Uganda’s Minister of Water and Environment Flavia Nabugene Munamba has urged Africa journalists to report in a simplest manner the impact climate change has brought within on the continent.
Speaking at the opening of a three day conference of the first Eastern and Southern Africa Climate Media Network Forum in Kampala, Uganda on Tuesday, Munamba said it is important for the vulnerable members of the communities to understand what climate change is all about and the solutions to this calamity.
“Climate change affects the poor of the poor whose only source of income comes directly from the land, yet most of these people have no idea of what they can do to adapt to climate change. We count on you the media to assist,” she said.
Climate change has affected many people, the most being many poor communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“We all know climate change has no boundaries. Climate change as a subject is new and complex, however, as a phenomenon it is not at all new, indeed some of our forefathers narrated emigration historical date in terms of climate change disaster. Climate change has to do with human activities.
This is where you (journalists) need to come in and let our people especially the poor understand that climate change is real and that something can be done to adapt, help them understand that days of sacrificing to the rainmaker are gone and that days of practical solutions are in,” Munamba said.
Dr Mclay Kanyangarara Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa’s climate change advisor said there are some many areas that have not been investigated on making the topic of climate change seem irrelevant and not newsworthy.
“Climate change is very important and that is why we need journalists to unearth some of the issues. We need you people to communicate to the masses so that they too understand what it we are dealing with is. We need you to help find solutions and in the end we could save a lot of money,” he said.
Kanyangarara further said some adaptation means being used in some countries are becoming more expensive and contributing to the effects of climate change.
“There are issues like, recycling wastes or making climate change policies a must, all these need to be communicated to, if Africa is to withstand these effects, and that is where you journalists come in,” Kanyangarara said.
The three day workshop which has been organised by Comesa in partnership with Climate Change Journalists in the Greater Horn of Africa (NECJOCHA) attracted participants from over twenty African countries including Malawi.
