Boosting Adaptation Through Climate Change Literacy in Africa

The document examines the gap in climate change literacy in Africa, noting that while perception of climate impacts is high, understanding of human causes is low. It highlights a significant gender gap in literacy and argues that enhancing public understanding, combined with improved climate services and early warning systems, is essential for informed decision-making regarding livelihoods, infrastructure, and climate-induced mobility.

• There is a significant gap between the perception of climate change impacts and the understanding of its human causes in Africa. While over two-thirds of Africans believe agricultural production conditions have worsened over the last decade, national climate change literacy rates across 33 countries range from only 23% to 66%.
• A notable gender gap exists in climate change literacy, with rates being 12.8% lower for women than for men on average. In nearly two-thirds of the sampled countries, this difference exceeds 10%, which is critical as women are often more vulnerable to climate impacts.
• Low climate change literacy leads to uninformed decisions in critical sectors. In rural areas, where literacy is often below 10%, young pastoralists may make life choices without understanding future risks. Similarly, business decisions and infrastructure planning, such as hydropower in the Zambezi River Basin, may fail to account for climate risks that could reduce revenues by up to 58%.
• Education is the primary predictor of climate change literacy in Africa, followed by mobility, income, and urban residence. This suggests that improving literacy can provide co-benefits for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 regarding gender equality and goals related to poverty reduction.
• Climate-induced mobility is a critical adaptation challenge. The document notes that around 750,000 people may need to leave Ethiopia's Adama Valley by 2050. Effective adaptation requires forecasting 'hotspot' areas and providing early warning systems, yet 60% of Africa currently lacks access to early warning and climate information services.
• The African Union and the IPCC identify climate change literacy as a key tool for transformative adaptation. The African Union specifically prioritizes integrating literacy into formal and informal education curricula and mainstreaming it into vulnerable sectors including food systems, health, cities, infrastructure, and water.

APA

Simpson, N., & Rosengaertner, S. (2023). Boosting Adaptation Through Climate Change Literacy in Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SAIIA_Policy-Briefing-267_simpson-rosengaertner_20230317-1.pdf

Chicago

Simpson, Nick, and Sarah Rosengaertner. Boosting Adaptation Through Climate Change Literacy in Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2023. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SAIIA_Policy-Briefing-267_simpson-rosengaertner_20230317-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Simpson |first1=Nick |last2=Rosengaertner |first2=Sarah |title=Boosting Adaptation Through Climate Change Literacy in Africa |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=March 2023 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SAIIA_Policy-Briefing-267_simpson-rosengaertner_20230317-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{simpson2023boosting, author = {Simpson, Nick and Rosengaertner, Sarah}, title = {{Boosting Adaptation Through Climate Change Literacy in Africa}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2023}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SAIIA_Policy-Briefing-267_simpson-rosengaertner_20230317-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }