Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 094043 |
| Journal | Environmental research letters |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| Publication status | Published - 7 Sept 2023 |
Abstract
Within the context of climate change in sub-Saharan Africa, trust in institutions is an important prerequisite to implement climate change adaptation and mitigation policies. There is a lack of systematic investigation of the relationship between climate change awareness, conflicts, and trust in institutions. We address this pressing research gap based on a regression analysis with trust in institutions as dependent variables, and climate change awareness and violence as independent variables drawing on Afrobarometer individual data and aggregated data on armed conflicts. Our main findings indicate that trust in institutions in sub-Saharan Africa is influenced by both the individual climate change awareness and the violence context. First, we find a negative relationship between those who are aware of climate change and trust in institutions. Second, we observe a socio-economic divide: young, urban and educated parts of the population as well as those who feel their ethnic group is treated unfairly do not trust institutions. Third, we see a regional divide: those far from political centres are not aware of climate change, and those close to the political centres do not trust institutions.
Keywords
- climate change awareness, conflict, mitigation policies, sub-Saharan Africa, trust in impartial institutions, trust in partial institutions
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Energy(all)
- Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
- Environmental Science(all)
- General Environmental Science
- Medicine(all)
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: Environmental research letters, Vol. 18, No. 9, 094043, 07.09.2023.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of climate change awareness for trust in institutions in sub-Saharan Africa
AU - Dirksmeier, Peter
AU - Nolte, Kerstin
AU - Mewes, Lars
AU - Tuitjer, Leonie
PY - 2023/9/7
Y1 - 2023/9/7
N2 - Within the context of climate change in sub-Saharan Africa, trust in institutions is an important prerequisite to implement climate change adaptation and mitigation policies. There is a lack of systematic investigation of the relationship between climate change awareness, conflicts, and trust in institutions. We address this pressing research gap based on a regression analysis with trust in institutions as dependent variables, and climate change awareness and violence as independent variables drawing on Afrobarometer individual data and aggregated data on armed conflicts. Our main findings indicate that trust in institutions in sub-Saharan Africa is influenced by both the individual climate change awareness and the violence context. First, we find a negative relationship between those who are aware of climate change and trust in institutions. Second, we observe a socio-economic divide: young, urban and educated parts of the population as well as those who feel their ethnic group is treated unfairly do not trust institutions. Third, we see a regional divide: those far from political centres are not aware of climate change, and those close to the political centres do not trust institutions.
AB - Within the context of climate change in sub-Saharan Africa, trust in institutions is an important prerequisite to implement climate change adaptation and mitigation policies. There is a lack of systematic investigation of the relationship between climate change awareness, conflicts, and trust in institutions. We address this pressing research gap based on a regression analysis with trust in institutions as dependent variables, and climate change awareness and violence as independent variables drawing on Afrobarometer individual data and aggregated data on armed conflicts. Our main findings indicate that trust in institutions in sub-Saharan Africa is influenced by both the individual climate change awareness and the violence context. First, we find a negative relationship between those who are aware of climate change and trust in institutions. Second, we observe a socio-economic divide: young, urban and educated parts of the population as well as those who feel their ethnic group is treated unfairly do not trust institutions. Third, we see a regional divide: those far from political centres are not aware of climate change, and those close to the political centres do not trust institutions.
KW - climate change awareness
KW - conflict
KW - mitigation policies
KW - sub-Saharan Africa
KW - trust in impartial institutions
KW - trust in partial institutions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85172734473&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1088/1748-9326/acf0d6
DO - 10.1088/1748-9326/acf0d6
M3 - Letter
AN - SCOPUS:85172734473
VL - 18
JO - Environmental research letters
JF - Environmental research letters
SN - 1748-9326
IS - 9
M1 - 094043
ER -