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The government plays an essential role in increasing the adaptive capacity of the vulnerable group through creating avenue for the group to acquire knowledge about climate change and its adaptation strategies. Early warning system should also be provided on weather conditions. These warnings would enable the group to be prepared and alert in times of extreme weather events. Loans and insurance should be provided in order to combat poverty among the poor and women. According to United Nations Development Programme UNDP (2007) report, little or no insurance cover, low income and negligence to non-existent financial reserves often spell disaster for poorer families and some families headed by women when extreme weather strikes. The use or reinforcing available community resources to reduce vulnerability and build livelihood- linked capacity to adapt to climate change and encourage community participation has the propensity to foster adaptive behavior of the vulnerable group. A very paramount measure aimed at encouraging adaptation behavior towards climate change among the vulnerable group is to develop a replicable approach that uses intermediate NGO’s, community members, mass media, schools, churches, and other communication media to diffuse climate change adaptation approach, information, statistics and to gather feedback on adaptation actions focused on increasing the adaptive capacity of the vulnerable group (BNRCC, 2011).

Thus, the World Bank (2007) highlighted some conditions which warrants women identified or recognized as vulnerable to climate change include: they have access to limited natural resources, their dependence on natural resources, their dependence on male family members, lack of educational opportunity which lead to limited or no power in decision making, lack of coping skills in case of extreme weather conditions. While children and disabled/chronically ill are very much reliant on others for care and decision making, they lack the strength to cope, lack of independence and personal assets to assist in adapting etc. Based on the stated problem and identification of the target group, the social marketing approach is proposed as a pertinent strategy to be employed for effective change in behavior towards adopting appropriate adaptation measures in ensuring an increase in their adaptive capacity of the vulnerable group in the society. Social marketing approach involves the use of marketing tools in changing people behavior for the benefit of the society. This social marketing campaign will provide adequate opportunity for the vulnerable group to acquire appropriate skills, knowledge, self reliance, coping capability and ability to make their own decisions in terms of the adverse impact of climate change. Thus the researchers seek to identify this approach effectiveness. In ensuring that the vulnerable group effectively adopt and have a change in behavior towards increasing their adaptive capacity to climate change consequences can be achieved using the following social marketing campaign steps (Mahesh, 2007). They include

1. Defining and understanding the problem or behavior.
2. Identifying and segmenting the audience

• Social Marketing mix.

1. Develop and pre-test the material to be used to propagate change.
2. Implementation, promotion and distribution of the strategies or ideas proposed to ensure the chosen behavior by the audience through all chosen channel.
3. Monitoring and evaluation

• Feedback

This is the final step in the social marketing approach. It involves receiving feedback from the target audience of the proposed goal to be achieved. If the proposed goal is achieved, the social marketing campaign is continued.

Jennifer Osayande Ikponmwosa