• There is need for mass citizens awareness activities especially now as the world is faced with the reality of climate change.
• Government and other players must equally play their role if citizens are to begin to appreciate the need to preserve the environment.
• MENACC is engaging partners to help in building journalists’ capacity for environmental and climate change reporting.
Media Network Action on Climate Change (MENACC) has called on the media to increase coverage of environmental and climate change issues in Zambia for the better understanding of average citizens.
Speaking to Money FM News ahead of the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, Organization Executive Coordinator Kennedy Phiri noted with concern the low levels of interest and media coverage of environmental and climate change issues in the country.
Mr. Phiri further noted the low level coverage which was given to the revision process of the Biotechnology and Biosafety policy, a very important policy affecting various sectors of the economy.
“This scenario must be redressed as environmental and climate change issues have taken Centre stage globally, therefore the media in Zambia must increase coverage of the trends for the better understanding of average citizens.”
“We are engaging partners to help in building journalists’ capacity for environmental and climate change reporting as the scope is quite broad with highly technical jargon which may at times be problematic for the media,” Mr. Phiri stated.
He added that Government and other players must also play their role in order for citizens to begin to appreciate the need to preserve the environment and desist from engaging in harmful practices.
“Therefore even as the country joins the rest of the world in celebrating the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, on 16th September, we reiterate the call for mass citizens awareness activities especially now as the world is faced with the reality of climate change.”
“It cannot be over emphasized that this day is very important, therefore wider participation must be created around it as this is the only way citizens will begin to own the processes and begin to take the necessary remedial measures,” he added.
Zambia will join the rest of the world in celebrating the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, on 16th September, 2022, under the theme; Preservation of the Ozone Layer is, ‘Montreal [email protected]: global cooperation, protecting life on earth’.
