Communicating Climate

Change Adaptation :
Experiences of Radio
Bundelkhand
 Bundelkhand
An Extremely Climate Sensitive Region in India

Acute water Decreasing agricultural Increasing

shortage production poverty

Rising socio-economic issues

Need for Climate Change Communication

• Extremely low climate change risk perception

amongst the rural community
• Resistance to change
• Lack of information about climate change and
appropriate adaptation options
A campaign to educate the rural community about the
risk of climate change and possible adaptation
measures

Location – Bundelkhand

Launched – 2008
Objectives – Shubh Kal Campaign

Create awareness

Provide information

Prepare communities

Increase people’s participation

Inspire behaviour change

 Methods Used:
Risk Communication

• Communicate the risk of climate change with solutions

• The messages are informative but positive

• The tools used are participatory

• The critical risk is communicated stage-wise

• The strategy is to prepare communities

 Tools Used

Combination of traditional communication tools and mass media

Rural Reality Show

Objective: Create awareness by empowering rural women and

youth to be change agents for climate change adaptation through a
rural reality show in Bundelkhand.

Results:

• 100 villages reached

• 25 climate change agents created

• 855 households adopted at least one measure of adaptation

• 100000 + villagers understand the need of adopting climate

change adaptation
Rural Reality Show
 Lessons from the Grassroots

• Challenges in communicating scientific knowledge to the

community in a simplified manner

• Inadequate influence of voices from the ground in policy

development
 Shubh Kal Campaign
From Information to Knowledge to Action

• Strengthen the understanding of climate change

knowledge amongst communities and communicators
• Increase the role of intermediaries (community radios)
in linking community voices to scientific research and
climate change policy
 Communication Strategy
 Pilot a communication model for bridging the
gap between stakeholder groups
(Community, Scientists and Policy makers)
 Build capacities of local community radios to
broadcast climate research and provide a
platform for communities to share their
experiences in coping with and adapting to
climate change
 Share outcomes with the wider climate
change world
Communication Strategy Model
Capacity Building Exercises
:Practical Experience
Capacity Building Exercises
:Theoretical Experience
A/V clip
 Voice from the community

“Jab gaon main pani hoga, khet main fasal

hogi aur angan mein ped poudhe honge tab
hi hoga humara Shubh Kal. Tabhi toh hum
bachon ko school bhejh payenge, tabhi toh
hum seher nahin jayenge, Rojgari, sukh,
santi sab hume humri gaon mein milegi”