Despite contributing less than 3% to global greenhouse gas emissions, Africa faces disproportionate and escalating damage endangering its economies, and infrastructure investments, and jeopardizing the limited development progress achieved, pushing it towards higher levels of extreme poverty.
Still, climate change awareness in Africa is a complex landscape, marked by disparities among countries. Some nations exhibit heightened awareness and proactive measures, while others grapple with limited access to information, hindering progress in addressing climate-related challenges.
Climate change literacy includes understanding the human causes of climate change and its potential impact on the world. This form of literacy contributes to people’s willingness to support actions to limit and/or adapt to the negative consequences of human-induced climate change.
A recent survey by Afrobarometer sheds light on the continent’s climate reality. The pan-African research institution conducted a public opinion survey measuring climate change literacy and gauging perceptions across diverse socio-demographic factors like age, gender, education, and wealth.
The findings show that only about half (51%) of citizens across 39 countries have heard of climate change. This 39-country analysis is based on 54,436 interviews. The data are weighted to ensure nationally representative samples. When reporting multi-country averages, all countries are weighted equally (rather than in proportion to population size).
Below are 10 African countries with the highest climate change awareness
| Rank | Country | Awareness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seychelles | 80% |
| 2 | Malawi | 74% |
| 3 | Mauritius | 73% |
| 4 | Gabon | 70% |
| 5 | Madagascar | 69% |
| 6 | Cabo Verde | 66% |
| 7 | Cameroon | 62% |
| 8 | Liberia | 61% |
| 9 | Mali | 59% |
| 10 | Niger | 58% |