By Foday Moriba Conteh
In order to equip journalists to report on environmental and climate change in the country, the European Union Delegation in Sierra Leone has on Monday 22nd February 2021 launched a five-day training Programme on reporting on environmental and climate change to benefit 15 selected journalists from various media institutions across the country at the New Brookfields Hotel Conference Hall in Freetown.
The training which is facilitated by the Economic Forum Sierra Leone started on Monday 22nd February 2021 will conclude with presentation of certificates by Ambassador Tom Vens to the trainees at the closing ceremony on Friday, 26 February 2021.
As a specialized hands-on training the programme is geared towards building the capacity of media practitioners in understanding the broader concepts of environmental and climate change issues as well as help to raise awareness and stimulate journalists’ interest on the need for enhanced environmental protection and biodiversity conservation in Sierra Leone.
Part of the training programme includes a two-day field visit to the Western Area Peninsular National Park, among others, to give journalists first-hand experience on contemporary environmental issues and their impact on local communities in Sierra Leone.
Among the topics journalists are receiving professional training on include: principles of environmental communication, draft Climate Change Policy of Sierra Leone, the Conference of Parties (COP 26) and Paris Agreement, Sierra Leone National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) among others.
In 2020, Sierra Leone ranked below the regional average on the Environmental Performance Index (177/180). The country’s biodiversity, forests and fish stocks have seen significant deterioration over the past decade, and the impact on environmentally sensitive sectors such as agriculture and fisheries threatens the basis of 60% of the economy and the livelihood of 70% of people, thereby increasing conflict risks.
Furthermore, it appears that the habitat destruction correlates with zoonotic diseases such as the 2014/15 Ebola Virus disease, which renders the fragmentation of Sierra Leone’s forests a global public health issue.
Sierra Leone has made significant progress in tackling biodiversity conservation and environmental protection but remains particularly vulnerable to the ever-increasing frequency and impacts of climate change, including rising sea levels, severe floods, erratic and torrential rainfall, biodiversity loss and associated environmental risks.
Additionally, increased rural-urban migration, huge dependence on rainforest for agricultural purposes, inadequate disposal of waste among several other factors have exacerbated the problem and continue to negatively impact on the country’s sustainable development trajectory.
The EU’s development partnership with Sierra Leone increasingly focuses on programmes that contribute to sustainable economic diversification, among others through actions that support access to sustainable and clean energy, resilient food systems and the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity. To support these initiatives, the EU has earmarked a EUR 2.9 million project this year to kick-start the sustainable management of Outamba-Kilimi and Kuru Hills forest landscape.
As part of its EU climate diplomacy, the EU also wishes to step up its engagement with the Government of Sierra Leone, with influencers and with the media as important multipliers to raise awareness on the need to protect the environment.
The EU endeavors to support the essential role that media channels play in providing the public with accurate and factual information on domestic environmental issues, including on Government policy and response as regards climate change and environmental degradation.
In his statement, President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla expressed appreciation to the European Union Delegation in Sierra Leone for the training which he described as not only important but a timely intervention in order to save the country’s environment.
He said journalists have the unique ability to help fast-track environment and climate change action through advocacy, education and raising awareness maintaining that to be able to do all of that, they must have knowledge on the complex subject matter, involving complex facts, terminology and policy language.
The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists President noted that SLAJ as an organization therefore views the training as a positive effort towards helping journalists develop interest and acquire the knowledge to be able to report, comment, analyze, and influence policy decisions on the environment and climate change issues.
On his part, Head of European Union Delegation in Sierra Leone, Ambassador Tom Vens said Sierra Leone has been identified as the third most vulnerable country to face the severe consequences of climate change which, he underscored, are as a result of manmade and also natural causes.
He said the EU recognizes the critical role of the media in disseminating information for the wider public to take appropriate measures, particularly on climate change and environmental issues.
“The media does not only have a responsibility to report disasters but also to improve transparency and accountability around environmental issues, and help ensure that policies are implemented to guaranty the protection of our people, their livelihoods and the safety of our environment,” he intimated.
Delivering the keynote address, Minister of the Environment, Professor Foday Moriba Jaward, expressed profound gratitude and sincere appreciation to the European Union Delegation in Sierra Leone for the invaluable support given to the Economic Forum to provide a platform to train journalists on climate change reporting, which he said is a clear manifestation of their concern to support the global fight against climate change and regaining of the ecological functionality of the ecosystems in the country.
He said he is with the strong conviction that the five day training programme will help train journalists to increase their knowledge base and skills, to strengthen and professionalize local media coverage so that they can improve on the quality and quantity of reporting and provide local communities and their audience with quick and reliable information on environmental issues and climate change.
