Development of climate literacy scale within the scope of disaster risk management

This research aimed to develop a reliable and valid measurement tool for assessing climate literacy in the context of disaster risk management. The study was conducted in Ankara province, targeting literate adults aged 18-60. Initially, a draft form with 80 statements was developed based on a literature review. This draft was then reviewed and feedback was obtained from language experts and academic members in the field, resulting in the reduction of items to 45. A pilot study was conducted with 30 participants to test the items, and the final version of the climate literacy scale was then administered to literate adults in the research sample group. The data were analysed using SPSS software, with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses used to assess the construct validity. Internal consistency and item analysis were also performed to determine the reliability of the scale. The results revealed that the developed scale consisted of three factors and a total of 20 items, with confirmatory factor analysis confirming this structure. Fit indices were analysed to evaluate the quality of the scale. As a result of the analyses, the Cronbach Alpha internal consistency coefficient of the scale was found to be 0.974 and it was revealed that the scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool. The scale can be used to assess the climate change knowledge and skills of the society and recommendations can be made to improve climate literacy in the context of disaster risk management in Turkey.