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Book part
Publication date: 23 September 2014

Community perception of climate change is a factor in increasing local awareness of climate disaster risk. This encourages more disaster risk reduction actions by the communities…

Abstract

Community perception of climate change is a factor in increasing local awareness of climate disaster risk. This encourages more disaster risk reduction actions by the communities themselves, and thus, provides a driver for sustainable community disaster risk management (DRM) initiatives. Using these hypotheses, this chapter assesses whether the communities’ climate change perceptions, awareness of climate hazardous risk, and subsequent actions on DRR enable local DRM capacity to reduce the increasing climate disaster risk. The study conducts household surveys with an original questionnaire in four communities in Cartago City, Costa Rica.

Details

Local Disaster Risk Management in a Changing Climate: Perspective from Central America
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78350-935-5

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 March 2010

Indrani R. Halady and Purba H. Rao

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether awareness to climate change and its adverse impacts have any significant linkages to behavioral changes amongst individual…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether awareness to climate change and its adverse impacts have any significant linkages to behavioral changes amongst individual managers who undertake initiatives to minimize/mitigate the impacts.

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretical framework based on different aspects of awareness possibly leading to behavior change has been proposed. Subsequently, the results from an empirical research based on a survey questionnaire as research instrument, are analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to validate the framework and the research question.

Findings

Awareness to the climate change phenomenon does lead to significant behavioral change amongst managers in the industry, alleviating the potential and existing threats of climate change phenomenon. In particular, the awareness to health impacts of climate change has significantly impacted individuals taking up the cause to lead climate change campaigns to counter its onslaught.

Research limitations/implications

The research is conducted in a population confined to a single region in India. Its scope needs to be broadened to encompass the entire country.

Originality/value

The findings should lead to widespread awareness campaigns emphasizing on awareness to adverse health disorders as a direct result of climate change and its other adverse impacts, and also the individual initiatives that can be taken up as well as what the industry can do.

Details

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, vol. 2 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-8692

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 14 October 2020

Chris-Valentine OGAR Eneji, Nkanu Usang Onnoghen, Joseph Odama Acha and Juliana Bebuo Diwa

The purpose of this study is to examine the extent of climate change awareness among the rural farmers of Northern Cross River state, investigate the gender role analyzes of some…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the extent of climate change awareness among the rural farmers of Northern Cross River state, investigate the gender role analyzes of some daily routine activities carried out by these rural farmers, ascertain the difference in workload burden of the impacts of climate change between men and women, identify the strategies adopted by these rural farmers to mitigate the effects of climate change in their agricultural activities and investigate the roles Environmental Education (EE) can play in helping the rural farmers to design and adopt sustainable adaptation and mitigation strategies to reduce or completely eradicate their vulnerability to climate change effects.

Design/methodology/approach

The research design adopted for this study is the cross-sectional survey method. Five research questions guided the study. Two sets of instruments were used for data collection, a sample of 1,258 respondents (0.1%) were selected for the study. The researchers personally administered the instruments and collected the same back, two instruments were not properly filled, so they were rejected.

Findings

The finding of the study revealed that rural farmers have some level of climate change awareness, which they got from radio, newspapers, awareness campaigns, flyers, billboards, among others. Six out of the nine strategies listed were adopted by the rural farmers to mitigate climate change effects among these rural farmers. There is a significant difference in gender workload burden between women and male in the area, the result is positively skewed toward women, implying that the burden of workload for women increased over those of men. The result also shows that EE can influence their attitude toward climate change through awareness creation, knowledge provisions and also encourage members participation in climate change effect mitigation, prevention and adaptation.

Research limitations/implications

With this result, EE can be used as a tool for the creation of knowledge, awareness, attitude and encourage the participation of these rural farmers toward mitigating and prevention climate change effects among these rural farmers. It was recommended among others that deliberate policies should be designed to make EE help create the needed awareness on climate change, beginning from the causes, effects and mitigation strategies among rural farmers in their community.

Practical implications

Already, most Environmental Educators have been trained, the government should design and formulate practical policies to use them as extension agent on climate change effort to go to these rural communities and create the needed awareness, knowledge, skills and attitude to help them combat climate change effects including trees and cover crops planting and also re-introducing the use of irrigation agriculture in these farming communities.

Social implications

With the creation of awareness, social groups and individuals can also make a social investment from these activities and also improve their social capitals, thereby reducing social burdens and improving their living conditions within the rural settings.

Originality/value

This research is an original research paper from the effort. the purpose is to assess the extent of climate change awareness level and how the effects of climate change increase or reduces the burden of gender workload among rural farmers and the strategies which can be used by these rural farmers to prevent, mitigate and adapt to climate change effects and the roles EE can play. This study has an original value in the sense that in the course of the study, the study hardly saw articles on these specific variables in whole research, hence the resolve to assess these variables.

Details

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, vol. 13 no. 4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-8692

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Article
Publication date: 13 July 2015

Shakirat Bolatito Ibrahim, Idris Akanbi Ayinde and Aisha Olushola Arowolo

– The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze the determinants of arable crop farmers’ awareness to causes and effects of climate change in south western Nigeria.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze the determinants of arable crop farmers’ awareness to causes and effects of climate change in south western Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

Using primary data, 150 arable crop farmers in Ogun State were selected through a multi stage sampling technique. Survey method was used to elicit information on farmers’ socioeconomic, production characteristics, and their level of awareness to causes and effects of climate change. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, environmental awareness index (EAI), and Tobit regression analysis.

Findings

Most (81.08 percent) of the arable crop farmers were males with an average household size of eight persons, farming experience of 24 years and farm size of approximately 1 ha. The computed climate change EAI showed that only 47 percent of the respondents were aware of causes of climate change, while 68 percent were aware of its effects. Results further revealed that age, income from secondary occupation (p < 0.10), marital status, household size (p < 0.05), years of farming experience, frequency of extension contact, land size in hectare, and farm revenue (p < 0.01) were the determinants of respondents awareness to causes and effects of climate change.

Practical implications

The study recommended among others that, awareness should be created among arable crop farmers on climate change causes and effects for appropriate mitigation actions to be taken for improved agricultural productivity.

Originality/value

The study provided new empirical evidence on the awareness level of respondents to causes and effects of climate change on their production activities and livelihood in general. Implications for policy will be to provide a public education program that will target females, the poor, the illiterate, and the people in the economically active age group among others in order to create awareness and provide information and adequate knowledge on the causes and effects of climate change for proper mitigation and adaptation options.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 42 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

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Article
Publication date: 16 November 2015

Hayrol Azril Mohamed Shaffril, Jeffrey Lawrence D'Silva, Nurani Kamaruddin, Siti Zobidah Omar and Jusang Bolong

The present paper attempts to investigate the awareness of coastal community towards climate change in Malaysia and to explore the factors associated with their awareness toward…

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Abstract

Purpose

The present paper attempts to investigate the awareness of coastal community towards climate change in Malaysia and to explore the factors associated with their awareness toward the climate change.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a quantitative study where a set of questionnaires was developed based on reviews of literature and series of instrument development meeting. Through a multi-stage cluster sampling, a total of 210 respondents from three coastal villages in Peninsular Malaysia were selected.

Findings

The coastal community are shown to record a high mean score on their awareness toward changes relating to the sea, temperatures and the coast. Surprisingly, fishermen are found to be less aware toward climate change compared to other groups, such as housewives/retirees and students. Further analysis confirms that there are significant differences regarding coastal community awareness to changes relating to the sea, temperatures and the coast.

Research limitations/implications

This study represented the answers of 210 respondents who were randomly selected from three coastal villages in Peninsular Malaysia, and the results might be enriched if the number of respondents is increased and respondents from other villages are included. A future study should be conducted to gather information on the possible effects, rather than focusing on the respondents’ awareness. Additionally, because of the nature of the topic, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and officers from environment-related agencies should cooperate during the research.

Practical implications

It is recommended that information management activities with regard to the climate change should be actively conducted by NGOs, universities and related parties.

Originality/value

Most of the related studies are scientific in nature, leading to a gap relating to the social aspects of climate change, particularly in terms of communities’ awareness toward the climate change. Moreover, a number of local studies have produced inconsistencies in term of their results regarding the awareness of the climate change among the community. In response to this, the current study aims to fill this gap.

Details

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, vol. 7 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-8692

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 November 2014

Purba H. Rao and Arun Thamizhvanan

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether the private sector consider voluntary involvement in efforts to combat the impacts of climate change in the lines mitigation…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether the private sector consider voluntary involvement in efforts to combat the impacts of climate change in the lines mitigation approaches and adaptation approaches. Today’s world has increasingly become aware of the adverse effects of climate change and its impact on the poor, though the latter impact is not that well known. To address these impacts, recommendations exist that follow two different though interrelated approaches – mitigation and adaptation.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a survey questionnaire as the research instrument and a sampling frame of 350 junior corporate executives, an empirical study was conducted in the Chennai area in southern part of India to evaluate/measure the linkages between awareness to climate change, its impact on the poor and the willingness of private sector to act on adaptation as well as mitigation strategies.

Findings

From the data analysis, it emerges that there is significant awareness about the impacts of climate change, though the awareness to vulnerability of the poor is not yet significant in Chennai area in the private sector. However, the study concludes that there does exist a significant linkage between awareness and the willingness to support adaptation strategies on the part of junior corporate executives.

Research limitations/implications

The study is country specific because the research was carried out in a defined region in India.

Practical implications

Because the study brought out the result that private sector was willing to participate in adaptation strategies, extensive awareness building can be carried out for corporate executives and plan out activities which will enable them to participate in adaptation strategies which would help the poor in India to help address the devastations caused by Climate Change from time to time.

Social implications

Executives taking up the Climate Change adaptation strategy would help protect and benefit all communities especially the poor in the country. Companies operating in India would find an avenue to reach out in their efforts to touch communities around them. Employees in such companies may be organized and gathered together to participate in such reach-out activities on the part of the companies.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils urgent need to inspire the corporate executives to take up initiatives related to climate change. The paper lays the groundwork on which an array of corporate activities can be developed to implement the adaptation strategies. Further extensive thinking can follow this research as to where and how exactly private sector can help.

Details

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, vol. 6 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-8692

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 July 2019

Oluwaseun Samuel Oduniyi and Sibongile Sylvia Tekana

It is globally accepted that climate change is presently the greatest threat to the sustainability of human livelihood and biodiversity. Most farmers in the study area are highly…

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Abstract

Purpose

It is globally accepted that climate change is presently the greatest threat to the sustainability of human livelihood and biodiversity. Most farmers in the study area are highly aware of climate change and its consequences on the farming system; however, mitigation strategies are clearly lacking. Among the mitigation, mechanism to reduce the threat is achieved by increasing the amount of carbon sinks and reducing greenhouse gas emission through the adoption of agroforestry practices. The purpose of this study is to determine if awareness on climate change leads to the adoption of agroforestry practices, and to examine the determinants.

Design/methodology/approach

A total number of 117 questionnaires were administered to the farmers in the district using stratified random sampling technique. Data were captured and analysed using STATA and XLSTAT software. Descriptive statistics and Heckprobit sample selection model were used to determine the objectives of the study.

Findings

The result established that climate change awareness does not lead to the adoption of agroforestry in the study area in which information source and member’s association were statistically significant at (p < 0.1) and (p < 0.05), respectively, and determine the adoption of agroforestry practices, while farming experience (p < 0.1), age (p < 0.05), extension visit (p < 0.05) and education (p < 0.1), were the determining factors that influence the awareness of climate change in the study area.

Practical implications

Regular number of extensions visit, information and training on agroforestry should be provided to the farmers in the study area.

Social implications

Farmers’ association should be strengthened among the rural farmers.

Originality/value

The causal effect or relationship of climate change awareness on mitigation through the practice of agroforestry in South Africa, especially in the study area, has not been measured. This research set a pace in the area of climate change awareness leading to mitigation strategies through the use of agroforestry practices as an option to be used in the rural farming area of South Africa.

Details

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, vol. 11 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-8692

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2012

Martin Roders, Ad Straub and Henk Visscher

Climate change: the question is not anymore if it happens, but what the impact is of its effects such as drought, heat waves and increased precipitation on the quality of our…

Abstract

Climate change: the question is not anymore if it happens, but what the impact is of its effects such as drought, heat waves and increased precipitation on the quality of our lives in cities, offices and houses. A significant share of the Northern European housing stock is owned and maintained by large stock owners, such as housing associations. It is their responsibility to be aware of changes and risks that might challenge the quality of life of their tenants. Moreover, in order to provide housing with a good market value in the future, adaptation to climate change can no longer be overlooked.

With the aim to discover the level of awareness of climate change adaptation among Dutch housing associations, a content analysis was undertaken on the policy plans and the annual reports of the 25 largest housing associations. Subsequently they were classified according to their level of awareness. The analysis returned no topics that directly referred to climate change adaptation, which implies that all housing associations are categorised as being ‘unaware’. Therefore, in order to reach higher levels of awareness and to incentivize the implementation of adaptation measures, appropriate governance strategies need to be developed. Future research will define the characteristics of these strategies in relation to the level of awareness of the housing associations. Adoption of the measures could be easier if adaptation measures are combined with maintenance activities, as this has been the case with mitigation measures.

Details

Open House International, vol. 37 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

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Article
Publication date: 6 November 2009

Zhenghong Tang, Christopher M. Hussey and Ting Wei

The purpose of this paper is to extend the previous larger‐scale climate policy studies to the local jurisdiction level to evaluate local land use planning capacity for climate

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to extend the previous larger‐scale climate policy studies to the local jurisdiction level to evaluate local land use planning capacity for climate change.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper evaluated 53 recently developed local comprehensive land use plans in California and analyzes how well these plans recognized the concepts of climate change and prepared for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Findings

The descriptive results show that local land use plans reflect very low awareness and little analysis for climate change; however, the actions for climate change varied widely in scope and content in their plans.

Originality/value

This paper provides policymakers important empirical evidence to improve local land use planning capacities for climate change.

Details

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, vol. 1 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-8692

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 March 2015

Michelle Mycoo

This study aims to, using Grande Riviere, Trinidad, as a case study, determine levels of climate change knowledge and awareness in the community. Second, it seeks to provide new…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to, using Grande Riviere, Trinidad, as a case study, determine levels of climate change knowledge and awareness in the community. Second, it seeks to provide new knowledge on appropriate techniques for developing climate change literacy. Third, it attempts to highlight action needed for messages to be widely communicated and policy implications for government agencies, non-governmental organisations, communication specialists and educators.

Design/methodology/approach

A face-to-face questionnaire was administered to all households, focus group meetings were held and a training workshop was conducted.

Findings

A key finding is that despite vulnerability to climate change, climate change literacy is low and is influenced by multiple variables such as household income, level of educational attainment, access to technology, governance structures and political commitment to communicating climate change. A major finding is that access to modern communication modes is limited and therefore verbal communication remains the most powerful means of transmitting messages on climate change. Moreover, opportunities exist for the use of participatory and indigenous communication techniques.

Practical implications

A major policy conclusion is that a practical blend of traditional and modern technologies, which emphasises verbal communication and promotes innovative participatory communication technologies, including indigenous ones, would be effective in strengthening adaptive capacity.

Originality/value

This paper is useful to policymakers, communication specialists, academia and civil society in understanding that there is no universally applicable technology for climate change communication; the type of technology adopted must be tailored to the economic, social and cultural peculiarities of a community.

Details

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, vol. 7 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-8692

Keywords

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