More than
thirty media practitioners yesterday gathered at the NaNA conference hall in
Kanifing for a two-day awareness and sensitization on climate change.
The training was conducted by the Department of Water Resources through its climate change and early warning strengthening systems project.
Officials of the Department of Water Resources said that for effective communication of climate change early warning information, the media has been identified as a very important partner in the project.
The project management unit has decided to continue to engage the media in the implementation of the project but has realized that capacity building is lacking in the sector thus the need for the workshop.
According to the project coordinator, Bernard Gomez of the Department of Water Resources, the expected outcome of the project include enhanced capacity of hydro-meteorological services and networks for predicting climate change events risk factors, effective, efficient and targeted delivery of climate and climate information including early warning, improved and timely preparedness and response of various stakeholders to forecast climate linked risks and vulnerabilities.
According to water resources officials at the forum, the project is one of the Gambia National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) activities funded from the Least Developed Countries Fund.
The objective of the project, he said, is to adapt national development in the face of climate variability and change, adding that it is also to enhance adaptive capacity and reduce vulnerability to climate change through a strengthened early warning and information-sharing mechanism for a better informed decision-making process by government and affected populations.
Speaking at the forum, the Director of Water Resources, Pa Ousman Jarjue, dilated on the important role climate change plays in national development process, adding that climate change is not only an environmental issue but also a development issue.
He called for collective effort to fight against its effects on the country and the sub-region as a whole.
He therefore thanked the media for accepting their invitation to attend the forum, saying the attendance has shown their commitment and responsibility in terms of carrying out information to the public.
In his official opening remarks on the occasion, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources, Amadou Saine, expressed delight to be associated with the training of journalists on climate change issues.
“This initiative is a step in the right direction looking at the important role of the media in our society,” he said.
He urged the participants to disseminate the knowledge gained from the training to the public.
