By: Mariama Njie
More than 20 Gambian young journalists have participated in an online virtual zoom training program on how to report on climate change. The training among other things built the capacity of the participated journalist on reporting effectively on climate change.
The two days training was spearheaded by Gambia Press Union in collaboration with International Federal Journalist.
An IFJ representative, Louis Thomasi, who spoke during the opening, said the training will enhance the trainees on better reporting on climate change.
“We have realized that in Africa more especially in The Gambia journalists don’t report much on climate change because of the big scientific jargons involve,” he said.
He urged them not to focus their climate change reporting only on disaster but “write about what is happening and the people involve and then include climate change experts.”
He said Climate change story is not like a press release, one need expert knowledge, it involves a lot of information and it involve a lot of jargons which journalists should break into smaller forms to make reading it enjoyable to their audience.”
Aruna Jobe, an official at the National Environment Agency, said climate change constitute a major setback to the country’s development effort due to its impact on the productive base of the country’s economy which thrives on climate sensitive activities.
“The low-lying coastal areas are particularly vulnerable to climate change induced impacts which include accelerated sea level rise, increased saline water into the ground,” he said.
Tijani Bojang, an official at the department of water resources, also said the Gambia climate change policy Vision achieve a climate resilient society, through systems and strategies that mainstream climate change, disaster risk reduction, gender and environmental management for sustainable development.