Climate Emergency: African Media as Agents of Change.
By Oghogho Jacinta Odubanjo
The Network of Africa Women
Journalists also known as Les Panafricaines held her annual forum in
Casablanca, Morocco on the 6th and 7th March 2020 to discuss the issues affecting Africa. The
theme for the year 2020 was ‘Climate Emergency; African Media, Agents of
Change’.
The network was birthed in 2017
by Radio 2M, with its headquarters in Casablanca, Morocco. It is a network that
aims to promote greater responsibilities on African media in the treatment of
key issues of interest to public opinion on the continent as well as to be
genuine platform for debate and advocacy. At its premiere convocation in 2017,
the forum brought together more than 100 women journalists which include
editors, reporters and producers from Television and Radio stations and print
media across Africa. They came from 27 French speaking African countries to
discuss the effect of migration as it affects Africa as a continent. This was
created just shortly after Morocco’s return to the African Union and when UN
came up with the theme ‘Women in a changing world of work’.
The 2nd edition of the
Les Panafricaines forum also took place in Casablanca on the 26th and 27th October, 2018.
It brought together over 200 female journalists from 54 African countries to
deliberate on the issue of migration and how it affects Africans.
The 2020 edition, which is the
third, brought together 300 African women journalists from all over the African
countries to trash the challenges of climate change and to be seen as media
concern across African nations. The theme was “Climate Emergency; African
Media, Agents of change’’.
Climate emergency is a
situation which needs urgent action required to reduce or halt climate change
to avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it.
Climate change on the other hand, is a long term change in the average weather
patterns that have come to define earth’s local, regional and global climates.
These changes have a broad range of observed effects that are synonymous with
the term. The media as the agents of change in this regard get their coverage
of events in other African countries primarily from in house journalists in
their employ or African news organizations. Being an agent of change, is trying
in one’s own way to make a difference {positively} in the world for it to be a
much better place. We can discuss the power of one person to starting a
movement and how it leads to power of many people making a change.
The
choice of climate emergency as the main theme confirms the major role of the
media in forming and raising awareness in Africa. For Les Panafricaines, the
challenge today is to make a paradigm shift on the continental level to develop
a common vision and above all to change the perception linked to the realities
of the continent.
At the opening ceremony, the
General Manager of 2M, Salim Cheik, expressed his joy and pride to meet with
female journalists again for the 3rd edition of the forum.
Les Panafricaines, initiated by
2M and carried out by Radio 2M through its gender and diversity committee,
spelt out the three strategic action plans of 2M, which are;
•
The deserved valorization of Morocco and of Africa continent
•
The enhancement of women and
• The protection of the
environment.
He said these were the three
core values of the 2M media and they are independent and parcel of deep civic
commitment.
Fathia Elaouni, chief editor of
Radio 2m also thanked everyone for joining the Network of African Women Journalists.
She explained that climate change was chosen because it appeared the earth
faced quite a lot of problems, pointing out that African countries are being
threatened hence the need for journalists to sensitize citizens on the bright
side and not just the dark side of issues. This, she said necessitated the
invitation of Women journalists from 54 African countries to talk about climate
and the Panafricaines needed to be the voice of Africa.
The conference showcased
various workshops such as;
•
Succeeding in Africa’s energy transition issues and challenges.
•
Challenges of sustainable management of water resources.
•
Sustainable Agriculture; A green economy for Africa.
•
Health impact of climate change; which strategy to adopt.
•
What sustainable development for African cities?
•
Waste management, a decisive lever in the fight against climate change.
• In the adaptation of climate
change, the media can be agents of change.
Health
impact of climate change was keenly discussed with an expert in charge of the
topic in person of Rachid Wahabi who is the head of the Environmental Health
Division at the ministry of health. He is also a member of the WHO network
“Chemical Health Risk Assessors”. It was proposed that awareness should be
created for people to know diseases affecting them, which should be linked to
climate change and not to be overlooked. Health policy makers need to be
acquainted on this so as to create policies and awareness to the people for all
to start to fight these diseases from the scratch. There should be a link
between policy makers and the media for easy understanding. We must also
establish dialogue, that is, exchange information to accomplish one’s mission so
as to inform one’s audience. A cross relationship should be in place where they
are aware that there are deliberations in the national and international
levels.
Climate change leads to death.
Most of the time African deaths can be linked to diseases, so health
authorities have to be ready to avoid catastrophes and we have to be in line
with the dynamics of the diseases and decrease in temperature. New disease can
appear and preparing health system is not an easy task. Quality Health
infrastructures should be put in place to prepare health authorities to be able
to handle and control diseases. Dynamics of diseases should be studied from
health institutions. The minister of health should know the evaluation of
diseases in future because temperature is elevating. The most important thing
is to find out the cause and effect of diseases. The link between cholera and
climate change for example makes infrastructure vulnerable if the system is not
well prepared in terms of closing and leakages and diseases will penetrate the
water. Cholera can be fought against if there is no penetration to water.
Pipeline should be checked from time to time, this is because epidemic diseases
usually come in if there is no proper water system.
Towards the end of the forum,
the Network of Women Journalists voted electronically to set priorities of 2020
action plan. They voted for 3 media agents of change which has 24% of votes
followed by the health impact of climate change with 13% votes, sustainable development
in African cities 10%, Africa’s energy transition 8% and sustainable
agriculture 8% votes.
The forum came to an end with
the speech of Samira Sitail, a member of the permanent committee of the forum
who said that “Today, we as members of civil society are obliged to succeed
where political organizations have failed. We are all different and at the same
time all alike. As women journalists, we face same problems and difficulties.
We also share the same energy and the same will to move Africa forward. Let’s
be united, union that will make us strong”. She appreciated the African Women Journalists
from 54 African countries who attended the forum to learn more about the
damages done to our countries by climate change and to use our media strength
to propagate messages that will be of
benefit
to the people. In this era of fake news, journalists’ duty is important to dish
out real life situations in a way that will bring stability to the countries.
Les Panafricaines forum is determined to be the force that would promote
credible news for Africa and the world at large.
Earlier, the team went on a
visit to Mediouna Water Waste Treatment Plant and its experimental area of
urban agriculture. We saw a garden where vegetables and other crops were
planted. Interestingly, the vegetables are a product of garden waste and they
survive from waste-treated water which is only suitable for planting alone and
not for drinking. They have plants like red potatoes, spinach and carrots. The
vegetables are planted depending on the season. The experiment started during
winter period in 2017 and the garden came alive on the 8th of October
2019. From the look of things, one could tell that the experiments were
yielding good results. The purpose of this experiment was to avoid the use of chemicals
and pesticides.
Hajar Nourredine, an
environmental scientist also a PhD candidate explained the issues faced in
Casablanca in terms of water usage and wastewater management. She said
Casablanca is one of the mega cities of Africa and it is the prominent city in Morocco
with 5million inhabitants and this engages a lot of wastewater management
issues. The waste treatment plant of Mediouna is one of the best solutions, not
just to treat water but to also reuse it with high quality. The wastewater
after being recycled is used for agriculture. Casablanca, being a big city
surrounded with agriculture areas has limited water to use in agriculture, so
the Mediouna station helps to produce treated water to boost the agricultural
activities. Other things that affect the city in terms of climate factor are
disparity of natural resources, waste management and temperature.
At the time this conference was convened, corona virus was already spreading to some countries, but a few cases were recorded in about three African countries, then. However, the virus has continued to ravage the whole world till date.