Catholic Media Managers have been urged to effectively communicate matters on climate change by communicating adaptation actions.
Speaking at a training that brought Catholic Media Managers together, Media Council of Kenya (MCK) CEO David Omwoyo told the managers a good communicator should have a working knowledge of almost every topic.
“Currently, the world is speaking about climate change. It is important to have a basic working knowledge on matters of climate change to educate the public”, he said.
He added that the knowledge gained from understanding climate change processes goes a long way in coming up with successful adaptation actions and in helping people understand and tackle the consequences of global warming.
“There is need to embrace technology, read and research to understand climate change. This will empower your audiences with the knowledge needed to act as agents of change”, Mr Omwoyo.
University of Nairobi Lecturer Dr Cromwel Busolo said human activities have brought about global warming, which has led to climate change, the biggest threat facing humanity today.
He noted that mitigating climate change will not only be enough but also adapting to unavoidable impacts and behavioral change that will promote climate- friendly lifestyle.
“Without action today, adaptation will be costlier and more difficult for the next generations. Successful adaptation actions not only depend on governments but also on the active and sustained engagement of stakeholders”, said Mr Busolo.
MCK Manager Research Planning and Strategy Leo Mutisya, advised the Catholic Media Communicators on need to participate in the conversations on climate change to increase attention to local adaptation that will spur effective actions.
“Engaging with local communities through local radio stations on climate change adaptation is vital in imparting knowledge to the community and stirring adaptation actions”, he said.