📋 Tender Overview
PROJECT ID
110739
TOTAL FUNDING
CAD 247,600.00
PROJECT STATUS
Active
DURATION
36 months
Climate change presents a significant threat to Africa, affecting critical sectors such as agriculture, water resources, public health and security. While scientific understanding of climate change has advanced, both globally and within Africa, a substantial gap remains in the effective communication of this research and its implications to key African audiences, including policymakers, civil society and local communities. Based on a continent-wide literature review on the subject, less than half of the African population understands the causes and consequences of climate change. This low level of awareness hampers policy action and prevents communities from addressing the crisis.
Media plays a critical role in bridging this knowledge gap. However, limitations in depth of coverage hinder informed decision-making and robust policy responses. Journalists face difficulties accessing and interpreting academic research, which limits their ability to effectively convey complex scientific insights to the public. This challenge results in a shortage of scientifically accurate and locally relevant stories, which are crucial for educating and engaging the public and influencing policy. Experts recommend three key actions: strengthening capacity of African media to cover climate change; enhancing journalists’ access to credible and diverse sources of information, including scientific research; and increasing funding for climate change coverage.
This project will bring journalists together in a structured way to share and deepen their practices. The journalists will be from Eastern and Southern African countries and will engage with their science editors, climate researchers, policymakers and local communities. The gender-responsive action research seeks to shed light on the different contexts for reporting on climate change and addresses some of the challenges journalists face, with the overall objective of deepening coverage of climate issues in Africa.
