Awareness Creation: A Key On Addressing Global Climate Change
Awareness Creation: A Key On Addressing Global Climate Change
Many researches based on surveys of public opinion on climate change have been conducted on public perception and revealed many people don’t understand the science of climate change and are more likely not aware of the nature, causes and consequences of climate change.
Therefore, acquiring and employing factually correct knowledge is critical in understanding climate change
A World Bank study in 2008 found that an estimated 61% world’s population was aware of climate change with developed countries more aware than developing countries, Africa being the least aware.
Awareness translates to concern and therefore those aware of climate change perceive it as a greater threat to human livelihood and are more likely to adopt mitigation and adaptation measures to cope with the adverse effects.
Many factors determine awareness of climate change globally, education tends to be the single strongest predictor of public awareness of climate change.
However, in some instances like the United States of America, key predictors are civic engagement, communication access and education. In contrast in China, climate change awareness is most closely associated with education, proximity to urban areas and household income.
In Africa, the level of understanding of climate change and its impacts is very low. This therefore calls for a focused awareness campaign that simplifies the science and climate change in a language that is understandable by all segments of society.
This helps the country’s preparedness for the potential impacts of climate change and hence establishes a focused and comprehensive in managing the associated risks of climate change.
Effective climate change communication is a critical component in tackling the adverse impacts of climate change.
It involves the right information getting to the right persons in the right order to facilitate accurate decision-making and the right innervations, hence promoting effective and successful adaptation and mitigation measures among the stakeholders.
Media plays an important role as a platform for information sharing, dialogue and debate. The message on media platforms plays a critical role in influencing people’s perception of social issues.
Therefore, choosing the appropriate communication channel with a tailored message is likely to reach and actively engage specific audiences to effectively understand the message on climate change being communicated.
In conclusion, as people become more educated and begin to experience more unusual weather patterns, concerns about climate change are likely to increase across the globe and therefore take up actions to mitigate and adapt to the associated risks of climate change.
Awareness Creation: A Key On Addressing Global Climate Change
