Knowledge, Attitudes & Practices Study on Climate Change Adaptation & Mitigation in Guyana

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

The overarching rationale behind this KAP Survey is to address climate change awareness and education. In addressing sustainable climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk programming it is vital that where there are significant gaps in knowledge, attitude and behavioural practices amongst Guyanese, measures on how to instil best practice and understanding must be highlighted. Hence, this study hopes to

1. explore the Guyanese knowledge and perceptions of climate change;

2. identify the ways in which Guyanese explain the causes of their changing weather, and the impact that such changes have on their lives;

3. investigate the barriers to responding to climate change among individuals and communities and within local, provincial and national government;

4. assess respondents’ media consumption patterns and preferences; and 5. inform recommendations on the best methods of communicating to the Guyanese public on climate change.

METHODOLOGY

This study was conducted using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. However, the quantitative methodology provided the main instrument for this study.

For the quantitative component, two structured surveys were developed and administered in four of the ten administrative regions of Guyana over a fifteen-day period between 3 – 24 October 2016.

The study areas for this research were Regions 4, 5, 7, and 9. More specifically, the communities of Luisignan, Good Hope and Sophia in Region 4, Bushlot in Region 5, Bartica in Region 7 and Nappi and Parishara in Region 9 were surveyed on their knowledge, attitudes and practices towards climate change. A total of 714 questionnaires were administered, with 514 general surveys and 200 student surveys being compiled.

The qualitative research included interviews with key stakeholders within the discourse of climate change and focus groups comprising of members from the communities surveyed. The focus groups contained 6-10 respondents and were divided into general community members, women and girls, farmers and fishermen and businesses. There were a total of five focus groups across all four regions.

There were some challenges encountered with the survey instrument. The coding of data from one software to the next posed unexpected problems due to compatibility. This meant that data had to be reentered into the statistical software, which proved time consuming. The length of the original survey meant that an appropriate sample would not be met, so a shorter survey was devised and administered instead.

FINDINGS

87 percent of respondents agreed to some degree that climate change was occurring. Whilst 12 percent had no opinion on the topic.

49 percent of respondents stated that they understood what climate change meant. More women stated ‘yes’ when asked if they understood climate change. Only 5 percent (n=24/514) stated that they did not understand.

505/514 respondents stated that they believed climate change existed. Only two attributed the changes to the environment to God, and seven women stated that they did not know the answer to the questions.

88 percent of respondents stated experiencing disasters within the last 15 years, with 77 percent attributing this experience to rainfall, 14 percent to rising sea levels and 15percent to droughts.

80 percent of general respondents stated that they understood the causes of climate change, with 30% stating it is caused by deforestation, 26 percent attributed it to carbon emissions and 25 percent to the burning of fossil fuels.

In comparison, 73 percent of all students (N=200) attributed this to the burning of fossil fuels, 63 percent to carbon emissions and 43 percent to deforestation.

The most common effect of climate change cited was the increase in temperatures (84 percent).

Of respondents who experienced natural disasters (n=450), 74 percent experienced some type of loss. From this cross-section, 64 percent suffered damage to their property, 28 percent experienced loss of income, 19 percent lost agricultural production and 4 percent experienced loss of livestock.

Of members in the goods and services sector (n=228), 63 percent stated that they had damages to their property and 27 percent suffered loss of income.

56 percent of respondents were hopeful that something could be done about the impending threats posed by climate change, whereas 20 percent stated that they were fearful.

Amongst students, 49 percent stated that they were hopeful and 31 percent were fearful.

69 percent of general respondents stated they adapted in one or more ways to climate change.

Of the 355 respondents who stated that they adapted to a natural disaster, 74 percent (n=264) stated that they had to make their homes more resistant to floods.

Regions 4, 5 & 7, showed the same trend when looking at the most effective channels for delivering information. These were mobile phone for calls and text messaging, followed by the local television and then the radio. This is based on respondents using these technologies daily and/or 3-6 times a week.

In Region 9, however, as locals who have televisions rely on satellites from Brazil, more than half of the respondents from the region (57 percent) stated that they never watched local television. For the communities in this region the most effective channels for delivering information have been via radio (46 percent) and mobile phone (57 percent). 40 percent stated that they texted daily.

When asked the medium through which they have heard of climate change the majority of students (62 percent; n=61/98) in St Ignatius stated that they have learnt the most about the topic through school (62 percent), whereas 68 percent of Bartica Secondary students (n=19/28) and 60 percent of Three Miles Secondary students (n=44/74) stated the same. Around 69 percent of students attending Three Miles Secondary stated that they had learnt this through the television.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A recommendations matrix was devised to highlight those actions needed to be taken to develop a sustainable climate change awareness strategy. The table below summarises the Consultant’s recommendations.