A Comparative Study of Climate Change Awareness and Perception Among Selected Coastal Communities in Ghana

This study assessed climate change awareness and perception in selected coastal communities in Ghana’s Western and Central Regions using a mixed-methods approach. Findings revealed that 85% of respondents were aware of climatic shifts. While the majority (67%) perceived climate change impacts as severe, attention given to climate change issues varied across communities. Climate change was linked to anthropogenic and religious factors. Additionally, manifestations of climate change, such as rising temperatures, were spatially differentiated. A moderate positive correlation was found between climate change severity and attention paid to it ( r = .30; p < .01). Chi-Square tests showed that community (χ 2 = 11.64; p = .009), marital status ( χ 2 = 18.64; p = .001), education ( χ 2 = 15.40; p = .009), and religion ( χ 2 = 24.28; p = .000) significantly influenced climate awareness. Conversely, gender, occupation, and age were not statistically significant. The study highlights disparities in climate perception, despite the clear impact of climate change on these regions.