Community Climate Change Adaptation Unit 5. Communicating Climate Change

Communication is a tool that you can use to help you meet any overarching project goal. Your communication may be for the purpose of public education and awareness and/or advocacy. Communication recap

Communication for public awareness and education provides people with information about a subject so that they can better understand it, and encourages them to change specific practices or behaviour. Communication for advocacy seeks to influence policy decision-makers to take a particular action. Communication recap

A communication plan helps you to be clear about: what change you want to bring about using communication (objectives); which individuals or groups you want to influence (target audiences); what you want to say (key messages); The Communication Plan

A communication plan helps you to be clear about: what change you want to bring about using communication; who or what are the most effective messengers or champions; what are the most effective products and activities for each target audience (channels); The Communication Plan

A communication plan helps you to be clear about: how you will accomplish your objectives (activities and timetable); and how you will measure the results of your project (evaluation). The Communication Plan

Make sure you understand the issues and concepts before trying to communicate them to others. When you communicate about climate change, look for issues that reflect your audience’s experience. Tips for Talking Climate Change

Bleached coral Healthy coral Coral bleaching Show the story of climate change, use examples to illustrate your points.

Link climate change with other environmental and social issues that might be familiar to people so they can understand how the issues are connected. Take advantage of national or international commemorative days or weeks, to introduce points about climate change. – Start of the hurricane season – Disaster Preparedness Week – World Wetlands Day (2 February) – World Environment Day (5 June), Earth Day (22 April) – International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (usually in October) Tips for Talking Climate Change

Be creative in how you communicate Tips for Talking Climate Change

Now sit back and watch this!