INDIA How the people of India live with climate change and what communication can do Varinder Gambhir and Prerna Kumar Climate change is about people How do people in India live with climate change now? How will its impacts shape their future, and how will they, in turn, shape their environment? What are the most effective ways to support people to adapt to climate change, and how best can the media, governments, organisations and businesses communicate with them? These are the questions behind Climate Asia, the world’s largest study of people’s everyday experience of climate change. The project surveyed 33,500 people across seven Asian countries – Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan and Vietnam. In India, the research was conducted from May to August 2012 across cities and villages in five states: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand, and in the city of Mumbai. These particular states were selected to represent different geographic areas in the country, which include coasts, mountains, a delta, plains with large tracts of rainfed agriculture and a large city. They are also home to people in very diverse socio-economic groups. Climate Asia recorded the opinions, insights and needs of this population, about 70% of whom live on less than $2 (£1.30) a day.1 Climate Asia conducted 24 focus group discussions with men and women from different social backgrounds across eight locations in the chosen states and city in India. In addition, our researchers held eight community assessments2 with communities vulnerable to climate change, as well as 30 in-depth interviews with key experts and opinion-formers from government, civil society, business and academia. Using both quantitative and qualitative research, we have built a picture of how people in the states and city surveyed live and deal with climate change. This includes their values, livelihoods, use of food, water and energy, family life, worries, what they watch and listen to, whom they trust the most, what they hope for in the future, and the environmental changes they have noticed or deal with already. 1World Bank (August 2013) Poverty headcount ratio at $2 a day (PPP) (% of population) [online] Available from: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ SI.POV.2DAY [Accessed 13 August 2013] 2In this report we use the term “community assessment” to describe a qualitative research method. This method involved spending one to two days with a community and using various qualitative tools, including a guided walk with a community member, to gather information. 02 More details on the research methodology and sampling followed can be found in the Appendix and at www.bbc.co.uk/climateasia. People’s perceptions matter Understanding people’s perceptions is crucial to craft communication that motivates people to take action to improve their lives. An individual’s perception at any given time – for instance of changes in climate or the availability of water in an area – may differ from official records. Nevertheless such perceptions may influence a person’s decision-making process. Climate Asia research focused on people’s perception of changes in climate, how these changes affect their lives and what they are doing to respond to them. Perceptions are shaped by a range of factors including exposure to media, communication with peers, personal beliefs and values, and education levels. About BBC Media Action BBC Media Action, the international development organisation of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), uses the power of media and communication to support people to shape their own lives. Working with broadcasters, governments, other organisations and donors, we provide information and stimulate positive change in the areas of governance, health, resilience and humanitarian response. This broad reach helps us to inform, connect and empower people around the world. We are independent from the BBC, but share the BBC’s fundamental values and have partnerships with the BBC World Service and local and national broadcasters that reach millions of people. How Climate Asia can help Climate Asia, a BBC Media Action project, is the largest-ever quantitative and qualitative research study into public understanding of climate change in Asia. Funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Climate Asia interviewed over 33,500 people across seven countries – Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan and Vietnam. The resulting comprehensive data set paints a vivid picture of how people live with climate change now. This report is one of many tools created from this unique data, all designed to help the planning and implementation of communication and other programmes to support people to adapt to the changes they face. They are available on the fully searchable and public Climate Asia data portal, www.bbc.co.uk/climateasia, and include a climate communication guide, information on Climate Asia’s research methods and the tools used to conduct research, including the survey questionnaire. Since all of Climate Asia’s data and tools are designed for the widest possible use, this report and data portal details are freely available to anyone who might be interested. 03 What’s the story? People across all the states surveyed – Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand, as well as Mumbai – feel they are experiencing higher temperatures, lower rainfall and less predictable weather than 10 years ago. Water shortage was a big concern for Indians – more than in any other Climate Asia country surveyed – and they link this to changes in climate. The lack of water has an impact on people’s lives, most notably by decreasing agricultural productivity, which leads to a loss of income for rural people as well as increasing health risks. People in these Indian states were more worried than people in any of the other Climate Asia countries about the impact of changes in climate and resource availability on their health and their ability to earn money. In addition, a third of people in these states feel at high risk from an extreme weather event but only a quarter feel prepared to deal with it. This perception of change does not translate into response. More than half of those surveyed were feeling impacts now but struggling to respond. People in these areas of India are less willing to take action to respond to these changes than in any of the other six countries surveyed. This is particularly true of poorer people who don’t feel that they have the financial resources to respond. People do not feel that it is their responsibility to take action and think that government, civil society or other institutions are better placed to deal with these issues. However, at the same time, they do not feel confident in the institutions from which they expect support. Despite broad similarities between the states in terms of the changes their citizens have noticed, there are differences between states in the impacts people are feeling, the extent to which they’re responding and their motivations for doing so. In Odisha people are adapting and taking action in small, individual ways, building on their high level of awareness of climate change, their understanding of the issues and their knowledge of how to respond. In Madhya Pradesh, on the other hand, there are very low levels of response: people feel they can’t make a difference and don’t feel empowered to work together with their communities. As a result they find it difficult to take action to deal with water shortages. Confidence in government institutions is low, people in the state don’t feel that the government listens to their needs, and yet feel that they can’t act without government support. 04 What this means for communication There is a need for a new way of communicating to engage people with climate change. One way of doing so is by framing the issue around the impacts that people are feeling and will feel, such as reduced income and health concerns. This will help to build awareness of both immediate and future risks that people face in their everyday lives. Experts also highlighted the need to encourage people to respond to the impacts they’re feeling. After building awareness of the issue, communication can encourage action that reduces the impact of present and future changes and variations in climate. There is a role for the government to illustrate to the public which actions they can take as individuals or as part of a community and which actions the government is working on. Communication can help to convince people to take action by fostering a spirit of responsibility. This includes giving people information on how they can take action, inspiring people by showing others like them being successful, and encouraging people to share examples of simple actions that help people lessen the impact of change. For people who are not currently feeling any impact, communication can build awareness of the impact they may face in the future and what they can do now to help themselves and others. People trust television more than any other source of information including government. Communication should use television to reach audiences and then seek to enhance this with face- to-face communication where appropriate. There is also a role for partnerships between television, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and government to increase exposure to existing activities that have a positive effect and create new opportunities to bring the issue of climate change to life. 05 How to use this report This report presents findings from India. It seeks to build a picture of how people live their lives and deal with change, in order to understand their communication needs and help them respond to changes and variations in climate.