When messages about water and climate seem to contradict each other: How to improve communication on adaptation
The project aims to develop a communication process that addresses tensions in the dialogue and the paradoxes inherent to the climate crisis and to apply it to the challenges associated with water management.
Project details
Principal(s) investigator(s)
Context
The challenges of the climate crisis complicate communication activities in many sectors, since crises are complex phenomena that favour the circulation of contradictory or paradoxical information.
Far from being insignificant, perceptions of paradoxes impact crisis management and, in particular, the work of those responsible for communications about crises and their associated risks. During major crises, often the public must deal with situations that they consider inconsistent.
In the field of water management, the impacts of climate change mean that Quebec is increasingly confronted with seemingly contradictory situations where, in a short period of time and in the same area, communications related to an excess of water (floods) and a lack of water (severe low water levels) may circulate.
Faced with the problematic communication dynamics engendered by tensions in the dialogue and perceptions of paradoxes, it is essential to ensure that those responsible for communicating climate issues are well prepared. The absence of appropriate strategies could potentially sow confusion, hinder the transition to action, or harm the scientific credibility of research work.
This project is part of the QClim’Eau initiative, a collaboration between the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife, and Parks (MELCCFP) and Ouranos.
Objective(s)
To model a communication process aimed at addressing tensions in the dialogue and the paradoxes inherent to the climate crisis and to apply it to the communication challenges faced by water managers in the context of climate change.
Methodology
The methodology aims to provide potential answers to the following research question: “What conceptual sensitivities should be considered by the people responsible for communicating messages affected by tensions in the dialogue and the paradoxes inherent to the climate crisis?”
It is based on a critical review of writings from different disciplines (crisis and risk communication, management, political science, social psychology, educational sciences).
This review is divided into five phases:
Development of automated document search parameters
Selection and organization of the corpus
A critical analysis
Synthesis and structuring
Writing of a report and organization of a workshop
Expected results
A report on the current state of knowledge, including a model of a communication process, offering benchmarks for dealing with paradoxes and tensions in the dialogue
Resources to promote the project’s visibility and encourage water managers to make use of the model
Benefits for adaptation
Benefits for adaptation
The project will help improve communication strategies related to the challenges of water management and other phenomena related to the effects of climate change.
Funding
713006
