Promote climate change resilience, media urged

Mashudu Mambo
THE media has been urged to promote climate change resilience through simplifying and creating content that is tailor-made for the different members of society.

Speaking during a media practitioners workshop hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife in conjunction with SNV Zimbabwe in Harare on Monday, a climate change specialist Darlington Muyambwa implored the media to promote resilience in dealing with climate change.

“The role of the media is to educate the public on climate change and this can be done by simplifying issues to do with climate change to allow the communities to understand what it is and its effects.
“There is an urgent need to address climate change issues as it causes a number of physical and mental challenges for the people.

“These challenges entail heat stroke, waterborne diseases and some mental health challenges which are usually a result of the death of livestock or low agricultural yield,” he said.
Muyambwa highlighted there was a need to understand the effects of climate change are intense on vulnerable communities.

“Climate change increases inequalities especially looking at the vulnerable members of our societies who are the youth, women and people with disabilities.
“It is essential for the media to educate the public on climate change responses which are mitigation and adaptation. These solutions are reducing greenhouse gas emissions and minimising the impacts of human activities on climate change,” he said.

He indicated that women are affected by climate change because of their gender roles.
“Climate change has drastic effects on women because of the responsibilities that they have in households, these factors entail water shortages and drought. Men and women are not affected by climate change in the same way.

“It is crucial to create content that is tailor-made for the different groups of people to ensure that targeted messages reach the intended recipients,” he said.
Muyambwa highlighted that there are a number of opportunities that have been presented by climate change.

“We must not see climate change from the negative angle but there is a need to identify the opportunities that have been brought in by climate change like the growth of the renewable energy sector.
“There has been the emergence of the green economy and the growth of the energy sector that has seen the availing of a number of opportunities for a number of young people like solar installation jobs,” he said.