Afrobarometer: Experience and Awareness of Climate Change in Africa

Change ahead
Experience and awareness

of climate change in Africa
By Edem E. Selormey, Mavis Zupork Dome, Lionel Osse,
and Carolyn Logan
Afrobarometer Policy Paper No. 60 | August 2019

Introduction
Climate change is “the defining development challenge of our time,” and Africa the
continent most vulnerable to its consequences, according to the African Union (2015) and
the United Nations (UN Environment, 2019). Farmers in Uganda waiting endlessly for rain (URN,
2019), cyclone survivors in Mozambique and Zimbabwe digging out of the mud and burying
their dead (Associated Press, 2019) – these images bring home what changing climate and
increasingly extreme weather conditions may mean for everyday Africans.
Long-term changes in temperatures and rainfall patterns are a particular menace to Africa,
where agriculture forms the economic backbone of development priorities such as food
security and poverty eradication (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2018). As an issue,
“climate change” per se does not register among the “most important problems” that
Africans surveyed by Afrobarometer want their governments to address (see Coulibaly, Silwé,
& Logan, 2018). But concerns about the effects of climate change may be embedded in
some of the other priorities identified, including water supply (cited by 24% of respondents),
food shortages (18%), and agriculture (17%). And progress in addressing these priorities may
be seriously impeded by a changing climate. African countries dominate the bottom ranks in
the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN) Index (2019), meaning they are the
world’s countries most vulnerable to and least prepared for climate change. 1
Despite the continent’s minuscule contribution to the greenhouse gas emissions that cause
climate change, most African countries have willingly signed on to international agreements
to fight it, including the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change, the
Kyoto Protocol, and the 2016 Paris Agreement on Climate Change (United Nations, 2019).
The Paris Agreement mobilizes worldwide action to limit further temperature increases and to
strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change, including a
commitment from developed countries to allocate $100 billion by 2020 for climate
adaptation and mitigation needs of developing countries (Munang & Mgendi, 2017; UN
Climate Change, 2018).
In March 2019, policymakers and key stakeholders from all 54 African countries gathered in
Accra for Africa Climate Week 2019 to lay plans to be presented at the UN Climate Action
Summit in New York in September (UN Climate Change, 2019). The United Nations has
summed up its pressing demand for climate action in its Sustainable Development Goal No.
13: “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts,” calling on countries to
integrate climate-change measures into national policies and strategies, strengthen
resilience to climate-related hazards and natural disasters, and build awareness and
capacity for early warning and impact reduction (United Nations Development Programme,
2019).
Many African governments have laid out their countries’ vulnerabilities in agriculture, water
resources, food security, livelihoods, and other sectors and have incorporated climate-
change mitigation in national plans (see, for example, Uganda’s Ministry of Finance, Planning
and Economic Development, 2018, and Ministry of Water and Environment, 2015).
But building climate resilience will require a committed and coordinated effort (Busby, Smith,
White, & Strange, 2012), backed by significant resources and a population that understands
and supports the need for prioritizing climate change. How do ordinary Africans see climate
change? Does talk of urgent action align with their experiences and needs?
Findings from Afrobarometer’s latest round of public-opinion surveys across Africa show a
keen awareness of climate change in some countries – often backed by personal
observation – but the opposite in others. Across the continent, among people who have
heard of climate change, a large majority say it is making life worse and needs to be
stopped. But four in 10 Africans are unfamiliar with the concept of climate change – even, in
1Only six African countries rank among the 100 least-vulnerable, best-prepared countries in the world:
Mauritius (at No. 50) followed by Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, the Seychelles, and Botswana.
Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2019 1

some cases, if they have personally observed detrimental changes in weather patterns. And
only about three in 10 are fully “climate change literate,” combining awareness of climate
change with basic knowledge about its causes and negative effects. Groups that are less
familiar with climate change – and might be good targets for awareness-raising and
advocacy in building a popular base for climate-change action – include people working in
agriculture, rural residents, women, the poor, and the less-educated.
Afrobarometer survey
Afrobarometer directs a pan-African, nonpartisan research network that conducts public
attitude surveys on democracy, governance, economic conditions, and related issues in
African countries. Seven rounds of surveys were completed in up to 38 countries between
1999 and 2018. Round 8 surveys in 2019/2020 are planned in at least 35 countries. Interested
readers may follow our releases, including our Pan-Africa Profiles series of Round 7 cross-
country analyses, at #VoicesAfrica and sign up for our distribution list at
www.afrobarometer.org.
Afrobarometer conducts face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice
with nationally representative samples that yield country-level results with margins of error of
+/-2 to +/-3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
This Pan-Africa Profile relies on data from 45,823 interviews completed in 34 countries
between September 2016 and September 2018 (see Appendix Table A.1 for a list of countries
and fieldwork dates). The countries covered are home to almost 80% of the continent’s
population. The data are weighted to ensure nationally representative samples. When
reporting multi-country findings such as regional or Africa-wide averages, each country is
weighted equally (rather than in proportion to population size).
For a list of published dispatches on perceptions of climate change in specific countries,
please see Appendix Table A.2.
Key findings
▪ By more than 2-to-1, ordinary Africans say climate conditions for agricultural
production have become worse in their region over the past decade. Overwhelming
majorities see worse weather for growing crops in Uganda (85%), Malawi (81%), and
Lesotho (79%).
▪ In most countries, the main culprit is more severe drought. But in Malawi,
Madagascar, and eSwatini, most citizens say both droughts and flooding have
gotten worse.
▪ Almost six in 10 Africans (58%) have heard of climate change, including more than
three-fourths of Mauritians (83%), Malawians (78%), and Ugandans (78%). South Africa
(41%) is one of just five countries where fewer than half of citizens have heard of
climate change.
▪ Groups that are less familiar with the concept of climate change include rural
residents, women, the poor, and the less-educated, as well as people who work in
agriculture.
Among Africans who have heard of climate change:
▪ About two-thirds (63%) associate the term with negative changes in weather
patterns, compared to about one-third who link it with positive (17%) or other (15%)
changes.
▪ About two-thirds blame climate change on human activity (52%) or on human

activity combined with natural processes (16%). More than one in four (27%) think
climate change is caused by natural processes alone.

▪ About one in four Africans (28%) are fully “climate change literate,” that is, they have
heard of climate change, they understand it to have negative consequences, and
they recognize it as being caused at least in part by human activity. Mauritians lead
the way at 57% – the only country where a majority is climate change literate. Fewer
than one in five are climate change literate in six countries (Liberia, Mozambique,
Namibia, Niger, South Africa, and Tunisia).
▪ Two-thirds (67%) say climate change is making life in their countries worse, reaching a
high of 89% in East Africa, almost twice as many as in North Africa (46%).
▪ Seven in 10 (71%) say climate change needs to be stopped, and about half (51%)
think ordinary people can do at least “a little bit” to help. But in Liberia (26%), Sudan
(28%), and Niger (33%), only one-third or less think ordinary people can make any
difference.
Changing climate conditions for agricultural production

Before mentioning “climate change,” Afrobarometer asked survey respondents about their
own observations of changes in weather patterns in their region, particularly with regard to
agricultural production.
About half (49%) of Africans who were surveyed say climate conditions for agricultural
production have gotten “worse” or “much worse” over the past 10 years. Only two in 10
(20%) say climate conditions have improved, while 17% say they have stayed about the
same (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Changes in climate conditions for agricultural production | 34 countries

| 2016/2018
14%
20%
Better/Much better
Same
Worse/Much worse
17%
Don't know/Refused
49%
Respondents were asked: In your experience, would you say climate conditions for agricultural
production in your area have gotten better, gotten worse, or stayed about the same over the last 10
years, or haven’t you heard enough to say?
These averages across 34 countries hide vast differences between countries and between
regions. Overwhelming majorities see worse weather patterns for growing crops in Uganda
(85%), Malawi (81%), and Lesotho (79%), while fewer than one in four Moroccans (16%) and
Mozambicans (23%)2 agree (Figure 2).
2
Survey fieldwork in Mozambique and Zimbabwe was conducted before the countries were hit by deadly
cyclones Idai and Kenneth in 2019. We do not know how, if at all, specific experiences of extreme weather
might affect people’s assessments of long-term changes in climate.

However, in 30 of the 34 surveyed countries, pluralities report that climate conditions have
worsened rather than improved; the exceptions are Morocco, Senegal, Botswana, and
Zimbabwe, where between 30% and 41% say weather conditions have gotten better.
By region,3 East Africans (63%) are almost twice as likely as North Africans (35%) to say climate
conditions have worsened.
Figure 2: Changes in climate conditions for agricultural production | 34 countries

| 2016/2018
Uganda 85% 7%
Malawi 81% 10%
Lesotho 79% 13%
Madagascar 73% 10%
Cabo Verde 71% 15%
Burkina Faso 69% 15%
Niger 67% 13%
Benin 64% 13%
Togo 63% 17%
Mali 60% 21%
Guinea 57% 10%
Gambia 55% 15%
eSwatini 52% 32%
Tanzania 52% 26%
Kenya 51% 19%
Tunisia 50% 17%
Cameroon 49% 21%
34-country average 49% 20%
Liberia 44% 16%
Côte d'Ivoire 43% 11%
Ghana 41% 22%
Sudan 39% 15%
Zimbabwe 37% 41%
Mauritius 37% 6%
Sierra Leone 37% 17%
São Tomé and Príncipe 35% 28%
South Africa 35% 19%
Namibia 34% 20%
Botswana 33% 36%
Zambia 33% 28%
Senegal 31% 36%
Nigeria 30% 27%
Gabon 26% 18%
Mozambique 23% 22%
Morocco 16% 30%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Worse/Much worse Better/Much better

3
Regions: North Africa (Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia), Central Africa (Cameroon, Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe),
Southern Africa (Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South
Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe), East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda), West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo
Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo)

Tellingly, people engaged in occupations related to agriculture (farming, fishing, or forestry,
about 24% of respondents) are more likely to report negative weather impacts on
agricultural production (59% on average across 34 countries) than those who are not (45%).
Similarly, more rural residents (54%) than urban dwellers (42%) observe worse weather
patterns for agriculture, and older respondents are more likely than youth to agree (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Changes in climate conditions for agricultural production | by socio-

demographic group | 34 countries | 2016/2018
34-country average 49% 17% 20%
Rural 54% 15% 20%
Urban 42% 20% 19%
18-35 years 46% 18% 20%
36-55 years 50% 18% 19%
56+ years 54% 15% 19%
No formal education 55% 11% 18%
Primary 52% 16% 19%
Secondary 45% 20% 21%
Post-secondary 42% 24% 19%
Agriculture/Fishing/Forestry 59% 13% 19%
Other occupations 45% 19% 20%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Worse/Much worse Same Better/Much better
Extreme climate events

When asked about specific changes in the severity of extreme weather events, about half
(49%) of ordinary Africans say droughts have become “somewhat” or “much” more severe in
their region over the past decade, while 28% say they have become less severe. In contrast,
a plurality (41%) report that floods are less severe, while about one in three (31%) say they are
worse (Figure 4). One in five say that both droughts and floods have gotten worse (21%), but
a similar number (19%) say that both are less severe than in the past.

Figure 4: Severity of droughts and flooding | 33 countries* | 2016/2018
100%
80% 28%
41% Somewhat less

severe/Much less severe
60%
18%
Same
40% 21%
49%
20% Somewhat more
severe/Much more severe
31%
0%
Droughts Flooding
Respondents were asked: In your experience, over the past 10 years, has there been any change in the
severity of the following events in the area where you live? Have they become more severe, less
severe, or stayed about the same?
Droughts?
Flooding?
But again, looking at individual countries reveals a more complex picture.

The top seven countries reporting deteriorating climate conditions for agricultural production
also top the list of those where respondents report worsening droughts, led by Uganda (87%),
Malawi (84%), Madagascar (81%), and Lesotho (79%). Morocco (18%) is again near the
bottom, joined now by Sierra Leone (14%).
Worsening floods, meanwhile, are of greatest concern in Madagascar (67%), eSwatini (64%),
Gabon (60%), Malawi (58%), and Mauritius (55%).
Putting responses on increasing severity of
droughts and flooding side by side, as in
Do your own analysis of Afrobarometer data –
Figure 5, reveals that some countries are
on any question, for any country and survey being hit primarily by worsening droughts
round. It’s easy and free at (e.g. Uganda, Lesotho, and Cabo Verde),
www.afrobarometer.org/online-data-analysis. one is experiencing primarily worsening
flooding (Gabon), and many others report
the double onslaught of both worse drought
and worse flooding (e.g. Malawi, Madagascar, and eSwatini). However, popular reports are
not uniformly negative. Majorities in both Morocco and Senegal report that both droughts
and floods are less severe than in the past, and pluralities do the same in six other countries
(Botswana, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe).

Figure 5: Increasing severity of droughts and floods | 33 countries* | 2016/2018
Drought Flooding
Uganda 87% 9% 12% 73%

Malawi 84% 10% 58% 31%
Madagascar 81% 4% 67% 7%
Lesotho 79% 14% 14% 48%
Burkina Faso 74% 16% 30% 53%
Cabo Verde 73% 14% 21% 35%
Togo 68% 20% 26% 55%
Niger 67% 22% 44% 39%
Mali 66% 27% 36% 53%
eSwatini 65% 24% 64% 24%
Benin 61% 21% 42% 34%
Guinea 61% 19% 37% 37%
Côte d'Ivoire 57% 19% 22% 42%
Cameroon 52% 26% 34% 39%
Tanzania 52% 39% 11% 82%
Gambia 51% 22% 25% 48%
33-country average 49% 28% 31% 41%
Tunisia 45% 26% 13% 50%
Mauritius 44% 15% 55% 10%
Namibia 38% 36% 25% 46%
South Africa 37% 32% 24% 39%
Botswana 37% 41% 31% 33%
Zimbabwe 33% 46% 32% 39%
Mozambique 32% 31% 22% 37%
São Tomé and Príncipe 31% 28% 20% 31%
Ghana 30% 41% 27% 45%
Gabon 30% 17% 60% 13%
Senegal 29% 55% 27% 60%
Sudan 27% 44% 23% 46%
Nigeria 27% 35% 21% 42%
Liberia 27% 31% 43% 24%
Zambia 27% 49% 30% 46%
Morocco 18% 52% 15% 54%
Sierra Leone 14% 40% 27% 40%
0% 50% 100% 0% 50% 100%
Drought more severe Less severe Flooding more severe Less severe
Respondents were asked: In your experience, over the past 10 years, has there been any change in the
severity of the following events in the area where you live? Have they become more severe, less
severe, or stayed about the same?
Droughts?
Flooding?
(% who say “somewhat more severe” or “much more severe”)
(* This question was not asked in Kenya.)

Have Africans heard of climate change?
While most respondents offer their personal observations about changes in weather events,
not everyone has heard of what may be the underlying cause: climate change. When we
follow our questions about changing climate and weather patterns with a direct query
about whether respondents have ever heard of “climate change,”4 about six in 10 (58%) say
they are familiar with the concept, while four in 10 say they have never heard the term
(Figure 6).
Figure 6: Awareness of climate change | 34 countries | 2016/2018
2%
Have heard of
climate change
40%
Haven't heard of
climate change
58%
Don't know
Respondents were asked: Have you heard about climate change, or haven’t you had the chance to
hear about this yet?
In 29 out of 34 surveyed countries, at least half of citizens are familiar with climate change,
including more than three-fourths of Mauritians (83%), Malawians (78%), and Ugandans
(78%). South Africa, despite being one of the most educated countries on the continent, is
one of just five where fewer than half of citizens (41%) have heard of climate change, a
group that also includes Tanzania (31%), Tunisia (33%), Sierra Leone (41%), and Lesotho (44%)
(Figure 7).
We might wonder whether there is a direct correlation between the perception that climate
conditions for agriculture are getting worse and popular awareness of climate change, but
this does not appear to be the case – the correlation is very weak and not statistically
significant. Malawi and Uganda stand out as two countries where high proportions of citizens
believe climate conditions for agriculture are getting worse and awareness of climate
change is widespread (Figure 8). But in Lesotho, by contrast, almost as many perceive
worsening climate conditions, but awareness of climate change is at one of the lowest levels
observed. On the other hand, Mauritians and Gabonese both report high levels of
awareness of climate change as an issue, but much more modest levels of concern about
agricultural conditions. Of course, this could reflect the fact that it is not only agriculture that
will be affected by climate change but also coastal areas, tourism, and other sectors.
4
The term “climate change” was translated into national and local languages in which the interviews were
conducted.

Figure 7: Awareness of climate change | 34 countries | 2016/2018
Mauritius 83% 14%

Malawi 78% 21%
Uganda 78% 21%
Zimbabwe 73% 25%
Cameroon 72% 28%
Gabon 72% 28%
Cabo Verde 71% 26%
Kenya 65% 33%
Mali 64% 35%
Niger 63% 36%
Benin 61% 38%
Gambia 60% 36%
Guinea 59% 40%
Sudan 56% 41%
Senegal 56% 43%
Togo 55% 44%
eSwatini 55% 45%
Zambia 54% 40%
Liberia 54% 46%
Madagascar 54% 46%
Morocco 54% 39%
Mozambique 52% 39%
Namibia 52% 45%
Ghana 52% 44%
Botswana 51% 47%
Nigeria 50% 49%
Lesotho 44% 54%
Tunisia 33% 66%
Tanzania 31% 66%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Have heard about climate change Haven't heard about climate change
hear about this yet?

Figure 8: Worsening agricultural conditions and awareness of climate change
| 34 countries | 2016/2018
Awareness of climate change varies across demographic and social categories (Figure 9).
Groups that are less familiar with the concept include women (51% vs. 64% of men), rural
residents (54% vs. 63% of urbanites), and those who are economically less well off (54%
among the poorest vs. 64% among the wealthiest).5 Not surprisingly, the largest gap is
between those who have no formal education (42%) and those with post-secondary
qualifications (81%). Citizens who work in agriculture, fishing, and forestry are somewhat less
likely to be aware of climate change than those in other occupations (52% vs. 59%).
News consumption also seems to make a difference. Exposure to news from any source is
associated with substantially higher levels of awareness (Figure 10). Among those who never
get news from any of five sources, only 40% have heard of climate change (not shown). But
respondents who get news daily from the Internet (74%), social media (72%), and
newspapers (72%) are substantially more likely to have heard of climate change than those
who get daily news from television (65%) and radio (64%).
Such analyses at the country level may be useful for identifying good targets for education
and information efforts. In Togo, for example, agricultural workers are considerably less likely
to have heard of climate change than the rest of the population (41% vs. 60%), even though
they are among people most likely to be affected (Adetou & Ahlin, 2019).
5
Afrobarometer’s Lived Poverty Index (LPI) measures respondents’ levels of material deprivation by asking
how often they or their families went without basic necessities (enough food, enough water, medical care,
enough cooking fuel, and a cash income) during the preceding year. For more on lived poverty, see Mattes,
Dulani, & Gyimah-Boadi (2016).

Figure 9: Have heard of climate change | by socio-demographic group
| 34 countries | 2016/2018
34-country average 58%

Women 51%
Men 64%
Urban 63%
Rural 54%
18-35 years 58%
36-55 years 58%
56+ years 54%
High lived poverty 54%
Moderate lived poverty 56%
Low lived poverty 59%
No lived poverty 64%
No formal education 42%
Primary 47%
Secondary 64%
Post-secondary 81%
Agriculture/Fishing/Forestry 52%
Other occupations 59%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
hear about this yet? (% who have heard about climate change)
Figure 10: Awareness of climate change | by media exposure | 34 countries

| 2016/2018
100%
Have heard of climate
80% 72% 72% 74%

64% 65%
60% 47% 50% 52% 51% 51%
change
40%
20%
0%
Radio Television Newspaper Social media Internet
Frequency of media exposure
Never Less than once a month A few times a month A few times a week Every day
Respondents were asked:

How often do you get news from the following sources?
Have you heard about climate change, or haven’t you had the chance to hear about this yet?
(% who have heard about climate change)
Understanding climate change

While having “heard of” climate change is a first step toward being informed, Afrobarometer
explored popular understanding of the concept with a follow-up question: “What does the
phrase ‘climate change’ mean to you?”
Among respondents who said they had heard of climate change, not quite two-thirds (63%)
say the term refers to negative changes in the weather, “like more droughts, floods or
extreme heat,” while one-third associate it with positive changes (17%) such as “better
rainfall patterns or longer growing seasons” or “other changes in weather patterns” (15%)
(Figure 11).

Figure 11: Meaning of ‘climate change’ | 34 countries | 2016/2018
100%
80% 63%
60%
40%
17% 15%
20% 5%
0%
Negative changes Positive changes in Other changes in Don’t know
in the weather the weather weather patterns
Respondents who had heard of climate change were asked: What does the phrase “climate change”
mean to you? (Respondents who had not heard of climate change are excluded)
On average, fewer than four in 10 Africans (38%) have a basic awareness of the downsides
of climate change, i.e. they are both aware of climate change and understand that it has
negative implications (solid bars in Figure 12). In some countries, most citizens who have
heard of climate change associate it with negative changes in weather patterns. For
example, in Madagascar, just 54% have heard of climate change, but of these, 84%
associate it with negative changes, so a total of 46% of the population have both heard of
climate change and associate it with negative changes. Understanding of the negative
consequences of climate change is most widespread in Mauritius (66%), an island nation that
may face especially severe consequences of climate change, followed by landlocked but
vulnerable Uganda (58%), as well as Gabon (55%) and Malawi (54%).
Figure 12: Awareness of climate change and what it means | 34 countries | 2016/2018
100%
80%
60%
40%
66
58 55 54
50 48 47 46 45 45 44
20% 42 42 42 42 41 39 39 38 36
33 33 31 30 30 28 27 27
26 26 25 24 24 23
19
0%
Mauritius
Benin
Niger
Senegal
Uganda
eSwatini
Zambia
Madagascar
Morocco
Sierra Leone
Burkina Faso
Côte d'Ivoire
Lesotho
Zimbabwe
Mozambique
Tunisia
Gabon
Mali
Togo
Kenya
Guinea
Gambia
Botswana
Namibia
Liberia
Tanzania
Malawi
Cabo Verde
Cameroon
Nigeria
Ghana
Sudan
São Tomé and Príncipe
South Africa
34-country average
Aware of climate change but without negative associations

Aware of climate change and have negative associations
Respondents were asked:

Have you heard about climate change, or haven’t you had the chance to hear about this yet?
(% “yes” is shown by the full bar, both solid and patterned)
If yes: What does the phrase “climate change” mean to you? (% of total population that has
heard of climate change and has negative associations is shown by solid bars)

In contrast, in Zimbabwe, fully 75% have heard of climate change, but a low of just 41% of
them associate it with negative outcomes, so only 31% of all citizens understand climate
change as a potentially harmful phenomenon. Other countries where fewer than half of
those aware of climate change have negative understandings of it include Liberia, Sudan,
Mozambique, Ghana, and Namibia (see Appendix Figure A.1). As result, even in some of the
most politically and socially influential countries on the continent, such as South Africa (24%),
Ghana (26%), and Nigeria (27%), only about one in four citizens have this basic awareness,
suggesting that climate-change activists have their work cut out for them in building a
popular consensus for action on the issue. Overall, in 29 of the 34 surveyed countries, fewer
than half of citizens have both heard of climate change and associate it with negative
changes in weather patterns.
Causes of climate change

Scientists say the world’s climate has always undergone changes associated with natural
processes, such as volcanic eruptions and solar variations. But changes have become far
more rapid and dangerous in recent decades as the burning of fossil fuels and other human
activities have released billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2014).
When ordinary Africans who have heard of climate change are asked what they think is its
main cause, about two-thirds blame it on human activity alone (52%) or on human activity
combined with natural processes (16%). More than one in four (27%) say natural causes
alone are the main cause of climate change (Figure 13).
Figure 13: Main cause of climate change | 33 countries* | 2016/2018
6%
Human activity
27% Both human activity and

natural processes
52% Natural processes
None of these/Don't
know
16%
Respondents who had heard of climate change were asked: People have different ideas about what
causes climate change. What about you, which of the following do you think is the main cause of
climate, or haven’t you heard enough to say? (Respondents who had not heard of climate change
are excluded.) (* This question was not asked in Zimbabwe.)
But in 16 of 33 countries where this question was asked, fewer than half of those who have
heard of climate change attribute it primarily to human activity (Figure 14). In Mozambique,
only one in five (21%) blame human activity alone, while 43% say it is due to natural
processes. One-third or fewer also cite human activity as the main cause in Sudan (33%),
Namibia (30%), and Niger (29%).
Education level is correlated with higher awareness of the human role in climate change.
Among those with post-secondary education, 59% identify human activity as the primary
driver, and 80% recognize it as at least partially responsible. Among those with no formal
education, on the other hand, only 42% cite human activity as the main cause of climate
change, and just 54% recognize it as playing at least some role (Figure 15).

Figure 14: Climate change caused by human activity | 33 countries* | 2016/2018
Gabon 80% 4%
Guinea 74% 8%
Tanzania 67% 17%
Mauritius 67% 12%
Madagascar 66% 16%
Benin 64% 9%
Togo 64% 15%
eSwatini 61% 11%
Lesotho 61% 4%
Cameroon 60% 9%
Kenya 59% 13%
Tunisia 58% 11%
Uganda 53% 25%
Malawi 52% 23%
Liberia 49% 7%
Gambia 48% 14%
Mali 47% 9%
Senegal 46% 10%
Nigeria 46% 15%
Zambia 45% 17%
Cabo Verde 45% 17%
Ghana 41% 22%
Morocco 41% 31%
Botswana 39% 26%
Sudan 33% 34%
Namibia 30% 22%
Niger 29% 12%
Mozambique 21% 21%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Human activity Both human activity and natural processes

Figure 15: Understanding of causes of climate change | by education level
| 33 countries* | 2016/2018
Post-secondary 59% 21% 18%
Secondary 54% 15% 26%
Primary 47% 14% 30%
No formal education 42% 12% 36%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Human activity alone Both human activity and natural processes
Natural processes alone None of these/Don't know/Refused
“Climate change aware” vs. “climate change literate”

We saw above that on average across all countries, 58% of citizens have heard of climate
change, and of those, about two-thirds (68%) understand that human activity plays a part in
causing climate change and slightly fewer than two-thirds (63%) associate climate change
with negative changes in weather patterns. We identify respondents who are not only aware
of climate change, but who also understand both the human role in causation and the
negative consequences, as the “climate change literate” population.6 We are not aware of
recent data that would allow a comparison of “climate change literacy” levels in Africa with
those, say, in Asia or the Americas. But increasing climate change literacy will likely be key to
motivating governments in Africa and globally to step up their preparedness and their
actions to respond to this growing challenge. And the findings here suggest that climate
change activists have a great deal of work to do to further educate and engage African
publics.
On average across 33 countries, 28% of citizens can be considered climate change literate.
Mauritius (57%) is the only country where a majority share this basic understanding, although
Gabonese (49%), Ugandans (46%), and Malawians (43%) all make a decent showing. But
fewer than a quarter of adults are climate change literate in 14 countries, and the number
does not top one-third in another nine countries (Figure 16).
6
This indicator of a basic understanding of climate change should not be confused with more ambitious
concepts of “climate literacy” (see, for example, the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s Climate Literacy:
The Essential Principles of Climate Science).

Figure 16: The ‘climate change literate’ | 33 countries* | 2016/2018
Mauritius 57%
Gabon 49%
Uganda 46%
Malawi 43%
Madagascar 38%
Benin 37%
Togo 36%
Guinea 35%
Cameroon 34%
Cabo Verde 34%
Gambia 31%
Burkina Faso 31%
Côte d'Ivoire 31%
eSwatini 31%
Kenya 30%
São Tomé and Príncipe 29%
Morocco 29%
33-country average 28%
Mali 28%
Senegal 26%
Lesotho 24%
Tanzania 22%
Sierra Leone 22%
Zambia 22%
Botswana 22%
Ghana 21%
Sudan 20%
Nigeria 20%
South Africa 17%
Niger 16%
Namibia 16%
Tunisia 15%
Liberia 14%
Mozambique 12%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Figure shows % of respondents who are “climate change literate,” meaning they not only have heard
of climate change but also associate it with negative changes in weather patterns and know that
human activity plays a part in causing it. (Not all relevant questions were asked in Zimbabwe.)
Are Afrobarometer’s climate change literacy levels related either to climate change
vulnerability or to governments’ ability to respond to this challenge? To test this, we compare
climate change literacy scores to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN)
expert-generated climate change vulnerability and readiness scores. The full ND-Gain Index
combines assessments of both a country’s vulnerability to climate change – based on
evaluations of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity – as well as its economic,
governance, and social readiness to respond effectively.7 We compare climate change
7
For further information on the ND-GAIN Index, see https://gain.nd.edu/our-work/country-index.

literacy to each component in turn. Our broad assumption is that vulnerability could be a
driving force in generating awareness and engagement on the issue of climate change.
With regard to readiness, the likely direction of causality is less clear: A climate change
literate public could put pressure on a government to increase its readiness; on the other
hand, an engaged government might actively engage in building climate change literacy
to raise support for its efforts and investments, and thus increase societal preparedness.
In the end, however, we find no statistically significant correlations between climate change
literacy and either of the ND-GAIN component indicators. But a few key points nonetheless
are evident from Figure 17 and Figure 18.
First, we see that Mauritius stands out as having the highest level of climate change literacy
despite facing only a moderate level of vulnerability compared to other countries in the
sample (Figure 17). But the high levels of climate change literacy in Mauritius correspond to
the country’s very high score – the highest in our sample – on readiness (Figure 18). Uganda
and Malawi, which are substantially more vulnerable, do not achieve the same levels of
literacy as Mauritius, but have nonetheless achieved some of the highest scores in our
sample, nearing 50%. Both countries, however, score quite poorly on readiness, despite both
significant vulnerability challenges and moderately good levels of public engagement.
Further exploration of the factors that shape the interactions between literacy, vulnerability,
and readiness are clearly called for.
Of particular concern are several countries – most notably Liberia, Niger, and Sudan – that
have some of the highest vulnerability levels alongside some of the lowest levels of climate
change literacy. We also see that these same countries, along with Mozambique and
Nigeria, are among the least prepared to respond. Education campaigns aimed at
engaging both the governments and the public might be especially valuable in these
countries.
Figure 17: Climate change vulnerability and climate change literacy | 32 countries*
| 2016/2018
*Afrobarometer data are not available for Zimbabwe, and ND-GAIN scores are not available for Cabo
Verde.

Figure 18: Climate change readiness and climate change literacy | 32 countries*
| 2016/2018
*Afrobarometer data are not available for Zimbabwe, and ND-GAIN scores are not available for Cabo
Verde.
Climate change worsening quality of life for Africans

Overall, two-thirds (67%) of Africans who have heard of climate change say it is making their
lives “somewhat worse” (34%) or “much worse” (33%). Fewer than one in five (18%) say it is
improving the quality of life in their country.
The negative impact of climate change is felt especially strongly in East Africa, where nine
out of 10 citizens who have heard of climate change (89%) say it is making life worse. Only
about half as many North Africans (46%) see a negative climate impact (Figure 19).
Figure 19: Effect of climate change on quality of life | by region | 32 countries*

| 2016/2018
100% 6%
19% 16% 22% 16%
29%
80%
60%
40% 89%
70% 67% 67%
60%
20% 46%
0%
East Africa West Africa Southern Central North 32-country
Africa Africa Africa average
Somewhat/Much worse Neither/Refused/Don't know Somewhat/Much better
Respondents who had heard of climate change were asked: Do you think climate change is making life
in [your country] better or worse, or haven’t you heard enough to say? (Respondents who had not
heard of climate change are excluded.) (* This question was not asked in Kenya and Zimbabwe.)

Ugandans (93%), Malawians (91%), and Basotho (88%) are particularly critical of the effects
of climate change. In 28 of the 32 countries where this question was asked, a majority of
citizens say climate change is making life worse. Mozambique is the only country where
people who say climate change is making life better outnumber those who say the opposite
(42% vs. 31%) (Figure 20).
Figure 20: Effect of climate change on quality of life | 32 countries* | 2016/2018
Uganda 93% 4%
Malawi 91% 5%
Lesotho 88% 6%
eSwatini 83% 12%
Benin 83% 12%
Madagascar 81% 6%
Togo 81% 12%
Tanzania 79% 11%
Cabo Verde 79% 11%
Guinea 76% 16%
Niger 72% 19%
Mali 72% 24%
Gambia 67% 16%
Cameroon 67% 19%
Tunisia 65% 21%
Gabon 64% 18%
Namibia 63% 24%
Liberia 61% 31%
Senegal 61% 20%
Botswana 61% 20%
Mauritius 61% 8%
Zambia 57% 22%
Ghana 56% 26%
Nigeria 52% 35%
Sudan 44% 37%
Morocco 37% 27%
Mozambique 31% 42%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Somewhat/Much worse Somewhat/Much better
in [your country] better or worse, or haven’t you heard enough to say? (Respondents who had not
heard of climate change are excluded.) (* This question was not asked in Kenya and Zimbabwe.)
The poor are the most strongly affected by climate change, according to survey responses.
Almost three-fourths (73%) of respondents who experienced high lived poverty say climate
change is making life worse, compared to 60% of those who are economically best off
(Figure 21). Older respondents are also somewhat more likely to complain about the effects
of climate change (70% among those aged 56 and older, compared to 66% of youth).

Figure 21: Climate change making life worse | by lived poverty level | 32 countries*
| 2016/2018
High lived poverty 73%
Moderate lived poverty 69%
Low lived poverty 66%
No lived poverty 60%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
in [your country] better or worse, or haven’t you heard enough to say? (% who say “somewhat worse”
or “much worse”) (Respondents who had not heard of climate change are excluded.) (*Question was
not asked in Kenya and Zimbabwe.)
Can climate change be stopped?

The United Nations (2018) identifies climate change caused by human activity as one of the
major challenges of our times. As the environmental group Greenpeace (2019) says, “We
have the knowledge, skills, and technologies to stop climate change. All over the world
people have woken up to the threat and are working to reduce the use of fossil fuels, stop
rainforest destruction, and get power from clean energy.” If you “google” “How to stop
climate change,” dozens of websites will tell you what you can do to help – though of course
many potential courses of action require not just the goodwill of individual citizens, but
leadership, popular coordination, and major doses of political will as well.
Do ordinary Africans believe that climate change can be stopped? Do they think they can
play a role?
Among respondents who are aware of climate change, seven in 10 (71%) say climate
change needs to be stopped, and about half think ordinary people can do “a lot” (23%) or
at least a “a little bit” (28%) to help (Figure 22). One in five (20%), however, say there is
nothing they can do to stop climate change, and about the same proportion (23%) think
climate change doesn’t need to be stopped at all.
Figure 22: Stopping climate change | 33 countries* | 2016/2018
6%
Ordinary people can do a lot
23%
23% Ordinary people can do a little bit
Ordinary people can do nothing at

all
Climate change doesn’t need to
28% be stopped
20%
Don't know/Refused
Respondents who had heard of climate change were asked: Do you think that climate change needs
to be stopped? [If yes:] How much do you think that ordinary [people in your country] can do to stop
climate change? (Respondents who had not heard of climate change are excluded.) (* This question
was not asked in Zimbabwe.)

But perceptions of whether ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against
climate change vary widely by country. In Madagascar (78%) and Togo (74%), people are
particularly confident that they can contribute “a little bit” or “a lot.” Ugandans (67%) and
Malawians (64%), too, are pretty optimistic. But in Liberia (26%), Sudan (28%), and Niger (33%),
relatively few people think they can make any difference (Figure 23).
Figure 23: Ordinary people can do ‘a little’ or ‘a lot’ to stop climate change
| 33 countries* | 2016/2018
Madagascar 45% 33%

Togo 36% 38%
Uganda 37% 30%
Malawi 18% 45%
Tanzania 39% 24%
Benin 34% 27%
Mauritius 43% 19%
Kenya 26% 33%
Gambia 24% 35%
Gabon 29% 27%
Guinea 33% 23%
Ghana 27% 28%
Mali 31% 25%
Cameroon 27% 24%
eSwatini 27% 24%
Lesotho 25% 23%
Zambia 24% 24%
Nigeria 23% 20%
Botswana 23% 19%
Senegal 26% 15%
Cabo Verde 21% 18%
Morocco 28% 9%
Namibia 17% 19%
Tunisia 21% 15%
Mozambique 18% 16%
Niger 24% 9%
Sudan 19% 9%
Liberia 19% 7%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Ordinary people can do a little Ordinary people can do a lot
Respondents who had heard of climate change were asked: Do you think that climate change needs
to be stopped? [If yes:] How much do you think that ordinary [people in your country] can do to stop
climate change? (Respondents who had not heard of climate change are excluded.) (* This question
was not asked in Zimbabwe.)

Conclusions
Not surprisingly, Africa’s perceptions of climate change are as varied as its weather. Clearly,
many countries are seeing changes in climate and weather patterns that are hurting farmers
and herders, most often through worsening drought.
In some of the most severely affected countries, including Uganda, Malawi, and Cabo
Verde, substantial majorities of the population are familiar with the term “climate change.”
Overall, nearly six in 10 Africans have at least heard of the phenomenon.
But in others, awareness of climate change is much less widespread. These include some of
the continent’s most influential countries, such as Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa, as well
as places where changing weather patterns are playing havoc with agriculture, as in
Lesotho. Only bare majorities are familiar with the concept in Nigeria and Ghana, and fewer
than half of citizens have heard of climate change in five other countries.
Among those familiar with the term, fully two-thirds report that climate change is making life
worse in their countries; the need to address the challenges it poses is clearly being felt in
many places across the continent.
But even these “climate change aware” citizens do not always fully understand either its
human causes or its largely negative consequences. Only about three in 10 Africans are truly
climate change literate, in the sense that they combine awareness of the term with a basic
understanding of the human causes and the negative consequences.
We do not have information about how climate change literacy among Africans compares
to that in other regions according to this metric. But as one of the global regions most
susceptible to the potential harms of climate change, the need for education to build
constituencies for action is clear. Proponents of an active response to climate change in
Africa must continue to join others around the globe to build informed core populations that
understand the threats and will support coordinated government and international
responses. Such constituencies will benefit government officials and policy activists who
need citizen backing for climate action. Civil society, educational institutions, media, and
government can all contribute to building public knowledge about this issue. Those engaged
in agricultural occupations and poor people, who are least knowledgeable about but most
vulnerable to climate change, would be especially important targets for such outreach.
But education efforts shouldn’t stop with building awareness and understanding of the
problem. Nearly three-quarters of those who are already aware of climate change agree
that it needs to be stopped, but citizens are less confident about their own ability to make a
difference. Advocacy should also aim to build popular understanding of how ordinary
citizens can respond effectively to this challenge by taking individual and collective actions
that can enhance the capacity for prevention, early warning, adaptation, and mitigation.
Given Africa’s low greenhouse gas emissions but high vulnerability to climate change, and its
responsibility for designing its own development future, such consensus-building measures for
urgent climate action may be among the most important contributions that African nations
can take to the UN Climate Action Summit in New York later this year.

References
Adetou, A. E., & Ahlin, E. A. (2019). Les changements climatiques empirent la vie au Togo mais sont
moins connus par les agriculteurs. Afrobarometer Dispatch No. 279.
African Union. (2015). Draft African Union strategy on climate change.
Associated Press. (2019). Cyclone’s huge floods leave hundreds dead in southern Africa. 19 March.
Busby, J. W., Smith, T. G., White, K. L., & Strange, S. M. (2012). Locating climate insecurity: Where
are the most vulnerable places in Africa? In J. Scheffran, M. Brzoska, H. G. Brauch, P. M. Link, & J.
Schilling (Eds.), Climate Change, Human Security and Violent Conflict (pp. 463-511). Berlin and
Heidelberg, Germany: Springer-Verlag.
Coulibaly, M., Silwé, K. S., & Logan, C. (2018). Taking stock: Citizen priorities and assessments three
years into the SDGs. Afrobarometer Policy Paper No. 51.
Food and Agriculture Organization. (2018). The state of food and agriculture: Migration, agriculture
and rural development.
Greenpeace. (2019). Stop climate change.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2014). Climate change: Synthesis report.
Mattes, R., Dulani, B., & Gyimah-Boadi, E. (2016). Africa’s growth dividend? Lived poverty drops
across much of the continent. Afrobarometer Policy Paper No. 29.
Munang, R., & Mgendi, R. (2017). The Paris climate deal and Africa. Africa Renewal.
Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative. (2019). ND-GAIN country index.
Uganda Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. (2018). Effects of changing
weather patterns in the agricultural sector: How has production and livelihood been affected?
Budget Monitoring and Accountability Unit Briefing Paper 17/18.
Uganda Ministry of Water and Environment. (2015). National climate change policy.
United Nations (2018). Global indicator framework for the Sustainable Development Goals and
targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Retrieved from:
https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/indicators/Global%20Indicator%20Framework_A.RES.71.313%20Ann
ex.pdf
United Nations. (2019). Climate change.
United Nations Development Programme. (2019). Goal 13: Climate action.
UN Climate Change. (2018). The Paris agreement.
UN Climate Change. (2019). Ghana to kick-start year of ambition at Africa climate summit.
UN Environment. (2019). Responding to climate change.
URN. (2019). Drought hits hard Bukomansimbi farmers. 30 April.

Appendix
Table A.1: Afrobarometer Round 7 fieldwork dates and previous survey rounds
Months when Round 7

Country Previous survey rounds
fieldwork was conducted
Benin Dec 2016-Jan 2017 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014
Botswana June-July 2017 1999, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2014
Burkina Faso Oct 2017 2008, 2012, 2015
Cameroon May 2018 2013, 2015
Cape Verde Nov-Dec 2017 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014
Côte d'Ivoire Dec 2016-Jan 2017 2013, 2014
eSwatini March 2018 2013, 2015
Gabon Nov 2017 2015
Gambia July-August 2018 N/A
Ghana Sept 2017 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2014
Guinea May 2017 2013, 2015
Kenya Sept-Oct 2016 2003, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014
Lesotho Nov-Dec 2017 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2014
Liberia June-July 2018 2008, 2012, 2015
Madagascar Jan-Feb 2018 2005, 2008, 2013, 2015
Malawi Dec 2016-Jan 2017 1999, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2014
Mali Feb 2017 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2014
Mauritius Oct-Nov 2017 2012, 2014
Morocco May 2018 2013, 2015
Mozambique July-August 2018 2002, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2015
Namibia Nov 2017 1999, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014
Niger April-May 2018 2013, 2015
Nigeria April-May 2017 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2015
São Tomé and Principe July 2018 2015
Senegal Dec 2017 2002, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2014
Sierra Leone July 2018 2012, 2015
South Africa August-Sept 2018 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015
Sudan July-August 2018 2013, 2015
Tanzania April-June 2017 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2014
Togo Nov 2017 2012, 2014
Tunisia April-May 2018 2013, 2015
Uganda Dec 2016-Jan 2017 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2015
Zambia April 2017 1999, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2014
Zimbabwe Jan-Feb 2017 1999, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2014

Table A.2: Afrobarometer publications on climate change, 2017-2019
Country Publication
Dispatch No. 153: Les changements climatiques détériorent la
Benin
production agricole et la vie, selon les Béninois
Dispatch No. 183: Kenyans say climate change affecting personal
Kenya
lives and country
Dispatch No. 214: ‘Paradise is getting rocky’: Mauritians see
Mauritius
climate change as threat to quality of life
Dispatch No. 221: Despite threat to cocoa and reforestation
Côte d'Ivoire
response, only half of Ivoirians aware of climate change
Dispatch No. 222: Les Maliens dénoncent les effets néfastes des
Mali
changements climatiques
Dispatch No. 226: eSwatini citizens see more severe weather, but
eSwatini
almost half are not aware of climate change
Dispatch No. 227: Only one in three Tanzanians aware of climate
Tanzania
change
Dispatch No. 229: Les changements climatiques rendent la vie pire,
Gabon
selon les Gabonais
Dispatch No. 260: Les changements climatiques affectent
Cameroon
négativement la vie des Camerounais
Dispatch No. 264: Amidst drought, only half of Batswana are aware
Botswana
of climate change
Dispatch No. 268: Climate change making life worse in Liberia, but
Liberia
only half of citizens have heard of it
Dispatch No. 279: Les changements climatiques empirent la vie au
Togo
Togo mais sont moins connus par les agriculteurs
Dispatch No. 295: Are South Africans prepared to confront climate
South Africa
change?
Dispatch No. 303: Most Ugandans see worsening drought, say
Uganda
climate change is making life worse

Figure A.1: Among those who have heard of climate change, proportion who say it
refers to negative changes in the weather (%) | 34 countries | 2016/2018
100
8484
79 77 7676 75
80 7474 73 72 71 70
6969 67 6666
6363 62 59
58 56 55
60 53 5252 50
48 47 45
4242 41
40
20
Niger
Mauritius
Benin
Uganda
eSwatini
Senegal
Morocco
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Madagascar
Gabon
Mali
Lesotho
Sierra Leone
Mozambique
Kenya
Burkina Faso
Côte d'Ivoire
Tunisia
Namibia
Liberia
Togo
Tanzania
Guinea
Malawi
Gambia
Botswana
Sudan
Cabo Verde
Nigeria
Cameroon
Ghana
South Africa
São Tomé and Príncipe
32-country average
Respondents who had heard of climate change were asked: What does the phrase “climate change”
mean to you? (Respondents who had not heard of climate change are excluded.)

Edem E. Selormey is the Afrobarometer field operations manager for North, East,
and anglophone West Africa, based at the Ghana Center for Democratic
Development (CDD-Ghana).
Mavis Zupork Dome is a research analyst at CDD-Ghana.
Lionel Osse is assistant Afrobarometer project manager for anglophone West Africa,
based at CDD-Ghana.
Carolyn Logan is deputy director of Afrobarometer and associate professor in the
Department of Political Science at Michigan State University.
Afrobarometer, a nonprofit corporation with headquarters in Ghana, directs a pan-
African, non-partisan research network. Regional coordination of national partners
in about 35 countries is provided by the Ghana Center for Democratic
Development (CDD-Ghana), the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) in
South Africa, and the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) at the University of
Nairobi in Kenya. Michigan State University (MSU) and the University of Cape Town
(UCT) provide technical support to the network.
Financial support for Afrobarometer Round 7 was provided by the Swedish
International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Mo Ibrahim
Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the U.S. State Department, the U.S.
Agency for International Development via the U.S. Institute of Peace, the National
Endowment for Democracy, and Transparency International.
Donations help the Afrobarometer Project give voice to African citizens. Please
consider making a contribution (at www.afrobarometer.org) or contact Felix Biga
(felixbiga@afrobarometer.org) to discuss institutional funding.
For more information, please visit www.afrobarometer.org.
/Afrobarometer @Afrobarometer
Cover photo: Adapted from "Ground cracked by drought following floods" by thaths,
licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
Infographics by Kindea Labs
Contact: edem@afrobarometer.org
m.dome@cddgh.org
lessima@afrobarometer.org
Afrobarometer Policy Paper No. 60 | August 2019

p,park@cddghana.org

Afrobarometer: Experience and Awareness of Climate Change in Africa

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Change ahead

Experience and awareness

Afrobarometer Policy Paper No. 60 | August 2019

Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2019 1

▪ About two-thirds blame climate change on human activity (52%) or on human

Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2019 2

Changing climate conditions for agricultural production

Figure 1: Changes in climate conditions for agricultural production | 34 countries

Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2019 3

Figure 2: Changes in climate conditions for agricultural production | 34 countries

Worse/Much worse Better/Much better

Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2019 4

Figure 3: Changes in climate conditions for agricultural production | by socio-

34-country average 49% 17% 20%

Rural 54% 15% 20%

Urban 42% 20% 19%

18-35 years 46% 18% 20%

36-55 years 50% 18% 19%

56+ years 54% 15% 19%

No formal education 55% 11% 18%

Primary 52% 16% 19%

Secondary 45% 20% 21%

Post-secondary 42% 24% 19%

Agriculture/Fishing/Forestry 59% 13% 19%

Other occupations 45% 19% 20%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Worse/Much worse Same Better/Much better

Extreme climate events

Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2019 5

41% Somewhat less

But again, looking at individual countries reveals a more complex picture.

Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2019 6

Uganda 87% 9% 12% 73%

Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2019 7

Figure 6: Awareness of climate change | 34 countries | 2016/2018

Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2019 8

Mauritius 83% 14%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2019 9

Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2019 10

34-country average 58%

Figure 10: Awareness of climate change | by media exposure | 34 countries

80% 72% 72% 74%

Respondents were asked:

Understanding climate change

Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2019 11

Aware of climate change but without negative associations

Respondents were asked:

Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2019 12

Causes of climate change

Figure 13: Main cause of climate change | 33 countries* | 2016/2018

27% Both human activity and

Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2019 13

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Human activity Both human activity and natural processes

Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2019 14

Post-secondary 59% 21% 18%

Secondary 54% 15% 26%

Primary 47% 14% 30%

No formal education 42% 12% 36%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Human activity alone Both human activity and natural processes

Natural processes alone None of these/Don't know/Refused

“Climate change aware” vs. “climate change literate”