Burkina Faso Builds Capacity of Media on Climate Change Issues

29 June 2017, Koudougou, Burkina Faso - Media play a crucial role in raising public awareness of climate change issues. For this reason, Burkina Faso has defined the training of journalists and communicators as a priority action of its National Climate Change Learning Strategy. On the 29th and 30th of June, in Koudougou, 38 people from the communications services of the ministerial departments of Burkina Faso, the press and press associations were trained on "Climate change issues for the socio-economic and cultural sectors of Burkina Faso ". The workshop was organized by the Permanent Secretariat of the National Council for Sustainable Development (SP-CNDD) with the support of UN CC:Learn.

Participants to the workshop

The meeting, chaired by the Director in charge of Environmental Conventions of SP-CNDD and Coordinator of the UN CC:Learn Initiative in Burkina Faso, Dr Joël Korahiré, as well as by the Director of Communication and Ministerial Press of the Ministry in charge Of Sports, Mr. Sylvain Zingue and the Director of Communication and the Departmental Press of the Department of Transport, Mr. Drissa Sere, focused on:

  • capitalizing on existing knowledge of the participants;
  • concepts and terminology related to meteorology and climate;
  • the characteristics of climate change in Burkina Faso;
  • Burkina Faso's National Adaptation Plan (NAP);
  • Burkina Faso’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC);
  • climate governance in the context of Burkina Faso;
  • international climate negotiations;
  • the political and scientific process related to climate change;
  • the Climate Change Technology Transfer Center and Network.

The Director in charge of communications of the Ministry of Transports, Mr. Drissa Sere, the Burkina Faso UN CC:Learn coordinator, Dr Joël Korahiré, the Director in charge of communications of the Ministry of Sports, Mr. Sylvain ZingueWorking groups during the workshop

Specifically on climate governance, participants have appropriated the concept through exercises on sectors vulnerable to climate change in Burkina Faso. Group work enabled them to identify the stakes of climatic hazards and their implications for economic, social, cultural and local governance.

At the end of the workshop, the participants made a strong recommendation in relation to the continued need for capacity building on the various themes related to climate change so that they can contribute more to information and awareness-raising activities in accordance with Article 6 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

About UN CC:Learn

UN CC:Learn is a partnership of more than 30 multilateral organizations supporting countries to design and implement systematic, recurrent and results-oriented climate change learning. At the global level, the partnership supports knowledge-sharing, promotes the development of common climate change learning materials, and coordinates learning interventions through a collaboration of UN agencies and other partners. At the national level, UN CC:Learn supports countries in developing and implementing national climate change learning strategies. Through its engagement at the national and global levels, UN CC:Learn contributes to the implementation of Article 6 of the UNFCCC on training, education and public awareness-raising, and the 2012-2020 Doha Work Programme. Funding for UN CC:Learn is provided by the Swiss Government and UN partners. The Secretariat for UN CC:Learn is hosted by the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

Photo 1: Participants to the workshop.

Photo 2: The Director in charge of communications of the Ministry of Transports, Mr. Drissa Sere, the Burkina Faso UN CC:Learn coordinator, Dr Joël Korahiré, the Director in charge of communications of the Ministry of Sports, Mr. Sylvain Zingue.

Photo 3: Working groups during the workshop.

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