Yemen.. Calls to develop a joint national plan to confront the effects of climate change in the country

A group of journalists, experts and those interested in the fields of media and the environment called on Thursday to adopt a comprehensive national plan to confront the repercussions of climate change in Yemen, coinciding with World Radio Day.

This came during the discussion seminar organized by the Media Freedom Observatory and the Yemeni Network for Climate Journalism and Energy Transition in Yemen.

Participants called for the involvement of all government agencies, local and international organizations and the media in formulating and implementing this plan to ensure an integrated response to current environmental challenges.

Many media professionals and managers of local and community radio stations confirmed their readiness to participate effectively in this national endeavour, stressing the importance of spreading environmental awareness through various radio programmes within their schedules.

In the symposium, Director of Yemen Times Radio Ali Al-Moshki reviewed the role of radio stations in covering environmental issues and climate change, touching on the most prominent challenges facing these institutions in transmitting news of critical environmental events.

Ali Al-Moshki pointed out that cooperation and coordination between radio stations, government agencies, and experts specializing in climate and the environment is an essential step to deliver awareness messages faster and more efficiently, while reducing costs and efforts.

The head of the Aden Symposium Initiative, Ahed Yassin, also stressed the vital role played by specialized platforms and initiatives in confronting the challenges of the environment and climate change, calling for the necessity of preparing studies and developing comprehensive policies that are not limited to government agencies only, but rather include the participation of all concerned parties from specialized organizations and initiatives.

For his part, climate change expert Tariq Hassan discussed the underlying causes of environmental changes and the risks that may threaten Yemen’s future, pointing to the pivotal role that the media can play in raising awareness and shedding light on these risks in an accurate scientific manner.

The symposium concluded with a number of interventions calling for enhancing cooperation between government agencies, media, and organizations concerned with confronting climate and environmental challenges, stressing that collective action is the best way to overcome the increasing environmental risks.