AFRICA: Journalists on the front line in the fight against climate change

“Climate urgency and development in Africa: the media on the front line” is the title of Jean Célestin Edjangue’s new book, published on the 8th of January 2020 by l’Harmattan, Paris agency in France. In the 198-page essay, the author presents and supports the role of African journalists in the preservation of the environment and sustainable development on their continent.

In a clear, detailed and journalistic style, the author evokes the litany of his professional experiences. Editorial projects, but also seminars and conferences through which the role of the media in the fight against climate change is promoted. In Central Africa and more precisely in Cameroon, his native country, Jean Célestin Edjangue evokes the magazine Bosangi (title which means “cleanliness” in the Duala language, spoken in the littoral region of Cameroon). Published by the Hygiene and Sanitation Company of Cameroon (Hysacam), the magazine (in which he has been involved since its foundation in 2003) educates on environmental issues and through a team of professional journalists.

However, the role played by media men and women in climate awareness, information and communication may seem ineffective in the face of the following paradox: Africa represents 17% of the world’s population and is responsible for barely 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, it is also the region that suffers most from the consequences of global warming.

In the face of this climate injustice, governments are increasingly advocating the transition to a green economy. The media has a key role to play in achieving this goal. However, the author insists on the means to be put at their disposal for greater efficiency. These include the provision of training, adequate working materials, financial incentives and easier access to information sources.

Environmental education in Africa

The new book by Jean Célestin Edjangue goes far beyond the involvement of African media in the climate emergency. It also addresses issues related to sustainable development: the place of books and culture, international cooperation with the challenges of official development assistance, and the interactions between this aid and development.

Journalist, lecturer, media and communication consultant, Jean Célestin Edjangue is not the first to write about environmental protection in Africa. In 2014, he already published “Environmental Education in Africa – The Role of the Media”, in which he takes stock of the situation of environmental education in Africa.

Environmental education, a concept that is gradually being taken into account by African public authorities. In Cameroon, where Bosangi was born more than 15 years ago, the Ministry of the Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development has set the year 2020 under the theme: “Let’s raise awareness on the importance of preserving the environment”. And in this context, the debate must remain whole, within the editorial offices, like that of Afrik 21, between awareness and information missions, which… ideally come together. As Jean Célestin Edjangue seems to think.

Boris Ngounou