Table 6.

Quotes on climate change priority

Year	Quotes on climate change not being a priority	Changes over time
2017	“We are more concerned about our safety, security and jobs than climate change. The immediate concern for me and my family is our survival”.	–
2018	“I am a poor person; I don’t have a regular job. I am a manual labourer, and sometimes it is hard to find work. I have to feed six members of my family. This is my immediate concern, not the changing weather”.	–
2019	“Our minds are occupied by politics and conflict, which have become part of our daily lives and conversations, and thinking about climate change is a luxury”.	–
2020	“Survival in the present takes precedence over climate threats. We will address climate change when our basic issues are resolved”.	–
2021	“With all the political unrest around us, climate change looks like a far-off menace. Our priorities right now are stability and security”.	–
2022	“Climate change is beginning to garner prominence in our discourse, primarily because of the recent floods, but political tensions continue to overshadow it”.	Some community members show increasing concern as the effects of climate change become more apparent
2023	“Although the seriousness of climate change is becoming more apparent, it still contends with recurrent economic and political crises for public attention”.	More people understand the need to address climate change, but for many, it still comes after more pressing political issues
2024	“We are increasingly recognising the interconnectedness of recent heat waves and climate change with our social, political, and economic problems. Maybe it is time to give political and climate concerns equal priority”.	A slight transition is occurring as certain community members acknowledge the interdependence of climate change and larger societal problems, while it remains of little concern for many