Radio for Resilience Project

The Nyakati Zinabadilika radio magazine and discussion programme combined expert voices with peoples' everyday experiences. Each partner station produced their own local version of the programme tailored to the individual needs of their listeners. The shows explored topics such as "climate-smart" farming and livestock practices, for example drought-resistant crops and terracing, and ways people can diversify their incomes through such activities as leather and honey production, and poultry farming. Weekly live discussion programmes helped to connect listeners with leaders and experts in their communities, and to provide a platform for communities to demand increased accountability from local government to assist with improving resilience. The discussions were intended to "empower individuals and communities to improve their resilience to changing weather, including taking part in critical conversations that contribute to local government accountability."

In order to build the capacity of radio stations to report on climate change issues, full-time mentors were placed at the three partner radio stations – Abood FM, Dodoma FM and Ulanga FM. The mentors provided training in editorial standards, programme making, and management. The mentors supported journalists to "think about what their audiences needed, to incorporate audience feedback into future content and to strive to always produce the best content they could."

In addition, BBC Media Action partnered with twelve civil society and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who facilitated 25 listening groups. Partner organisations also supplied the radio stations with technical advice such as agricultural best practice and suggested expert interviewees. Open day events also encouraged collaboration between government, media, and the NGO sector to improve people’s resilience to climate change. As part of the project, Haba na Haba (Little By Little), BBC Media Action’s national radio show, broadcast seven special programmes focusing on resilience-related issues such as deforestation.

The Radio for Resilience project was conceived when BBC Media Action conducted a large body of research in 2009 called Africa Talks Climate in collaboration with the British Council. "The findings revealed Tanzanian communities’ to be acutely aware of changing weather patterns in recent years. These changes differed from place to place, with some areas getting hotter and others, cooler, wetter, and rainfall more erratic." However, both local knowledge of how to adapt and people’s ability to do so were found to be limited.

Climate Change, Agriculture

Evaluation research suggests that the programme helped people to address climate-related issues in three main ways. "First, it improved skills, confidence and motivation. Second, it encouraged collective action. Third, it increased their awareness of the role of key stakeholders such as governments, the private sector and civil society organisations."

The evaluation also found that the "ways in which the Radio for Resilience project successfully encouraged people to change their behaviour can provide useful lessons for future programming. This can be summarised as: improving peoples’ knowledge through practical and relevant information; the use of “role models” combined with expert advice; and connecting audiences to stakeholders through appearing on discussion programmes that increased their understanding of the topic and how to access resources." (See Related Summaries below for the information.