Start with the people the message is meant to reach: learn what they need to understand or do, then work with community members and trusted local partners to shape, translate, test, and revise it. Use language and formats people can access, connect the information to verified local concerns, and keep the underlying evidence and uncertainty intact. There is no universal “local” message: people within the same community can differ in language, experience, values, access, and trust.
Start with the audience and the intended action
Before writing or translating, specify who needs the message and what decision or action it should support. “Residents” or “the local community” may conceal important differences: people may use different languages, have different access needs, or rely on different sources of information. Identify the relevant groups with local partners rather than assuming one identity category describes everyone.
Be equally clear about the evidence. Record the main finding, what remains uncertain, and any practical recommendation that must not change during adaptation. The wording, examples, format, and delivery can vary; the message’s evidentiary meaning should not.
Listen before drafting, then co-create
Ask intended audiences what concerns them, what terms they use, what they already understand, and where they get information. Interviews, focus groups, town halls, and conversations facilitated by trusted local partners are among the approaches recommended by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Choose a method that is appropriate and accessible for the people you want to hear from.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchUse what you learn to develop the message with community members, not just to test a finished draft. Invite participants to shape examples, framing, and delivery, and make clear what decisions they can influence. UNDP advises co-creating messages with relevant audiences. Consultation is more useful when it is an ongoing relationship than a one-off request for approval.
Is translation enough?
No. Translation is one part of language access, not proof that a message is understandable or relevant. A concept may not have a direct equivalent in another language or worldview; a literal translation can preserve individual words while losing the practical meaning. The UNFCCC’s 2024 report on its Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform warns that language barriers can dilute cultural concepts and ecological knowledge.
Use fluent reviewers who understand the intended audience and context. Ask them to explain the message back in their own words, especially its key risk, uncertainty, and recommended action. Do not describe a translation as validated unless it has actually been reviewed and tested for that purpose.
Also consider whether the language and format are usable by people with disabilities or limited access to particular technologies. Depending on the audience, that may mean plain-language text, captions, audio, visual aids, or a non-digital way to receive the information. Yale’s local-government guidance recommends relevant-language translation, accessibility mechanisms, and visual aids where useful.
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Make the message locally meaningful without stereotyping
Use specific, verified local experiences and priorities to explain why the information matters. A local example should illuminate the evidence, not replace it or imply that everyone in a community shares the same values or experience. Ask people from the intended audience whether a story, image, symbol, or framing feels accurate and respectful before using it.
Yale describes a San Francisco campaign that aligned its launch timing and visual design with its intended Chinese community. Treat that as one locally selected example—not a recipe for communicating with Chinese audiences generally. Preferences and meanings should be established with the particular people a message is meant to reach.
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Where appropriate, consider Indigenous, traditional, and local knowledge alongside the best available science. The UNFCCC says adaptation should be guided by the best available science and, as appropriate, Indigenous, traditional, and local knowledge. Include community knowledge with suitable permission and context; do not present it as a substitute for scientific evidence or treat Indigenous Peoples and local communities as homogeneous.
Choose messengers and channels with the audience
A technically accurate message can miss its audience if it arrives through a channel people do not use or a messenger they do not trust. Ask which channels are practical and credible for the people concerned. Depending on the context, possible messengers include community liaisons, local organizations, health professionals, faith leaders, or other locally appropriate figures. Their relevance is not automatic: check it with the audience and maintain engagement over time.
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Use more than one format or channel when that is needed to reach people with different access needs. For digital content, for example, consider whether a message can be read on a phone, understood without sound, or shared by a local organization. These are practical checks, not a substitute for asking the intended audience what works.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Compare message options before choosing one
Use these questions to compare drafts, formats, and delivery plans. They synthesize institutional and practitioner guidance; they are not an experimentally validated ranking of what works best.
| What to check | Question for the team |
|---|---|
| Language and readability | Is the language relevant to the intended audience, and can reviewers explain the message’s meaning in their own words? |
| Disability access and format | Can people access the content in a format that works for them, including any needed visual, audio, captioned, or non-digital version? |
| Cultural relevance | Have members of the intended audience confirmed that the examples, framing, and visuals are relevant and respectful? |
| Messenger and channel | Are the messenger and delivery channel trusted and used by the people the message needs to reach? |
| Local knowledge and inclusion | Is relevant knowledge included appropriately, with context and permission where applicable, without flattening differences within the community? |
| Action clarity and feasibility | Can readers tell what action is recommended, and is it practical for the people expected to take it? |
Review the message with its intended readers
Test a draft before broad distribution. Ask people to describe what they understood, identify anything that felt inaccurate or disrespectful, and explain whether the recommended action is practical for them. If they misunderstood a key point, revise the wording, translation, format, or delivery and test again. Keep scientific evidence and uncertainty clear as you revise.
Do not treat the number of examples in a resource collection as evidence that a particular communication method changes understanding or behavior. For example, the UNFCCC Nairobi work programme page lists 64 examples of practices, tools, methods, and data initiatives relating to local, Indigenous, and traditional knowledge for adaptation; that count is not an effectiveness result for localized climate messaging.
Use guidance in its stated context
Yale’s 2026 article, “How Local Governments Can Use Communication to Drive Climate Action,” offers practitioner guidance and U.S. examples; apply its principles carefully elsewhere. CDKN’s 2019 Communicating climate change: A practitioner’s guide targets communicators in developing-country contexts, so check its examples against current local conditions. The UNFCCC’s 2024 report focuses on engagement through its Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform, rather than serving as a universal translation manual. The IPCC Africa chapter discusses the potential of Indigenous languages for climate communication and adaptation services in African contexts; that regional discussion should not be generalized to all languages or communities.
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