Africa-Press – Tanzania. JOURNALISTS from East African Member states begin two-day media training in Kigali, Rwanda on adaptation to climate change in Lake Victoria Basin.
The regional media training has been organised by the Lake Victoria Basin Commission and the United Nations Environment Programme and will involve journalists from Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda as part of LVBC climate actions in Strategic Plan (2022-2026).
LVBC’s Executive Secretary, Bwire Masinde, said last week the regional media training on adaptation to climate change in Lake Victoria Basin was a “strategic action consistent with LVBC strategic and programmatic efforts of accelerating adaptations to climate change in the EAC Partner States.”
“Media inclusion is timely and strategic. Indeed, it can mobilise actors and accelerate adaptations to climate change in Lake Victoria Basin.”
He said LVBC planned to empower media organisations across East Africa region to be actively engaged in climate change mitigation efforts.
He said the commission had sought to impart necessary skills for the media to be actively engaged in the campaign.
“In recognising the media capacity to inform and educate masses, influence changes in practices and policies, the training is expected to equip media practitioners with relevant knowledge and empower them to proactively cover climate change related issues. It is integral to LVBC’s efforts towards improved sharing of timely and accurate climate information to practitioners and policy-makers in Lake Victoria Basin,” he said.
According to Dr Masinde, media inclusion was timely and strategic and that it can be used to mobilise actors and accelerate adaptations to climate change in Lake Victoria Basin.
He said the regional media training fits into LVBC’s mandate of facilitating, coordinating and promoting activities of different actors towards sustainable development and poverty eradication in the Lake Victoria Basin.
The training was unique opportunity for the news media actors to take stock of achieved results by the UNEP-funded project in EAC Partner States and register media’s commitments in terms of contributions in sharing climate related information and knowledge in EAC Partner States.
The Regional Coordinator of Adaptation to Climate Change in Lake Victoria, Amos Ndoto, said the regional media training seeks to accelerate the realisation of improved information at all levels, specifically at local communities of the EAC partner states.
The LVBC Deputy Executive Secretary, Coletha Ruhamya said climate change was a global concern, that leads to rising temperature and changes in precipitation as clear impacts already affecting ecosystems, biodiversity and the communities.
“Couple of programmes and projects have been designed and implemented at EAC level to ensure cooperation in Environment and Natural Resources management.
All EAC partner states are part of Paris Agreement and majority have submitted their updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) as proof of commitment to address climate change issue,” she said.
Part of the expected deliverables of the training aligns with article 7(a) of the EAC Treaty focused on promoting a people-centered EAC regional integration and importantly, article 71(f) on the dissemination of information on the Community to the stakeholders, the general public and the international community.
Action on climate change was also on the agenda in just ended Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) that took place in the Rwandese Capital Kigali.
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