ROLE OF COMMUNITY BROADCAST MEDIA IN THE DISSEMINATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE INFORMATION AMONG SMALL-HOLDER FARMERS IN ISIMANI DIVISION, IRINGA RURAL DISTRICT

Abstract

Broadcast media improve the way people can access information about climate change. This role is undeniable for a country such as Tanzania, which is facing direct impacts of threats of the current and future climate change.This paper is based on a study conducted in Isimani Division, Iringa Rural District, Tanzania. Cross-sectional research design was adopted involving a sample size of 120 respondents. Questionnaires, Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions were used to collect Data. IBM SPSS Statistics software and content analysis were used to analyse data. The findings show that community broadcast media are important channels for accessing and disseminating climate change information for awareness creation on the appropriate adaptation and mitigation mechanisms against the negative impacts of climate change. The recommended adaptation and mitigation strategies include the use of drought-tolerant crops, the use of early maturing varieties, intercropping, the use of organic fertilizers and crops residual management method. However, low income, language barrier, unreliable broadcast network, low education level, inadequate climate change related programmes, and inadequate power supply were challenges that impeded local communities from accessing information on climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. The study recommends that broadcast media owners and journalists in Tanzania should disseminate information for raising community‘s awareness on the aspects regarding adaptation and mitigation mechanisms to the impacts of climate change.