on behalf of the British Council, conducted research in Senegal to gauge public understanding of climate change. The research consisted of 12 focus-group discussions with Senegalese citizens, as well as 17 in-depth interviews
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with opinion leaders from government, religious institutions, the private sector, the media and civil society. The overall objective was to find out what people think about climate change, and to determine how to tailor communication and media strategies to support Senegal’s response to climate change.
Key findings
Most Senegalese do not understand the science of climate change. They have, however, noticed changes in the weather and seasons. They tell of drought, increases in temperature and loss of distinct rainy seasons. Most people do not connect these with global climate change.
People in Senegal are keenly aware of environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources, but they make little distinction between this degradation and climate change.
Drought and scarcity of fish are causing frustration and despair. Farmers and fishermen do not have a sense of how they would cope if the problems became worse. Senegalese are also worried about bush fires, deforestation, flooding, rubbish and air pollution. opinion leaders are particularly concerned for rural communities.
There is a strong tendency for Senegalese to hold themselves individually and collectively responsible for local changes in the environment and the weather. There is little awareness that climatic problems – now or in the future – are likely to have causes that extend beyond Senegal.
Although opinion leaders recognise that climate change is a global problem, only a few recognise that industrialised countries are most responsible for causing it." (Executive summary)
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"Between August and October 2009, the BBC World Service Trust’s Research and Learning Group, funded by the British Council, conducted research in south africa to gauge public understanding of climate change. The research consisted of 16 focus group discussions with south african citizens, and 18 i
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n-depth interviews with opinion leaders from government, religious institutions, the private sector, the media, and civil society. the overall objective was to find out what people think about climate change and to determine how to tailor communication and media strategies to support south africa’s response to climate change.
Key findings
Most South Africans are aware of the phenomenon of global climate change, but their understanding of the science is patchy, although they associate the terms ‘climate change’ and ‘global warming’ with carbon emissions, many also conflate them with ozone depletion. they tend to use ‘climate change’, ‘global warming‘, and ‘ozone depletion’ interchangeably.
The term ‘climate change’ often triggers associations with some of the global impacts of climate change, such as melting ice caps, rising sea levels, hurricanes, and the possible inundation of low lying countries like the Maldives and Bangladesh.
Many South Africans do not see climate change as having any special relevance to south africa or the rest of the African continent. However, when prompted to think about the impacts of climate change locally, they link it to national issues which they are already concerned about, such as the loss of wildlife and increased flooding.
Many South Africans use climate change as an umbrella term to refer to the destruction occurring in their natural surroundings, with changes in the weather and seasons forming part of the broader environmental changes people have observed over the course of their lifetimes." (Executive summary)
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"In August 2009, the BBC World Service Trust’s Research and Learning Group, on behalf of the British Council, conducted research in northern and southern Sudan to gauge the public understanding of climate change. The research consisted of 12 focus group discussions with Sudanese citizens, as well
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as 18 in-depth interviews with opinion leaders from government, religious institutions, the private sector, the media and civil society. The overall objective was to find out what people think about climate change, and to determine how to tailor communication and media strategies to support Sudan’s response to climate change. Main findings and recommendations are presented in this report. Although some Sudanese in urban areas explain climate change with reference to scientific terms and concepts, most Sudanese outside of urban areas do not. Most Sudanese have noticed changes in the weather and seasons, and experienced drought, flooding, changes in rainfall and temperature increases, but do not associate these phenomena with global climate change." (https://www.gov.uk/research-for-development-outputs/sudan-talks-climate)
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"From August to October 2009, the BBC World Service Trust’s Research and Learning group, on behalf of the British Council, conducted research in Tanzania to gauge public understanding of climate change. The research consisted of 12 focus-group discussions with Tanzanian citizens, as well as 17 in-
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depth interviews with opinion leaders from government, religious institutions, the private sector, the media and civil society. The overall objective was to find out what people think about climate change, and to determine how to tailor communication and media strategies to support Tanzania’s response to climate change. Key findings: Tanzanians have noticed changes in the weather and seasons. They say that temperatures have increased and that the rains are not falling as they used to. Many are struggling with the impacts of drought and are frustrated by increased environmental degradation and resource scarcity. Yet most Tanzanians have no understanding of the relationship between these issues and climate change. Most Tanzanians are unfamiliar with the concepts of climate change and global warming. They believe the term “climate change” refers to changes in the weather or seasons and have little knowledge of its global context or the greenhouse effect. Tanzanians draw on their existing knowledge to explain the environmental changes they experience. Most believe that humans are to blame but point to local deforestation and local pollution as the primary causes of the drought and environmental degradation they have experienced." (Executive summary)
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"In May 2009, the BBC World Service Trust’s Research and Learning Group, on behalf of the British Council, conducted research in Uganda to gauge public understanding of climate change. The research consisted of 12 focus group discussions with Ugandan citizens, as well as 18 in-depth interviews wit
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h opinion leaders from government, religious institutions, the private sector, the media and civil society. The overall objective was to find out what people think about climate change, and to determine how to tailor communication and media strategies to support Uganda’s response to climate change.
Key findings
Whilst most Ugandans do not understand the science of climate change, they have noticed changes in the weather and seasons, and accept the idea that these changes are linked to human activity. They tell of excessive heat, increasing seasonal variability and reduced rainfall. Most people, however, do not connect these with global climate change.
Changes in climate are not noticed by Ugandans in isolation from broader environmental changes. People in Uganda are keenly aware of environmental degradation and natural resource depletion. They often make little distinction between environmental degradation and climate change. Drought and food scarcity are causing frustration and despair across Kenya. Farmers, fishermen and pastoralists do not know how they would cope if these problems became worse.
Crop failure and death of livestock are causing frustration and despair. Farmers and pastoralists do not have a sense of how they would cope if the problems became worse. other issues that people are worried about include bush fires, deforestation, flooding, soil erosion, poor sanitation and air pollution. opinion leaders are particularly concerned for rural communities and the urban poor.
There is a strong tendency for Ugandans to hold themselves individually and collectively responsible for local changes in the environment and the weather. They believe their own activities, such as deforestation and draining swampland, have brought about these changes. There is little awareness that climatic problems – now or in the future – are likely to have causes that extend beyond Uganda." (Executive summary)
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