Climate Change in News Media, Central and West Africa

Climate change impacts Africa heavily, leading to more frequent and intense natural hazards and extreme weather events, such as droughts and disruptions to rain cycles. Media are key partners in mitigating the effects and adapting to climate change, because they can highlight both solutions and shortcomings in this area.

In 2023, UNESCO trained editorial teams in Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, and Nigeria on how to strengthen their reporting on climate change and environment in their countries, with special attention to the impacts of climate change on women and vulnerable groups. This includes visual storytelling techniques and the use of public records, open-source intelligence and digital tools for their investigative reporting, to hold powerful polluters and environmental degradation actors accountable.