Climate visualisation is often shaped by narratives and aesthetics produced in the Global North: data-heavy graphics, distant environmental imagery, and recurring symbols such as melting ice caps or polar bears. While these visual languages may resonate with audiences in wealthier nations, they often fail to connect with audiences in the Global South, despite these regions being among the most vulnerable to climate change.
Drawing from audience psychology, visual storytelling, and case studies from my region — as someone who belongs to both Africa and the Arab World— the Arab world and other parts of the Global South, this talk explores how imported climate narratives can create emotional and cultural distance between audiences and the crisis itself. In many developing countries, climate change competes with ongoing political and economic instability, while high levels of visual and textual illiteracy can make complex visualisations inaccessible for large segments of the public.
The session examines how localized climate storytelling — through culturally relevant imagery, familiar references, and everyday experiences — can create stronger emotional connection and public engagement. It also explores how repetitive disaster imagery contributes to visual fatigue, particularly among younger audiences who increasingly consume media as emotional escape rather than confrontation.
Rather than simply criticizing existing climate communication, the talk argues for creating locally grounded visual narratives that make climate stories feel immediate, understandable, and personally relevant to audiences in the Global South.