Plan International organises workshop on climate change for media stakeholders in N’East

Story by Sa’adatu MAINA, Damaturu

The Climate Change Project of the Plan International has organised a five-day capacity building workshop for media stakeholders from Yobe, Adamawa and Abuja on climate change early warning.

The workshop, titled: ‘Strengthening Media Capacity for Better Climate Change Reporting’, equipped the participants with the imperative knowledge, skills and tools needed to inclusively investigate and report on developing issues around climate change in Yobe and Adamawa states.

The training took place in Kano State with participants including journalists, influencers, and representatives from relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Yobe, Adamawa and Abuja.

Presenting a paper titled, “Roles of Journalists in Championing Resilience Building and Raising Awareness to Climate Change Impact,” Prof Ambrose A. Zamba from the Department of Geography, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, MAU Yola, pointed out that journalists should highlight effective local strategies for climate adaptation and mitigation.

According to Prof. Zamba, this can help people adopt to climate solutions when they see real-life success stories.

He charged the training participants to always verify climate information from IPCC, NASA, and local meteorological agencies to avoid misinformation as much as possible.

He noted that, “Journalists are at the forefront in the fight against climate change by raising awareness, promoting early warning system, advocating for policy changes and showcasing solutions”.

Earlier speaking at the workshop, the Project Influencing Officer, Mathew Aliyu, introduced the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance (ZCRA) Project Nigeria, enumerating the recurring devastation caused by floods in the floodplains of the Benue River in Adamawa and the Komadugu River in Yobe, hence the need for journalists to report professionally so that even the unlearned in the society can understand.

Mr Mathew further revealed that “Climate ZCRA Project might be scaled up to a period of 12 years to enhance community resilience against climate -induced disasters, particularly flooding.

“The project will be implemented in phases, beginning with 12 communities across six Local Government Areas of Yobe and Adamawa states with 3 local government areas in each state”, he added.

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