ABSTRACT This paper examines the discursive construction of climate change in Lake Chilwa Basin, Malawi, through a qualitative analysis of key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and radio programs. Its objective is to analyse how science-driven discourse merges with local knowledge to communicate climate change. The study reveals dominant narratives by experts, who often employ fear-based massaging to communicate the urgency of climate change. Climate change is infused with scientific and apocalyptic imageries, used as persuasive tools. Experts position local communities as culpable for environmental degradation, framing their practices such as deforestation, as significant contributors to climate change. This study has shown that although communities are exposed to climate change discourse through their participation in projects, communities engage in counter-hegemonic discourse, offering alternative perspectives that draw on their local knowledge and experiences. This underscores the tension between expert-driven narratives and local-lived experiences. These findings highlight the contested nature of climate change, where perspectives of the local communities are often marginalized. However, the counter-hegemonic discourse of local people represents attempts to assert their voice and challenge power dynamics. This study highlights the complementary role of science and culture in creating meaning. It challenges the idea that climate change can only be understood as a scientific phenomenon.
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