Experts Push Community Driven Climate Action in Africa
By Ekanem Asuquo
A communication scholar has stressed the need for community focused engagement strategies to translate climate awareness into meaningful action across Africa.
Professor Mina Ogbanga of Rivers State University made the call while presenting a paper titled From Awareness to Action: Scaling Grassroots Climate Resilience through Participatory Communication in Africa on March 24, 2026.
She observed that although climate change awareness campaigns have gained traction across the continent, they have not significantly influenced sustained action at the grassroots level.
According to her, Africa continues to grapple with worsening climate challenges including drought, flooding, irregular rainfall patterns and declining farm yields, yet awareness efforts alone have proven insufficient.
Ogbanga explained that closing the gap between awareness and real action requires inclusive communication approaches that involve communities directly in decision making and solution development.
She noted that participatory communication encourages dialogue, fosters collaboration and promotes a sense of ownership among local populations, all of which are vital for long term climate resilience.
The study reviewed communication strategies employed by non governmental organisations and social workers in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa. Findings showed that approaches such as storytelling, community theatre, local language radio broadcasts and youth led digital campaigns significantly enhanced public engagement and the adoption of climate adaptation measures.
Citing examples from Kenya, she revealed that about 78 percent of participants embraced at least one adaptive practice, including rainwater harvesting and crop diversification, with agricultural yields rising by roughly 30 percent.
In Ghana, she said community theatre and radio drama initiatives helped raise awareness of coastal climate threats and encouraged mangrove restoration projects that also support local livelihoods.
She added that in South Africa, youth driven initiatives strengthened leadership capacity among participants, with many organising environmental clean ups and conservation programmes within months.
The research highlighted factors responsible for the success of these interventions, including the involvement of trusted local figures, the use of culturally relevant communication channels, community participation in message design and the alignment of climate actions with economic benefits.
Ogbanga maintained that top down communication models often fall short, while inclusive approaches that allow communities to shape messages tend to yield better outcomes.
She proposed a four stage framework for scaling grassroots climate resilience, comprising community led needs assessment, collaborative message development, dissemination through trusted local platforms and continuous feedback to inform policy and improve interventions.
She also called on policymakers to embed grassroots communication strategies into national climate policies and ensure sustained funding for locally driven initiatives.
Ogbanga emphasised that governments and development partners must prioritise long term investments in participatory communication to drive behavioural change.
While acknowledging limitations such as reliance on qualitative data and reports from non governmental organisations, she insisted that community based communication remains critical to strengthening climate resilience across Africa.
She concluded that empowering communities to lead climate conversations is essential for turning awareness into lasting action.
