Yaounde: Journalists honing skills on climate change adaptation reporting.

It was organised by the African Coalition for Sustainable Energy and Access, ACSEA, in partnership with the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, PACJA.

According to the organisers, the training is to bridge the knowledge gap that exists in the media regarding climate adaptation reporting. Participants are exchanging with climate experts on issues of adaptation, policy frameworks, community-based strategies, and the role of local governments in mitigating climate change. 

At the end of the exercise, the journalists are expected to amplify voices of people affected by the phenomenon of climate change.

The Executive Director of ACSEA, Dr Augustine Njamnshi, said journalists play a vital role in driving climate action.  

“Journalists are the bridge between scientific evidence and public understanding. They have a unique responsibility to inform and inspire communities to act,” Dr Njamnshi declared.

To the Director of Programmes at ACSEA, Eugene N. Nforngwa, well-informed media is best placed to advance climate justice. 

“The media is a key partner in advancing climate justice. We hope that through this training, journalists will be able to communicate adaptation challenges and successes more effectively,” Nforngwa remarked.

According to the ACSEA Programmes Director, there is need for the population to adapt to climate change with means and capacities. “You can only be vulnerable to something you are exposed to. The risk should exist in your vicinity. With climate change, even though we are all exposed, there are people who are more affected than others,” he stated.

One of the participants, a journalist of Cameroon Radio Television, CRTV, Karine Kubong, said the training comes at a critical time for her not just as a reporter but equally for the country which is grappling with the devastating effects of climate change.

“For many communities across the country, these environmental challenges are not just a distant threat but a present reality that demands immediate actions and for journalists covering these issues, the stakes are high,” Kubong situated.

Need for adaptation in Cameroon

Cameroon, experts said at the ongoing training, is vulnerable to climate change. They said in recent years, the country has experienced increasingly extreme weather conditions, including severe flooding in urban areas such as those recently experienced in the Far North and West Regions of the country.

Participants are being schooled on issues such as the science behind climate change and key terminologies that will help journalists better handle climate change related issues.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3270 of Friday October 25, 2024