From December 02 to 04 2024, we invited 18 journalists from different media including newspapers, community radios and national televisions to participate in the effective climate change communication training. The summary of the three-days training covers introduction to science behind climate change, effective communication of climate change, field visit for hands-on experience and solutions for identified challenges.
On the first day the participants were introduced to the science behind climate change, how climate change affects Tanzania and available mitigation and adaptation strategies. Trainees participated in the sessions on climate change policy frameworks, climate services dissemination and renewable energy mix. The sessions were facilitated by CAN Tanzania climate change experts, 3 experts from Tanzania Meteorological Association (TMA) and Tanzania Renewable Energy Association (TAREA).
The second day of training was dedicated to effective communication of climate change. We invited Dr. Dotto Kuhenga , Head of Communication and Marketing at the University of Dar es Salaam to share his expertise and experience on Effective Climate Change Communication. We were grateful to have input on visual storytelling from Mr. Victor Faustine. Later on, the participants discussed the importance of social media in reporting climate change and the overall challenges encountered when reporting climate change in Tanzania.
The last day of the training was dedicated to hands-on experience, and the participants visited our partners at TaTEDO-SESO. As a center for sustainable energy services, TaTEDO indulged the participants in a hands-on approach to preparing lunch while practicing clean cooking with electric pressure cookers that reduce cooking time and is about 75% cheaper compared to traditional cooking by firewood and charcoal. The journalists also experienced how solar dryers work and had a short ride on an electric bajaji.
In summary the training was driven by many valuable skills from the facilitators and curiosity from the journalists. The major learning remains on how to prioritize climate change reporting by ensuring that it is touching a human angle. The challenges remain that journalists lack reliable sources of weather and climate data to use when reporting, lack skills to interpret data, have less airtime for climate change sessions and the difficulty to understand the technical language used in the climate change sector.
CAN Tanzania invites stakeholders of climate change to collaborate and find solutions for the forementioned challenges presented by the journalists.