Towards understanding climate change: the Rijiyar Zaki socio-dramatic dialogue

Abstract

The existence, survival, and sustenance of human beings depend on a healthy environment. The actions of humans in their quest for survival sometimes affect the environment negatively, which leads to climate change. The effects of this change sometimes hit hard on the livelihoods of arable crop farmers, which in turn, impacts food production and availability. This could result in food insecurity. Therefore, limited awareness on the impact of humanity’s actions on the environment has led to the misunderstanding of problems that emanates from its actions and impact on climate change. This ignorance gives birth to views such as the popularly held claim events in society are orchestrated divinely, and not by the activities of human beings. This, perhaps, proves that awareness on issues of climate change is very low, especially among people in the grassroots, rural dwellers, and vulnerable groups like women, and children who are yet to fully understand the impact of their actions on climate change. This instigates the need for crucial interventions. Through socio-drama, this article X-rays how the actions and inactions of the populace can deepen health issues and food shortages in Rijiyar Zaki, a small settlement located in Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State, Nigeria. The study employed key person interview (KPI), direct observation and action-research instrumentations. It was fortified by Icek Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour(TPB).