From awareness to action: Climate change knowledge, perceived impacts, and adaptation responses in coastal Keta, Ghana

Climate change adaptation policy often assumes that increased awareness and information will translate into protective action. However, evidence from high-risk contexts indicate that this translation is frequently uneven. This study examines the relationship between climate change awareness, access to early warning information, and household-level coping and adaptation responses in coastal Keta, Ghana. Using a cross-sectional household survey (n = 225), the study explores patterns of climate awareness, information pathways, perceived impacts, and reported coping behaviours, and statistically examines associations among climate awareness, early warning access, and adaptation action. Results reveal high levels of climate change awareness, primarily shaped by experiential knowledge and broadcast media. Despite this, a substantial proportion of households reported no special coping action. Chi-square analyses reveal that both climate change awareness and access to early warning information were significantly associated with active coping/adaptation behaviour, while occupation-based differences were not statistically significant. Additional exploratory analyses showed that educational attainment was associated with climate awareness and access to early warning information. The findings suggest that climate awareness and access to early warning information are important components of adaptation decision-making, but that awareness alone does not guarantee action under conditions of constrained resources and institutional support. The study contributes policy-relevant evidence to debates on the climate adaptation knowledge–action gap by demonstrating that information provision alone is insufficient without accessible, interpretable, and actionable early warning systems. The results underscore the need for people-centred, equity-aware climate services and early warning strategies that strengthen households’ capacity to act in vulnerable coastal settings.