Reading the Rain with All Senses: Exposure to, Use of, and Trust in Climate Information in Colombia

Abstract

Climate information is a critical tool for climate change adaptation. However, not all communities use and trust scientific information. This research aims to understand how farmers in Colombia build knowledge of their environment, how they experience and are responding to climate change, and what climate information they are using to make decisions about farming and other practices. Farmers in two regions are studied here: the mountainous, coffee growing department of Huila, and the low-lying wetlands of La Mojana in northern Colombia. Results suggest that most farmers experience some impacts of climate change, though some are worried less about impacts than others. Farmers use WhatsApp groups, radio communication, published bulletins, and regional agricultural meetings to receive and learn about scientific climate information. In addition to—and often in place of—provided climate information, farmers use natural indicators such as birds, insects, clouds, and the Moon to make decisions about farming and other daily practices. Generally, there is low trust of climate information provided by the official meteorological institute in Colombia; however, younger generations are beginning to use and trust climate forecasts from Google and the government more than their parents’ generation.