TY - CHAP
T1 - Climate change knowledge, attitudes and adaptation among households in three major agro-ecological zones of Ghana
T2 - Implications for climate change education and sustainable development
AU - Mantey, Philip P.Kwesi
AU - Afutu-kotey, Robert L.
AU - Tagoe, Michael A.
AU - Attiogbe, Esther
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 selection and editorial matter, Isaac Kofi Biney, John Kwame Boateng, and Paul Gary Nixon; individual chapters, the contributors.
PY - 2024/1/1
Y1 - 2024/1/1
N2 - Climate change education constitutes an integral part of the education for the sustainable development agenda. To foster a change in behaviour that is aimed at creating a more sustainable future, the United Nations has emphasised the significance of creating awareness about climate change, adaptation capabilities, and reduction of vulnerabilities to climate-related disasters. The present chapter focusses on the state of climate change awareness and education in Ghana through an assessment of the household’s knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes to climate change in three major agro-ecological zones of Ghana. A structured questionnaire survey provided the main instrument for the data collection in selected communities within the Western, Bono and Northern Regions of Ghana. The findings suggest that at least half of the respondents have some, but mostly basic, level of knowledge and understanding of climate change. They have also experienced the considerable impacts on agricultural production, their health and livelihoods but most are unable to identify those impacts that are not directly affecting their communities. With only slightly more than a third (36%) of respondents reporting that they were doing so or knew of someone taking climate change adaptation measures, very little action is being taken by individuals in the study communities. Consequently, the majority of respondents (87%) were interested in learning more about climate change. The chapter concludes by calling for continued public education and climate change communication to raise awareness and ensure that individuals and communities have a broad and complete understanding of climate change, its impacts and community-specific adaptation options.
AB - Climate change education constitutes an integral part of the education for the sustainable development agenda. To foster a change in behaviour that is aimed at creating a more sustainable future, the United Nations has emphasised the significance of creating awareness about climate change, adaptation capabilities, and reduction of vulnerabilities to climate-related disasters. The present chapter focusses on the state of climate change awareness and education in Ghana through an assessment of the household’s knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes to climate change in three major agro-ecological zones of Ghana. A structured questionnaire survey provided the main instrument for the data collection in selected communities within the Western, Bono and Northern Regions of Ghana. The findings suggest that at least half of the respondents have some, but mostly basic, level of knowledge and understanding of climate change. They have also experienced the considerable impacts on agricultural production, their health and livelihoods but most are unable to identify those impacts that are not directly affecting their communities. With only slightly more than a third (36%) of respondents reporting that they were doing so or knew of someone taking climate change adaptation measures, very little action is being taken by individuals in the study communities. Consequently, the majority of respondents (87%) were interested in learning more about climate change. The chapter concludes by calling for continued public education and climate change communication to raise awareness and ensure that individuals and communities have a broad and complete understanding of climate change, its impacts and community-specific adaptation options.
KW - Climate Change Education
KW - Ghana
KW - Health
KW - Household Knowledge
KW - Livelihoods
KW - Sustainable Development
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85196445102&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4324/9781003366041-14
DO - 10.4324/9781003366041-14
M3 - Chapter
AN - SCOPUS:85196445102
SN - 9781032431833
SP - 177
EP - 203
BT - Sustainable Community Development in Ghana
PB - Taylor and Francis
ER -