Survey on Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Study on the Effects of Climate Change in the Upper Yallahs Watershed

This report presents the results of a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) survey conducted by the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust (JCDT) in July 2013. The survey targeted three communities in the upper Yallahs watershed—Grasspiece, Brook Lodge, and Poorman’s Corner—to understand local awareness of climate change and inland flooding as part of a larger project funded by CARIBSAVE and implemented by the University of the West Indies (UWI). The study utilized a convenience sample of 20 persons per community to assess how residents perceive climate evidence, the causes and impacts of flooding, and their capacity to adapt.

• Awareness of climate change is high across the three surveyed communities, with rates ranging from 75% in Grasspiece to 85% in Brook Lodge, while Poorman’s Corner reported an 80% awareness rate.
• Residents identify different primary evidence of climate change depending on their location: flooding is the most cited evidence in Grasspiece (60%) and Brook Lodge (47%), whereas in Poorman’s Corner, increases in temperature (37%) and drought (31%) are more prominent than flooding (6%).
• A majority of respondents in all communities believe climate change results in increased flooding, more rainfall, and more frequent and stronger storms, with agreement rates of 50% in Grasspiece, 60% in Brook Lodge, and 55% in Poorman’s Corner.
• Flooding is recognized as a definite occurrence in all three areas, with 100% agreement in Grasspiece, 95% in Brook Lodge, and 85% in Poorman’s Corner. The most common impact across all communities is the damage to roads and homes, cited by 70% of respondents in Grasspiece, 85% in Poorman’s Corner, and 95% in Brook Lodge.
• Perceptions of the primary cause of flooding vary by community: the river is seen as the main contributor in Grasspiece and Brook Lodge (65% each), while rainfall is viewed as the main cause in Poorman’s Corner (45%).
• Most residents believe they can manage the effects of climate change and flooding, with 65% in Poorman’s Corner, 60% in Grasspiece, and 50% in Brook Lodge expressing confidence. When flooding occurs, the primary intended response is evacuation, supported by 67% in Grasspiece, 77% in Poorman’s Corner, and 80% in Brook Lodge.
• Proposed solutions to reduce flooding center on reforestation and sustainable farming. In Grasspiece, planting trees alone is the most popular suggestion (70%), while in Brook Lodge (65%) and Poorman’s Corner (45%), a combination of planting trees, agro-forestry, avoiding slash and burn, and using buffers is preferred.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2013). Survey on Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Study on the Effects of Climate Change in the Upper Yallahs Watershed. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/UWI-CARIBSAVE-JCDT-Upper-Yallahs-Watershed-KAP-Survey-Report_publish.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Survey on Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Study on the Effects of Climate Change in the Upper Yallahs Watershed. 2013. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/UWI-CARIBSAVE-JCDT-Upper-Yallahs-Watershed-KAP-Survey-Report_publish.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Survey on Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Study on the Effects of Climate Change in the Upper Yallahs Watershed |date=July 2013 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/UWI-CARIBSAVE-JCDT-Upper-Yallahs-Watershed-KAP-Survey-Report_publish.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2013survey, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Survey on Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Study on the Effects of Climate Change in the Upper Yallahs Watershed}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2013}, month = jul, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/UWI-CARIBSAVE-JCDT-Upper-Yallahs-Watershed-KAP-Survey-Report_publish.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }