Despite extensive research and increased information, existing knowledge on how to adapt to climate change is fragmented and dispersed. In India, new knowledge generated from research often fails to reach or appropriately address the concerns of those who need it the most. However, there is a need for communicating climate change issues in locally relevant and culturally appropriate ways.

Development Alternatives (DA) has taken several communication initiatives to communicate climate concerns to the vulnerable communities of Bundelkhand, one of the most climate-sensitive regions of Central India. Various communication tools and models have been used to spread awareness on climate concerns.

In 2008, under the Advancing Capacity for Climate Change Adaptation (ACCCA) project on Risk Communication for Adapting to Climate Change, a situation analysis study was undertaken to explore viable options for climate change adoption in Bundelkhand. It was found that the community possessed very little awareness related to climate change. People were skeptical and not willing to bring a change in their lifestyles.

A discussion was facilitated in a small core group comprising key persons of government departments, research institutes and non-government organisations. A need was felt to launch a campaign for effective communication of climate change risks and adaptation on techniques which would help in bringing a behaviour change in the community. Thus, in 2008, Development Alternative (DA) launched the Shubh Kal campaign with the objective to inform and educate the rural community of Bundelkhand on the hazards of climate uncertainties and its impact on their lives.

The research also brought out the need to reach out to the vulnerable communities as well as other stakeholders in an effective manner. Communication through local leaders was reliable as also easy to understand. Every person carries a desire to help his or her people and community. These people have the potential to become ‘Change Agents’ for a cause. The research also brought out the fact that it was important that the activities and messages are communicated in local dialects for easy acceptance by the community members. The messages should provide solutions that are practical, as per the needs of the community. The process of communication and exchange of information needs to be participatory. A localised and participatory approach based on communication through community change agents became the guiding principles of the Shubh Kal campaign.

For an effective communication for behaviour change, people need to actually see and believe what has been communicated. Under a Swiss Development Corporation project, the Shubh Kal campaign focused on communicating information regarding implementation of adaptation models on the ground, namely Farmers’ Adaptation Cluster (FAC), Women’s Energy Cluster (WEC) and TARA Karigar Mandal (TKM). FAC is a cluster of farmers who adopted climate friendly practices in their farm activities. WEC is a group of women who adopted livelihood options based on alternate sources of energy. TKM is a group of masons formed to provide green building construction services. The communication theory of ‘see and believe’ inspired the community members to be part of these climate friendly adaptation models.

A communication strategy that has a balanced approach of information as well as entertainment is far more acceptable by the receiver. The Rural Reality Show for Catalysing Large-Scale Climate Change Adaptation was an initiative based on the edutainment approach. This show won the Development Marketplace Award from the World Bank in 2009 under the Innovation category. The Rural Reality Show intended to empower rural women and youth as ‘change agents’ for climate change adaptation in 100 villages of Bundelkhand. The women and youth adopted ‘do-able’ adaptation measures and their efforts were recognised and disseminated through specially designed ‘edutainment’ programmes in a reality show format. This was broadcasted using innovative local communication media like the Community Radio and Video Resource Centres (VRCs).

The idea was to simplify critical climate change messages through the concept of a reality show on the community radio and VRCs in which contestants competed in the adoption of various climate adaptation options such as agro-forestry, organic composting, rainwater harvesting, kitchen gardening, etc. It helped more than 500 households to adopt climate friendly household practices in their day-to-day life and also created 25 Climate Change Agents from the rural community, who will take forward these messages to others. This programme was based on the Desire, Behaviour, Bonding, Belief (D-B-B-B) strategy of communication.

Community managed communication channels like the community radio are a sustainable information source for the entire community. The current phase of the Shubh Kal campaign aims at strengthening community knowledge on climate change impacts and adaptation measures by facilitating the process of integration of grassroot voices into local scientific research and policy dialogue using the medium of community radios. Community radio stations broadcast information on locally relevant issues in the local dialect and produce locally relevant programmes in ways that larger radio stations are incapable of.

By increasing the capability of community radio stations to act as intermediaries between rural communities and decision-makers, this communication model hopes to help scientists and researchers understand community priorities and experiences with respect to climate change. Also, it is helping local policy makers increase their awareness on how climate change is impacting local development and the policy implications of these impacts.

Communication for changing behaviour is different from a common understanding of communication. The result of an effective behaviour change in a community can be seen when the information or knowledge transforms into positive action on the ground. A community needs reinforcement with a communication campaign that creates a recall value in the mind of the people. People learn from what they see. Hence, the theory of ‘see and believe’ is very important in terms of development communication. Too much of information does not make any sense for the community, and communities find it easier to accept any message when it is presented in the edutainment approch, offering information as well as entertainment. Community based communication mediums like community radios can play a very strong role in connecting communities with the decision makers. q