As global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and cause the atmosphere to become hotter, the hottest on record in the past 10 years if we might add, it’s another ball game for Africa altogether because the temperature rise in the region is double the global average.

Communities in Africa are experiencing an increased temperature that is causing deadly heatwaves. Also, varying rainfall is resulting in flooding in some areas and droughts in others and this is leading to reduced agricultural production, increased food insecurity, and a hike in the price of food.

The temperature rise in the continent is also causing the seas to get warmer and creating cyclones which make for the right breeding ground for locusts. Locust infestation is already causing misery across a broader strip of East Africa.

In addition, many of the inhabitants of these African communities are being forced to migrate to already overcrowded urban areas and countries that are either ill-equipped to bear the burden of battling their own climate-related problems.

While all these events are the realities of the communities in Africa, such events still go unreported in some parts of the continent and are underreported globally.

To an extent, these reporting gaps can be filled by amplifying the various climate disasters that continue to plague these African communities but while doing so, it is important that people do not just only share their knowledge and sense of urgency with others but also help them understand why there’s need to take action now.

It is also important that these events are told in a compelling way so as to gain regional and global attention and help the affected communities on the continent get the help they need. This is where storytelling plays a crucial role in the climate crisis, especially for a continent like Africa that is disproportionately affected.

Since climate stories are personal accounts of climate change from people’s experiences and observations, effective storytelling that is descriptive and helps people make an emotional connection to climate change is important.

Storytelling is a very powerful tool, capable of moving hearts and minds, and connecting people to a problem as if they were the ones being affected.

When applied to the context of climate disaster reporting, it helps to place these stories in a way that people can better comprehend, relate to, react to, and address.

Having established that storytelling has the power to shift the narrative about climate change-related events on the continent, we’ll be giving you a few tips on how you can talk about climate change:

Personalize the message

Always make it a point to connect climate change with individual values and world views.

While talking about its impact on the environment, also talk about impacts on public health and jobs. You can even express your own fears and your hopes about climate-related issues.

Make it relatable

Remember, if they can relate to it, there’s a chance they’ll connect with it.

Ensure you put the facts in context using real-life instances to make them more meaningful. For example, if you are talking to someone who loves animals, you can tell them that due to habitat destruction, animals are going extinct.

Bring actions home

Bringing actions home entails making something that is of enormous proportion and seems distant, understandable by focusing on local impacts and solutions. You can give examples in your community.