Media urged to prioritise climate change issues
Government has asked the media to report more on climate change, noting the issue is now emerging as a key development factor in Africa.
The call was made by Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Information, Luckie Sikwese, in Lilongwe yesterday during the official opening of a two-day media sensitisation workshop on communicating climate smart agriculture entrepreneurship for the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) region.
He said the phenomenon has brought in new dimension to the development agenda, which includes financing strategies and mechanisms that foster sustainable development for economies.
He, therefore, said there is need to enlist the help of the media to effectively communicate the region’s efforts to respond to challenges imposed by climate change.
“As media personnel you are well positioned to disseminate information and, in turn, influence opinions of your audiences thereby fostering a sense of personal responsibility and greater commitment towards sustainable development,” said Sikwese.
He added: “Your role as agenda setters and opinion influencers makes you a very important partner in addressing climate change in our region.”
Sadc secretariat representative Sibongile Madimba said climate change has generated a lot of interest from various stakeholders mainly because it is a threat to many communities.
She said the threat ranges from irregular rainfall patterns, scarcity of natural resources, and fight over access to resources and international displacement to forced migration.
“These threats culminate into a danger on human health,” said Madimba.
