Urban residents ’ awareness of climate change and their autonomous adaptive behaviour and mitigation measures in the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya

Abstract

Understanding public awareness about climate change is important in directing policy on adaptation and mitigation policies. This paper examines urban residents ’ awareness and concern about climate change and their autonomous behaviour and mitigation measures in the coastal city of Mombasa through a survey of 290 subjects. The study established that most (96.6%) residents of the city are aware that climate change is taking place and link its causes mainly on deforestation, fuel combustion and nature but less to household activities and poor waste disposal. Although they were able to iden- tify its consequences as an increase in average temperature, occur- rence of infectious diseases and fl ooding, there are certain misconceptions such as ozone layer depletion (67.6%) and earth- quake/tremor (12.1%). The study established that a number of resi- dents a ffi rmed some autonomous adaptive behaviour such as staying indoors during extreme temperatures and having an emer- gency kit at home. The results of the study demonstrate that aware- ness and concern about climate change had strongest e ff ect on reduced energy consumption at home, and that the strongest barrier to taking mitigation steps is lack of necessary skills. The study con- cludes by recommending sensitization of urban public on the nega- tive contributions of household activities and poor waste disposal to the concentration of greenhouse gases and the need to focus cam- paigns on personal mitigation activities