Diana Kibuuka
As UNFCCC COP29 nears, in Baku-Azerbaijan, many journalists especially from the African continent may fail to attend due to lack of enough funds to enable them attend and cover the two weeks’ climate change event.
According to a survey carried out by Africa 21, between 10 and 13 May 2024 that involved 150 journalists from 29 African countries it was established that there’s lack of financial resources, to empower climate science journalists investigate and do impactful stories.
‘I’ve lost count of the number of investigative reports on the environment that I’ve had to abandon because of a lack of funds for transport and accommodation. Every year I apply for accreditation to cover the COP on climate change, which I get, but every time I have to give it up for lack of funds’, Boris Ngounou (Radio Tiemeni Siantou and Environmentalist, Cameroon.
The survey also disclosed that lack of training to deal with the climate change subject which is a bit complex to some also hinders effective coverage – 44% of the journalists questioned acknowledged a lack of technical expertise and understanding of the issues involved. Among the areas singled out for criticism were the management of chemical products, the challenges posed by the effects of climate change, and the links between trade, finance and the environment.
It’s upon this background that, Africa 21, since 2019 has continued to build bridges between experts, international organisations and journalists benefiting from its programme, through organizing workshops, webinars, conferences and delegations to help journalists develop core expertise and a network on topics as diverse as climate, biodiversity, water or the circular economy.
Africa 21 has also launched a funding mechanism to help African journalists cover climate issues and the transition to a more sustainable model – The organization believes that through this funding mechanism, the ever increasing needs of African journalists to cover climate change stories will be attended to, to some extent.
The association proposes a fund creation based on multi-year partnerships, managed by its secretariat, whose orientations and activities will be defined each year in a roadmap drawn up by a steering committee on which all the partners will be represented and will share their priorities.
Through this initiative, members of the Network of African Journalists specialising in sustainable development and climate change who are 850 members from 43 countries, will develop a solid, reusable base of expertise on the issues linked to the Paris Agreement and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals on the ground.
Journalists need to be able to take part in major international events related to these issues, and to have access to first-hand, quality sources so that they can inform their audiences in an informed and educational way.
The survey made will be presented on Friday 11th. October. 2024, in in the Salle de la Philatélie at the Palais des Nations in Geneva
A survey conducted by Africa 21 Association reveals that 74% of African journalists feel they lack adequate conditions to effectively cover environmental challenges.