"In May 2009, the BBC world Service Trust’s Research and Learning Group, on behalf of the British Council, conducted research in Kenya to gauge public understanding of climate change. The research consisted of 12 focus-group discussions with Kenyan citizens, as well as 17 in-depth interviews with opinion leaders from government, religious institutions, the private sector, the media and civil society. The overall objective was to find out what people think about climate change, and to determine how to tailor communication and media strategies to support Kenya’s response to climate change.<NZ>Key findings<NZ>Drought and food scarcity are causing frustration and despair across Kenya. Farmers, fishermen and pastoralists do not know how they would cope if these problems became worse.<NZ>Kenyans have noticed changes in their weather. They say that it is getting hotter, that the seasons have shifted and that the rains are more unpredictable. Most, however, have no understanding of the relationship between these issues and climate change.<NZ>Most Kenyans are unfamiliar with the concepts of climate change and global warming. They believe the term “climate change” refers to changes in the weather or seasons and have little knowledge of its global context or the greenhouse effect.<NZ>People need more information about the causes of climate change and how its long-term impacts will affect their lives." (Executive summary)