EPA Trains Female Journalists To Focus On Environmental Reporting By:R.JoyclynWea:j.wea@newrepublicliberia.com

GANTA-The Environmental Protection Agency through its Cross-Cutting Capacity development (CCCD) project  organized a-two-day female media  professionals training to improve environmental awareness and reporting on the values of the RIO Conventions.

The RIO Convention relates to following three conventions: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) which are result of the earth summit held in De Janeiro in 19

It seek to achieve sustainable development and higher quality of life  for all people, states should reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and promote appropriate demographic policies. 

 The two days training workshop targeted about forty female media professionals in 11 of Liberia’s fifteen political sub-divisions to improve environmental reporting of global environmental issues.

The training was organized by the EPA funded by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which was held from August 20^thto 21^st, 2020 at the Peace Empire Hotel, Ganta, Nimba County.

The overriding objective of the two days female media training was to develop a pool of female reporters in Liberia with a clear understanding and interpretation of global environmental issues that impact biodiversity, climate change and land management. These trained female reporters  after training, will become the champion of raising environmental awareness leading to change in attitude and behavior of citizens.

It was to also help emerging female journalists or reporters understand the RIO Conventions, Multilateral Environmental Agreements, protocols and their inter-linkages to the socio-economic development priorities.

Female reporters were to understand the legal framework for environmental governance and know the responsible environmental institution and to promote balanced and non-stereotyed reporting of environmental issues in the country..

To enhanced female reporters understanding and knowledge of environmental language and interpretation. Identify story ideas on RIO conventions, environmental protocols and issues surrounding them.

Speaking during the opening the EPA  expressed its willingness to support and sponsor the Press Union of Liberia awards specifically in the area of environmental reporting.

The head of the EPA, Mr. Randall Dogbayou, unveiled the EPA’s  plan to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the PUL to ensure the best environmental female journalist is awarded. The MOU when signed, he mentioned that trained female journalists will be given the opportunity to interact with other colleagues across the world during international environmental conferences and RIO conventions relative to improving their skill and knowledge on the subject matter.

“Every time I listen to you people giving award, I do not see you giving award on the best female environmental journalist and we at the EPA want to ensure that happens. We want to be proud of female outside the EPA and that can only be done by an atmosphere where people can see the need to report on environmental issues.”

According to him; journalist do not take interest on reporting environmental issues, but it has effect on land and when the land is effected its effects food crops, transportation energy,  and on our everyday activities.

Also speaking was the president of the Press Union of Liberia, Mr. Charles Coffey. He commanded the EPA for the initiative and believe that such initiative will continue so that female who are trained and committed will bring out the relevant news with regards to the environmental.

Coffey noted that environmental situation globally is a significant and the survivability of Liberia is no exception to the many effects this poses to the world adding that the mining sector is also being affected by environmental disasters. 

He furthered that not many citizens are informed about the consequences for example building beaches, sand mining, and the degeneration of the health sector among others.