SNJ, IFJ Hold Workshop on Reporting Climate Change

Women dry and fold their clothes on the edge of the Zambezi River in Mozambique on December 9, 2015. Heavy rainfall in early 2015 caused major flooding in and around the Zambezia Province in central Mozambique. Thousands of people were displaced and subsequently moved into relocation sites across the province. Around sixty thousand people continue to live in these relocation sites as flooding in this area gets worse every year.

The Syndicato Nacional de Journalistas (SNJ) in Mozambique, in collaboration with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) held a two – day workshop on “Reporting Climate Change" from 7 – 8 June, 2017 in Maputo, Mozambique.  The two day- workshop, which was held under the UTU Project 2017, brought together 20 journalists from all sectors of the media and regions in Mozambique, to build their capacities in reporting climate change in order to enhance the media’s role in the fight against climate change.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Head of the Climate Change Unit at the Ministry of the environment and Lands, Francisco Sambo, who was also the lead trainer at the workshop, said that it is important that we continue to highlight the issues of climate change, since it remains a threat not only to Africa but the entire world.  “Journalists” he said, “should have no doubt at the devastating consequences of climate change and must be able to report accurately on these consequences most especially with regards to adaptation, mitigation and resilience."

The President of SNJ, Eduardo Constantino, said that the workshop has a peculiar significance to journalists and the media and well as the country in general since, Mozambique is prone to cyclones and floods. The workshop, he added, will expose journalists to the techniques of reporting climate change which is crucial if we are to make any headway in the fight against climate change.

The Senior Programme Officer of the IFJ Africa Office, Pa Louis Thomasi in his discuss pointed out that the African media has without doubt seriously under reported the issues of climate change, despite the colossal damage that the consequences of climate change had heaped on the continent most especially in the agricultural sector. He called on African journalists to report more effectively on the issues of climate change; to form opinions; as well as setting the agenda and leading the discussions that are aimed at creating awareness and enhancing public understanding of climate change while at the same triggering governments to respond to the issues of climate change. 

The workshop deliberated on a crucial climate change topics, including the definition of the major concepts of climate change, causes and impact of climate change, adaptation, mitigation and resilience the gender dimension of climate change and the seven things that every journalists should know about climate change.