Development Communication Role in Natural Resources and Environmental Management Adaptive to Climate Change

Abstract

The weakness of natural resources and environmental management at the household level in peri-urban communities has significantly impacted domestic waste problems. These impacts include flooding, pollution, and housing microclimates. Peri-urban communities need an appropriate development communication model to empower communities to manage household waste, primarily to address the impacts of climate change on environmental problems. Risk communication in the form of an interactive process of exchanging information and opinions among individuals, groups, and institutions is considered appropriate for managing environmental issues. This research aims to develop a development communication model for overcoming the effects of climate change, especially household waste and its impacts. This research method uses the Participatory Rural Communication Appraisal (PRCA) technique by placing researchers who live with the community during the study period to empower the community. The research location was Kebalen Village, Bekasi Regency, West Java, a peri-urban community facing the risk of flooding, pollution, and housing microclimate problems. The results showed that the participatory and convergent risk communication model changed community behaviour. There was a change in the awareness and behaviour of the community from leaving waste to external waste managers to managing waste independently, which is beneficial for social, economic, environmental, and SDGs achievement.