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The BBC World Service Trust is the BBC's international development charity. It uses the creative power of media to reduce poverty and promote human rights.
The British Council is the UK's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. As well as education, it runs programmes in the arts, science, sport, governance and English language.
Tanzania Talks Climate
What do people think about climate change in Tanzania? Can communication and media strategies be tailored to support Tanzania's response to climate change?
From August to October 2009, the BBC World Service Trust 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-depth interviews with opinion leaders from government, religious institutions, the private sector, the media and civil society.
Findings included:
There is a strong tendency for Tanzanians to hold themselves individually or 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 Tanzania.
To most Tanzanians, deforestation is the clearest manifestation of their country’s deteriorating natural environment. Yet most do not fully understand the role that forests play in the global climate system.
Despite their closeness to the land and understanding of how trees affect their local climate, many Tanzanians say they do not have the resources to plant them.
Struggling with repeated droughts and worsening environmental degradation, most Tanzanians feel that there is little they can do as individuals to improve environmental conditions. They say they lack the information and resources that would enable them to cope more effectively.
Many look to the government for help but feel that it has done little to address local problems. government representatives interviewed realise that more needs to be done, especially to help Tanzania’s farming and pastoral communities adapt to the impacts of climate change, but say their efforts are limited by inadequate resources.
Many Tanzanians familiar with climate change learned about it through the media. despite this, the Tanzanian media says it is struggling to cover the issue. They recognise that people need information that makes climate change relevant to their lives, but feel daunted by the complexity of reporting on it.
While many remember the slogans and spokespeople from environmental campaigns in the media, the substance of the messaging often fails to resonate. Such messages fail to take into account the needs and limited resources of most Tanzanians, who simply want information and resources that can help them survive.