How do we promote climate action even during a worldwide pandemic? That’s a question, that UN CC:Learn and MIET Africa asked and are trying to answer in three Southern African countries: Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Through a series of radio and TV programs called “Our Changing Climate – Our time to act!”, the two partners are raising awareness of climate change and fostering climate action in the region.
The idea of hosting programs to discuss climate change and related topics arose in the aftermath of the health, economic and social problems brought about by COVID-19. To come out of this situation sustainably, and ensure an equitable, environmentally friendly and climate resilient economic recovery, it is crucial for everyone to understand the interlinkages between climate change, human health, and socio-economic development. The TV and radio programs in the three Southern African countries supported by UN CC:Learn have proven to be the perfect opportunity to do that.
These country-specific programs allow climate change to remain a topical issue in the region while helping them with the implementation of their National Climate Change Learning Strategy by touching on specific areas addressed by the strategies, like energy, agriculture, and health. Each episode approaches one main topic and hosts exclusive guests, such as young climate activists, experts, and government officials. Although these programs are produced independently in each country, these project aims to address the following points:
- The global significance of climate change and how it impacts countries, communities, and individual lives.
- How one could adapt to and mitigate climate change at country, community, family, and individual levels.
- Get an overview of global and national responses to the climate crisis and a “call to action” for communities, families, and individuals, particularly youths, to do their part as friends of the earth.
The TV and radio programs are divided into episodes and each episode is broadcast in three languages in each country: Tumbuka, Chichewa, and English in Malawi, Nyanja, Bemba and English in Zambia, and Ndebele, Shona, and English in Zimbabwe. Each country will have 36 radio episodes and 6 TV episodes in total, equally distributed in the aforementioned languages.
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