Transcript Communicating Climate Change

Communicating Climate Change
Communication, Public Awareness and Public
Education for Climate Change and DRR
“Scientific, engineering, and organizational solutions are not
enough. Societies must be motivated and empowered to
adopt the needed changes.”
Module 3b Communication
Climate change can seem a complex topic…
Module 3b Communication
…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 less likely to act Photo: IFRC
Module 3b Communication
…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-fitsall” approach to
communicating about
climate change.
Photo: IFRC
Module 3b Communication
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
Photos: Charlotte Floors / PfR
Module 3b Communication
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!
• Even when climate change is an
issue, a lot of detail may not be
appropriate
Photos: Danish Red Cross
Module 3b Communication
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?
Module 3b Communication
Photos:RCCC
Peruvian Red Cross at information
stand at UNFCC COP 20, Lima
Raising awareness
• 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
Photos: IFRC-RCCC
Awareness-raising at the COP
Module 3b Communication
Behaviour change
• CCA often about a
behaviour shift (e.g. rather than
building things: ducks vs chickens)
Photo: Nancy Okwengu/IFRC-RCCC
Hand-washing in Kenya
• 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
Module 3b Communication
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.
• It relates to their lives
Module 3b Communication
Bridging science
and practice
• Helping people understand
complex scientific
information
• Integrating scientific info into
DRR progs – to make climatesmart
• Communicating forecasts in a
useful & understandable way
• Incorporate changing risk
patterns in community risk
reduction plans
Photo: RCCC
Using forecasts for early warning in Ethiopia
Module 3b Communication
Principles for communicating Climate
Change
1. Tailor messages to
your audience
2. Used mixed
methods and
approaches
3. Manage your
community
engagement well
Photo: RCCC
Module 3b Communication
Principle 1: Tailor messages to your audience:
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?
Photo: RCCC
Module 3b Communication
Consider the following groups:
• Communities (including
specific group such as
farmers, fishermen)
• VDMCs and other
community committees
• Local authorities
• RC branch staff and
volunteers
Photo: Raimond Duijsens/NLRC
What might they need to know about climate change?
What would your key messages be?
Module 3b Communication
What are your key messages?
Photo: Danish Red Cross
Considering water management options in a changing
climate in Nepal lowlands
• What information
about climate change
does your target
group need?
• What (if anything) do
you want them to do?
• Why should they do
it?
Module 3b Communication
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
Photo: Danish Red Cross
• How can you INTEGRATE into what you are already
doing / communicating??
Module 3b Communication
Information about rising
uncertainty and more
climate extremes
Examples for farmers
Information about where
to get good forecasts
Information about
how to use forecasts
Information about
changing seasonal
rainfall
Use climate
information to inform
decision-making
Seek advice on other
ways of building
resilience to a changing
climate
Consider livelihood
diversification
Module 3b Communication
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 blame
everything on climate change
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.
• People with a prevention focus see a goal as something they
ought to do and prefer to act vigilantly to minimize or
decrease losses
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 dispose properly of waste,
how not doing this hurts the
community.
Module 3b Communication
Translate scientific data into concrete experience
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.
Module 3b Communication
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 prevent less loss of income
and food in the future if there is
drought or flooding
Module 3b Communication
Now & Future
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
communication
and learning in
Nicaragua
Photo: RCCC
Module 3b Communication
Remember…
Different groups…
…require different approaches
Publications
Posters and leaflets
Games and competitions
Performing arts
Audio and video materials
Social media
Telecommunication: radio, TV
Module 3b Communication
Keep it interactive
Keep your audience
involved with
participatory methods:
Films
Surprises
•
•
•
•
•
•
Jokes
Art
Flash mobs
Drama
Games
Surprises
Module 3b Communication
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 personal
experience to share these and
work together on a problem.
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 challenges
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 individuals who have
to try to understand it alone
Module 3b Communication
Examples from the field: participatory
video
Photo: Mamadou Marikou/Wetlands International)
Participatory video training of women village
leaders in Mali
• 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
Module 3b Communication
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
 Images should be strong enough
to motivate action
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 move different
types of people
Module 3b Communication
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 local
and national media and make
sure they cover your events
Photo: RCCC
Module 3b Communication
Afterwards: were you successful?
• Did you achieve your
objectives?
• How do you know?
• If not, why not?
• What would you do
differently next time?
Photo: RCCC
Climate games in India
Module 3b Communication
We need to make all our DRR
messages CLIMATE-SMART!
Module 3b Communication
Group Work
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.
Module 3b Communication
Group Work (continued)
Key
Messages
CC-Context
Specific
Detail
Misconcepti
ons? What
do we want
them to
change?
Medium to
disseminate
a. …..
b. …..
c. …..
Module 3b Communication
Coordinated
Actors
Resources and other ideas
Many ideas can be
developed from the
IFRC communication
guide for DRR
The “How to” guide from the RCCC,
also accessible in this module
Module 3b Communication
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COMMUNICATIONS AND ACCOUNTABILITY, PLEASE CONTACT:
MANDY GEORGE, BENEFICIARY COMMUNICATION ADVISER
TEL. : 09 25465 6372
EMAIL: [email protected]
Or
ZIN MAR THET, BENEFICIARY COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
TEL: 09 509 8161
EMAIL: [email protected]