UKSG 2024 - Promoting Climate Change Literacy in Africa: Repackaging Scholarly Information for varying Literacy Levels

Promoting Climate Change Literacy in Africa:
Repacking Scholarly Information for Varying
Literacy Levels

Promoting Climate Change Literacy in Africa:
Repacking Scholarly Information for Varying
Literacy Levels
Mac-Anthony Cobblah (PhD)
University Librarian, University of Cape Coast
Chair, CARLIGH
Email: mac-anthony.cobblah@ucc.edu.gh
8th – 10th April 2024

Research Outline
Background
Research Problem
Purpose of the Study
Objectives of the Study
Repackaging of Scientific Information on Climatic
Change
Background of the Project
Project description & Objectives
Framework for the Project
Methodology
Research Findings on Climate Change in Africa
Project Activities & Achievements
Challenges & Prospects
Conclusion
Project Outline
This presentation is in two parts: Research and Project components.

4
The repackaging of
scholarly information on
climate change literacy
will enhance
comprehension as well as
empower individuals
across the different
literacy spectrums to
contribute meaningfully to
climate resilience.
Background
Research conducted on Climate Change literacy levels in Africa.
Research findings led to the Sam Jonah Library Project on repackaging scientific on Climate Change.
Role of Scholarly
Information
Scholarly info on climate
change is crucial but not
easily accessible. IFLA says
libraries should lead in
educating and enabling
environmental
sustainability (IFLA, 2022).
Librarians Role in
Climate Literacy
The current trends in
presents a unique
opportunity for libraries to
assume the role of
catalysts for
environmental change.
Innovative
Strategies
Hence, the need to
explore innovative
strategies to bridge the
gap in Africa, thus
acknowledging and
addressing the diversity in
literacy levels
Repackaging of
Scholarly
Information

5
Identify sources of scholarly information on climate
change for the varying literacy levels in Africa.
Evaluate existing climate change literacy
strategies
Explore challenges and opportunities associated
with the existing climate change literacy strategies
a
Develop innovative strategies to repackage
scholarly information on climate change to reach
the varying literacy groups.
Purpose of the study
The study seeks to promote climate
change literacy in Africa with a
specific focus on repackaging
scholarly information for the varying
literacy levels
Develop a framework for disseminating the
repackaged information on climate change.
Objectives of Study

METHODOLOGY
DOCUMENTS RETRIEVAL
Conducted extensive web-based searches and
queried scientific databases and other aggregators
like Google Scholar with relevant climate change
information on Africa.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Based on documents focused on climate change
issues, climate change literacy, climate change
education, climate change communication and
dissemination strategies etc in Africa.
DOCUMENTS REVIEWED
Open access published papers, conference
presentation, reports, academic articles and any
other printed documents made publicly available
from 2000 to 2024
DOCUMENTS ANALYSIS
Documents were analysed based on key
thematic areas including climate change issues
in Africa; effect of climate change in Africa;
varying literacy levels and groups of climate
change in Africa
Our primary approach was to provide a narration of climate change inAfrica by examining documents that had emerged from various
processes, meetings, discussions and researches on climate change inAfrica.

Research Findings on Climate Change
Literacy in Africa

• International Research in Geographical
and Environmental Education
• Ecological Economics
• Sustainability
• Mousaion
SOURCES WITH 2 PUBLICATIONS
• AU Report
• Nature Climate Change
• Environmental and Sustainability
Indicators
• Climatic Change, Springer
• Heliyon
• Global Media Journal
SOURCES WITH 1 PUBLICATIONS
2 1
• International Journal of Environmental
Studies
• Plos One
• Frontier in Climate
• Science Teacher Education
• South African Journal of Science
• Inter. Journal of Advanced Research
Sources of Documents

Teaching
21%
Consultation &
Collaboration
6%
Legal Approach
6%
Discussions &
Consultation
5%
Training
11%
Extension Agents,
Neighbours, Radio
21%
Blogging &
Tweeting
5%
Radio Set, Moto
cycles, Mobile
Phones
5%
Oral, Community
Leaders, Radio
5%
Climate Change Literacy Promotion
Strategies

Series 1
Series 2
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Demographics Language Understanding Socio-Economic
Series 1 Series 2
Influence of demographics had the highest frequency
as a challenge occurring 6 times across the number of
document analysed.
Socio-economic & language barriers, limited participation,
Lack of understanding of climate change, lack of coherent
approaches, lack of local expertise, etc. all occurred once
across the document analysed for this research
Challenges associated with Climate
Change Literacy Strategies

11
Climate Change Issues in Africa
Climate Change Issues in Africa 1
Climate change denotes
long-term alterations in
climate properties, such as
variability, lasting for
decades or more (IPCC,
2007)
Climate change poses a
threat to the very existence
of the world as a whole,
with repercussions that will
be felt across all
continents, ecosystems,
and communities
(Chemura, Schauberger &
Gornott, 2020;Tadesse,
2010).
Climate change may be due to
natural orexternal and human
activities.
Climate change can result in
extreme weather or gradual
environmental degradation,
making traditional practices or
habitation unsustainable
Africa is highly vulnerable to
diverse climate change effects,
including extreme weather
events and agricultural
disruptions

12
Climate Change Issue in Africa
African countries, with limited
resources, face disproportionately
higher adverse effects of climate
change due to their inability to
respond effectively.
Limited Resources
In Africa, varying literacy levels pose
unique challenges for disseminating
scholarly information on climate
change.
Varying literacy levels
The fragile countries with weak
economic performance, low-
capacity institutions, poor
governance, extreme poverty and
limited public services Azour and
Selassie 2023
Fragile Countries
Central African Republic, Somalia,
and Sudan suffer more from floods,
droughts, storms and other climate-
related shocks
(Azour and Selassie, 2023)
More floods, storms etc.

13
Mozambique ranks among the top three countries in Africa that are most
vulnerable to climate change (UNCDF, 2023)
Mozambique in the last decade has been hit by six cyclones and two tropical
storms, which affected around four million people the latest Cyclone Freddy
affected around 800,000 people (UNCDF, 2023).
Amidst climate challenges, effective communication is crucial for
understanding, engagement, and adaptive responses. Climate change
literacy is paramount (Adger et al., 2013).

Effects of Climate Change in Ghana

Degraded farmlands and polluted water sources
at a galamsey site at Dunkwah-Offin, Central
Region

Flooding at Circle, Greater Accra Region

Drought in Wa, Upper West Region

Bush Fire in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region

Polluted Korle Lagoon in Accra
Greater Accra Region

Receeding coastline at Elmina, Central Region

Effects of Climate Change in other Parts
of Africa
Water Scarcity in Chad

of Africa
Floods in a village in Mombasa, Kenya

of Africa
Drought in the Horn of Africa

of Africa
A depleted coastal site in Togo

of Africa
Landslide in Uganda

of Africa
Dust Storm in Niger

of Africa
Bush Fires in Morrocco

of Africa
Flooding in Nigeria

29
Climate Change
Literacy in Africa 1
Climate change literacy encompasses knowledge, skills,
and attitudes aligned with environmental education
principles (Charbonnier, 2023; Azevedo & Marques, 2017)
Climate Change literacy integrates climate science with
environmental education methods. (Trott et al., 2023;
Reid, 2019).
A thorough grasp of climate change and its impacts is
crucial for fostering positive behavioral responses to the
issue (Zalina et al. 2015).

30
Climate Change Literacy in Africa 2
– Geographical
Africa's climate change literacy is notably lacking, with an average
national rate of 37%, contrasting with rates exceeding 80% in Europe
and North America (Lee et al., 2015).
There are variations within the Africa countries, the average
difference between the highest and lowest rates of climate change
literacy is 33% (Simpson et al. 2023)
Education is by far the best indicator of climate change literacy.
For eample in Botswana, where Lobatse area has 69% as against a
6% in Kweneng West, and in Nigeria, the Kwara area has 71%
climate change literacy as against 5% in Kano (Simpson et al., 2023).

31
Climate
Change
Literacy in
Africa 3 -
Educational
Level
Those with a high school diploma have a 19% higher
likelihood of being knowledgeable about climate change than
people with no formal education.
A university degree increases one's likelihood of being
literate about climate change by 36 percent.
Furthermore, we discovered a gender-based
difference.

32
Climate
Change
Literacy
in Africa 4
- Gender
Women have 12.8% lower country-wide climate change literacy rates
than males do upon examining regional trends in this gender disparity,
we discovered that in 60% of the countries surveyed (Cherif et al., 2023).
The difference between men and women was larger
than 10%, and that 11 out of the 15 nations with the
biggest gender disparity are located in west Africa
(Vu, 2021).

33
Climate Change Literacy in Africa 5
The information provided by UNESCO demonstrates that literacy
rates vary significantly from one region to another with noticeable
disparities between regions as follows:
Within the continent of Africa, there are 54 countries,
each of which possesses its own distinct educational
and linguistic qualities.
Linguistic
Diversity
Gender
Disparities
Rural-Urban
Divide
Socioeconomic
Factors
Culture/
Tradition
Religious
Perspectives

34
Literacy Groups
of Climate
Change in
Africa
No Education
Less Educated
Semi-Educated
Highly Educated

35
Literacy Groups of Climate Change
in Africa 6
Africa has a variety of literary groups,
each with a unique relationship to the
continent's climate change concerns.
Highly educated people in Africa
—Researchers, Scientists, and Legislator etc
35
Farmers and small-scale
business owners who
monitor and react to local
climatic changes based on
their experiences are also
included in the semi literate
group.
When a semi literate farmer
in Kenya perceives
changes in rainfall patterns,
he or she may change
planting schedules or use
water conservation
measures.
Their expertise is frequently
applied and grounded in
conventional wisdom, with
a focus on adaption tactics
that complement their
means of subsistence.

36
Literacy Groups of Climate
Change in Africa 7
Less educated people usually rely on community-based
knowledge and practices to overcome environmental concerns
because they have limited access to formal education
Less educated
populations may have
developed traditional
water management
strategies in areas like
rural Ethiopia to assist
them adapt to shifting
precipitation patterns.
Their tactics are
based on traditional
knowledge that has
been passed down
through the years
Less formal education
have little exposure to
environmental issues
and are unaware of
them

Sample of Educational Materials
on Climate Change

Sample of Educational Materials on
Climate Change 2

Sample of Educational Materials
on Climate Change 3

40
There is the need to consider a variety of
perspectives, cultural nuances, and the
complexity of scientific facts in order to effectively
communicate the issue of climate change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) places a strong emphasis on the
necessity of communication that is not only
accurate but also easily accessible in order to
engage both the general public and policymakers
(Poortvliet et al., 2020)..
Communication Strategies of
Climate Change Information in
Africa 1

41
Communication Strategies of
Climate Change Information in
Africa 2
Existing research indicates that there are considerable
obstacles to overcome when it comes to
communicating climate change.
• The inherent uncertainties in
climate science make it
difficult to communicate the
urgency and complexity of
climate change to a wide
range of audiences (Hulme,
2015).
• Skepticism and false
information can be barriers to
effective communication, which
highlights the significance of
messaging that is both
targeted and nuanced (Cook et
al., 2013).

42
Communication Channels of Climate
Change Information in Africa 3
Effective communication strategies that could
improve the dissemination of knowledge and raise
public understanding of climate change
• Potential communication routes and modes for climate change
• Face-to-face (lectures) and mediated (in print, such as leaflets)
• Electronically via email or the web communication channels.
• Verbal (lectures, storytelling, and conversation)
Video or
classic ones
like art and
drama
Nonverbal
communication
of climate
change.
Mass
communication
communication
between two
people
communication
within small
groups
42
Sustainable Development Goals

43
Shanahan (2009) discovered that those who live
in rural areas or lack literacy rely more on radio
for information.
Making climate change
information may be part of
the school curriculum, they
frequently possess a
deeper understanding of
the science underlying
climate (Reid et al., 2009
Teaching children about the causes and effects
of climate change is one of the best ways to
increase community awareness and knowledge
in rural communities.
Communication Channels of Climate
Children may be highly good communicators.

44
Communication Channels of Climate Change
Information in Africa 5
Kids-Produced Videos
It is asserted that kids-produced videos
might be an effective tool for educating the
public about climate change and its effects,
particularly in areas with poor literacy rates
(Plush, 2009).
Games
Suarez et al. (2011) found that games help
individuals and groups understand complex
systems and build trust in climate change
adaptation information
Print, And Online Media
Climate change information can be found
in print, broadcast, and online media.
Entertainment Media
Entertainment media, including films, TV
shows, and interactive platforms, has
boosted science awareness, including
climate change understanding, since the
mid-2000s (Flagg, 2005; Houck, 2006;
Neulight et al., 2007).

45
Communication Channels of Climate Change
Information in Africa 6
8
3
1.4
3
A new trend in modern society is the proliferation of television
and radio channels, print and online news publications, online
social networking sites, and other media outlets. This is true in
both developed and developing nations.
Television Online News Media Outlets Social Networking Sites
New Trend of Communication

46
Dissemination
Channels of
Climate
Change
Information in
Africa 1
How citizens can then access and utilise this information to adapt to the adverse effects
of climate change.
Mass and interpersonal media have a crucial
role in the communication of climate change
issues in Africa, according to the diffusion of
innovations hypothesis.
In Africa, radio, television, phones, newspapers,
public gatherings, barazas, opinion leadership,
and social media are some of the most often
utilised media for informing vulnerable people
about climate change (Ageyo & Muchunku,
2020).
The Diffusion of Innovations theory explains how grassroots
communities receive climate change information from both
government and non-governmental organizations

47
Dissemination Channels of Climate
Interpersonal channels aid
persuasion, while mass media
channels excel in knowledge
dissemination (Valente & Myers,
2010).
Effective interpersonal
communication thrives on
both divergence and
commonality (Muradova,
Walker & Colli, 2020).
Information about climate
change is communicated to the
public through a variety of
methods in different African
nations.
The kind of climate change
information being disseminated
and the characteristics of the
audience can affect the
suitability of the channels,
among other things.

Librarians Role in Promoting Climate Change Information in Africa
Source: Librarian-Environment Conservative Model (Mulumba & Akullo, 2018)
Activist
Environmentalist
• Environmental Research
• Environmental Education
Policy Maker • Environmental Awareness
Campaign
• Environmental Protection
• Policy Formulation
INVOLVEMENT
INVOLVEMENT
Forester
Local Community
• Management of Protected
• Area
• Ecological Restoration
• Tree Planting
• Cleaning of the Community
• Environmental Awareness and
Sensitization
INVOLVEMENT
Environmentalist
• Agricultural Practices
(Climate Smart Farming)
• Tree Planting
INVOLVEMENT
LIBRARIAN

Agencies and Organisations promoting
Climate Change Education in Africa
Agency/ Organisation Year of Establishment
Green Ghanaian Initiative 2022
Ghana Climate Care project 2016
Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) 2014
Climate and Sustainable Development Network
(CSDevNet)
2011
Ghana Youth Climate Coalition 2008
Youth Icons Ghana 2008
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Ghana 1994
Friends of the Earth – Ghana 1986
Ghana

Agencies and Organisations promoting
Climate Change Education in Africa 2
50
Kenya Morocco
Mozambique
Central Africa Republic
• Kenya Climate Change Knowledge
Portal
• Green Belt Movement (GBM)
• Kenya Climate Innovation Center
(KCIC)
• Kenya Youth Climate Network (KYCN)
• Sustainable Environmental
Development Watch (SusWatch)
Kenya
• African Centre for Technology Studies
(ACTS)
• Moroccan Alliance for Climate and
Sustainable Development (AMCDD)
• Climate Action Network International
(CANS)
• United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP)
• United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP)
• Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO)
• United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization
• (UNESCO)
• Friends of the Earth Mozambique
• CARE International
• World WildLife Fund (WWF)

Activities of Agencies Promoting
Climate Change Literacy
51
M A C E M
Materials
• Develops
Educational
materials on
Climate Change
Awareness
• Creating
awareness on
Climate Change
Capacity
• Capacity building
(Training) on
Climate Change.
Education
• Provides
education on
Climate Change
Monitor
• Monitor Climate
Change activities.

Sam Jonah Library Project on Repackaging Scientific
Information on Climate Change in Africa
SECOND PART OF THE PRESENTATION

BACKGROUND
This project is as a result of the Research work conducted by
a team of Information Professionals.
Lessons learnt from the Research informed the activities
and programmes.
Project emphasise the special role of Information
Professionals.
Project demonstrate the strong impact of collaborations.

Project Description
The Project involves the assessment of the information needs of the various
literacy groups on climate change in Africa
TITLE 02
A document analysis template and the repackaging of scientific information
on climate change using well-established frameworks

Project Objectives
Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3 Objective 4 Objective 5
1
2
3
4
5
Document Analysis
Develop a framework
for Document
analysis.
Repacking Information
Develop a framework
for repackaging and
dissemination
scientific information
on climate change in
Africa.
Educational Materials
Develop educational
materials on climate
change in Africa.
Build Capacity
Build capacity on
climate change in
Africa.
Awareness
Create awareness
and promote climate
change education.

Project Team
Composition of Project Team
Volunteerism
Professionals
01
02
03
01
The Project team consists of Experts and
Professionals from multidisciplinary fields and
professions.
02
Over a period of 2 years, we have developed a
strong project team based on volunteerism.
03
Project team consists of Information
Professionals including Librarians, Information
Scientists, Archivists, Records Managers, IT
Specialists, Communication Specialists,
Language Experts, Translators etc.

Project
Team
Mr. C. Filson
Project Co-Lead
Dr M.A. Cobblah
Project Lead
Dr G.B. Amoah
Info Specialist
Dr Kwame Kodua
Research Fellow
Mrs Nesba Armah
Info Specialist
Ps P. Nunekpeku
Data Analyst
Mr. Isaac Nortey
Tech Support
Graphic Designer
Mr. Pius Gamette
Data Analyst
Secretary

Activities & Achievements of the Project
Developed Project team
based on Volunteerism.
Building a strong Project team
of Communication, Language,
Media and IT Specialists.
Designed a Document
analysis template
Developed an Operational
Framework for Repackaging
and dissemination of Climate
Change Information.
Trained Community &
Opinion Leaders.
Identified targeted Groups
and crisis areas.
Established a Centre at the
Sam Jonah Library.
Developing educational
materials in different formats
and languages.

Framework for Repackaging and Disseminating
Climate Change Information in Africa
Source: Developed by Sam Jonah Library (2023)

Document Analysis Template
Reports Policy documents Open Access
Literature
Studies in African
countries
Documents written
in English
language
Year (2000 –
2024)
Area of Focus – climate
change, literacy,
education etc.
Frameworks on Climate
Literacy/ Climate
Change Literacy

Document Analysis Template 2
Author(s) & Year Country/
Sub-region
Journal Title Climate
Change
Issue
Stakeholders
&
Collaborators
Climate
Change
Literacy
Strategies
Methodology
(Research
Design &
Approach)
Estimation
Methods
Key findings Recommen
dation(s)

Building Capacity of Stakeholders
We have trained
over 1000
community leaders,
opinion leaders and
role models.
Trained project
team and
volunteers.

Developing Educational Materials -Repackaging
Developed 50
different educational
materials.
Breakdown – audio,
video, leaflets,
posters
Translated
educational
materials into 10
languages.

65
Dissemination Strategies
The following dissemination
strategies are used:
• Story Telling
• Community Talks
• Role Plays
• Community Labor
• Folktale
• Mouth to Mouth
Traditional Channels
Modern Channels
Seminars
Social Media
Film
Radio & Television
Video & Podcast
Animation & Gaming

Communication Strategies
Story telling Presentations Community
Meetings
Social
Media
Electronic
Media
Teaching
through the
Curriculum

CHALLENGES
DIVERSE LANGUAGES
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDS
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
HETEROGENOUS INFO NEEDS
LITERACY LEVELS
Diversity of Languages – over 1,000 languages in Africa
Educational backgrounds of Targeted Audience – No
education to Highly educated individuals
Cultural Differences – various cultures and heritage in
Africa
Heterogenous Information Needs and Capacities of
Audience – from personal use to scholarly Use
Multifaceted Literacy levels in Africa – environmental,
media, information, cultural etc.
GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT
LACK OF COLLABORATION
Lack of government commitment towards the course
Lack of collaboration between various stakeholders

Prospects
AWARENESS
Enhanced Awareness and
Understanding of Climate
change
ADAPTATION
Adaptation and Resilience
Building in communities
COLLABORATION
International Collaboration and
Funding from Global Climate
Initiatives and Partnerships
TECH TRANSFER
Technology Transfer and
Innovation
LAWS/POLICY
Policy Formulation and
Implementation
CAPACITY
Capacity Building in local
communities, governmental
institutions and non-
governmental organizations
INDIGENOUS
Presence of Indigenous
Knowledge System
EDUCATORS
Overwhelming Support by
Educators.

The Way Forward
COLLABORATE
Collaborations
between Educators,
Funders and other
Stakeholders.
A
STATE
COMMITMENT
Government
Commitments.
B
FUNDING
Funding of
Climate Change
Literacy
programmes.
C
TRAINING
Capacity
Building through
training.
D
CURRICULUM
DEVELOPMENT
Curriculum
development at all
levels
E

Conclusion
Do you still think promoting climate change education is
someone’s work?
The rate at which climate is changing and its associate
devastations is alarming. Let us all do something different to
save our planet.

UKSG 2024 - Promoting Climate Change Literacy in Africa: Repackaging Scholarly Information for varying Literacy Levels

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