Linking adaptation to climate change literacy in Africa

What does the latest research on public understanding of climate change in Africa tell us about how it relates to adaptation options on the continent like migration?

This podcast showcases new research that shows:

1. Climate change literacy in Africa, defined as awareness of climate change and understanding its anthropogenic cause, is highly variable across the continent and strongly influenced by socio-demographic factors, particularly education and gender.
2. Africans primarily assign responsibility for climate action to their own governments, followed by ordinary citizens, with historical emitters being least often selected. Socio-demographic factors and state capacity significantly influence these attributions.
3. The escalating impacts of climate change necessitate nuanced and synthetic research on "climate mobility" – the movement and immobility of people directly or indirectly linked to climate impacts. This research must clarify conditions for effective adaptation, acknowledge diverse outcomes, and integrate with broader development planning.

It draws on the following research developed out of the Climate Risk Lab:

• Climate Change Literacy in Africa. Nature Climate Change. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-021-01171-x
• African governments are primarily responsible for climate action, according to their citizens, Communications Earth & Environment, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02244-x
• Research Priorities for Climate Mobility, One Earth, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2024.02.002