Climate change has become a worldwide concern, increasingly impacting the livelihoods of
individuals in both the global north and south. The need to develop effective adaptation and
mitigation strategies in the south has become crucial to securing livelihoods and community
development. A critical element in promoting effective and successful adaptation and mitigation
strategies is communication. Originally presented as a complex and abstract scientific problem,
climate change information is now shared and discussed among various disciplines and stakeholders.
Effective communication among stakeholders can help to identify problems, raise awareness,
encourage dialogue, and influence behavioural change (Johnson 2011; Moser 2010; Nerlich,
Koteyko& Brown 2010). However, in order to communicate climate change effectively, it is
important to understand and acknowledge how individuals and communities think about, interpret,
and discuss the causes, issues, and possible adaptation and mitigation actions (Africa Talks Climate,
BBC World Service Trust 2010)
