For many, climate change is an abstract concept. But in Africa, climate change is far from abstract - it is already determining the course of people’s lives.
Extreme weather events and greater unpredictability in weather patterns are having serious consequences for people who rely on land, lakes and seas to feed themselves and to earn a living. As a result, Africa’s engagement with the issue is evolving rapidly, presenting an opportunity to leapfrog the slow evolution of western public opinion and political action.
African citizens’ response to climate change is hampered by a fundamental shortage of relevant, useful information for African audiences. The intensive media coverage and public awareness campaigns prevalent in much of the industrialised world have been largely absent in Africa, particularly outside major urban centres. Too often, African voices are absent from the international climate debate.
Africa’s response to climate change will be dictated by how well it is understood by its people. Africa Talks Climate is founded on the belief that those worst affected by the issue have the right to be better informed, in order to understand and respond effectively to their changing climate. Providing people with the information they need will therefore be crucial.
Unfortunately, little is known about how climate change is currently perceived and understood by Africans; Africa Talks Climate seeks to address this. It is the most extensive research ever conducted on the public understanding of climate change in Africa.
The research teams held discussions with more than 1,000 citizens from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda1. They also carried out interviews with nearly 200 opinion leaders, including policymakers, religious and community leaders, business people, and media and NGO representatives.
The overall objective of Africa Talks Climate is to assess public understanding of climate change and identify how communication and media could best support Africans’ response to climate change. The research asks four main questions:
What changes have African citizens experienced in their climate and environment over time?
How do African citizens explain and respond to these changes?
What do African citizens know and understand about global climate change?
What do African opinion leaders know and understand about climate change and what are their views on their country’s responses to climate change?
African citizens are least responsible for climate change and will be among the most affected; yet, according to this research, they are poorly informed about the issue. Governments, NGOs and the media need access to information and knowledge on the issue that is credible and specific to their own contexts if they are to communicate and engage effectively with citizens. Citizens need to understand the implications for their lives to be able to respond effectively.
Equipped with the knowledge that weather patterns are changing and that extreme weather events are more likely to occur, people will be able to debate the issues with their families, communities and governments, and discuss the risks and possible courses of action. This will enable them to prepare more effectively for the future.
A strong, collective and context-specific understanding of climate change is also necessary if African citizens and their representatives are to communicate their own perspectives and demands to the rest of the world.
Africa Talks Climate is the first step in developing long-term strategies for sharing information about climate change. It aims to support all those charged with communicating on climate change, whether they be international organisations, governments, the media, NGOs or community leaders.
Click here to download the report (pdf) 
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