Requirements for Climate Change Communication Policy in Afghanistan

Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.

🔬研究者:Researchers in climate communication and environmental policy can use this case to study bottom-up and top-down communication strategies in vulnerable contexts.

🏢実務担当者:NGOs and development practitioners working on climate adaptation in fragile states can draw insights on effective media and community engagement.

🏛政策担当者:Policymakers in international climate negotiations may consider the need for structural support and climate justice in communication policies for least developed countries.

Afghanistan’s ranking in terms of climate change impacts is worse than the global average; moreover, the country’s development status, as a context linking climate change, presents a challenging and complex outlook. In Afghanistan, “mass media” still form the primary arm of climate change communication: print media is relevant for some opinion leaders in climate change communication; radio, which can reach large, low-literacy, and remote populations, remains an important source; television, with its large coverage and low literacy requirements, along with the presence of many private TV channels in the country, can be a suitable tool for climate change communication. Alongside mass media, social media have also shown promise in breaking down traditional barriers to climate change communication. Given Afghanistan’s underdevelopment, it is imperative to address the country’s environmental issues through a dual approach that integrates both technology-driven strategies (such as efforts to develop technological infrastructure) and behaviour-focused initiatives (including education and communication). Furthermore, given Afghanistan’s low adaptive capacity, high climate risk, and development imperatives, there is a particular need for climate justice in policymaking. This issue demands extensive structural changes within the country, as well as international support to strengthen local capacities while taking into consideration the sociocultural context of Afghan society. In climate change communication, alongside top-down approaches, the technical and cultural infrastructure of social media, as well as interpersonal communication within active local communities and bottom-up communication, should be central to the work. Attention must also be paid to specific formations within Afghan society, including traditional media such as the “Minbar,” and opinion leaders and traditional communities that can gain people’s trust at the local level. Therefore, climate change communication in Afghanistan requires a multifaceted approach that integrates media, education, and policymaking.

• openalex https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003711865-6first seen 2026-05-31 05:07:35 · last seen 2026-06-11 04:52:07