Catholic Development Commission in Malawi (CADECOM) has challenged the media to effectively report on resilience policies to help the nation adapt and respond to impacts of climate change.
Speaking in Salima during a two day workshop for journalists drawn from several media houses theCADECOM national programmes coordinator, Yusuf Mkungula said that media has a key role in raising awareness of resilience policies and also ensuring that such policies are translated on the ground.
Participants to the workshop-pix by Prince Henderson
“Actually we want to inform you media practitioners about climate change issues for your effective advocacy hence equip you with information and knowledge on right to development and Right to food and other related policies,” said Mkungula.
He said there are some policy gaps, hence the need for government and other stakeholders to consider addressing them.
Mkungula added that, currently, the national agriculture policy is in draft form whereas the National Disaster Risk Management (DRM) policy was approved last year, but its implementation is yet to take off.
“The Right to Food Bill was drafted in 2006 but it to be tabled in parliament. The bill is now being revised by the consultants and it has been renamed as Food and Nutrition bill. We hope this will be finalised and get tabled,” said Mkungula.
Journalist Ephraim Nyondo of Nation Publications Limited (NPL), who participated in the workshop, hailed the workshop as an eye opener to various climate change related policies in the country. He added it is difficult to inform the public without understanding the subject matter. For now, he further said, it will be easy to follow up the policies both those in draft form and those already approved and passed.
CADECOM which is a relief and development arm of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) is implementing a project aimed at increasing food security and resilience to climate shocks for 1250 households in Malawi with funding from UKaid through TROCAIRE.
By Prince Henderson, ECM Communications Officer.