The media is failing on climate change in Ghana

Information about the climate change phenomenon is a great weapon in the fight against the threats it poses. However, there seems to be limited information and education on the impact of climate change on the environment and our collective existence.

Only a few people understand the science of climate change and its implications for our lives. A report by the British Council dubbed ‘Ghana Talks Climate’ disclosed that “Among the Ghanaian public there is limited awareness of the concepts of climate change…” The people’s response to climate change is impeded by the lack of information on the subject.

The Ghanaian public depends on the media for information daily. The average Ghanaian either follow newspapers, online portals or watch television for news. Changes in the climate have become topical in the international media space.

The dominance of climate change discussions has echoed the role of the media in educating the public on issues of national and global importance. Regrettably, awareness of climate change and its accompanying issues in Ghana are rather appalling.

The deafening silence of the media on this important issue is impacting negatively on the country’s mitigating efforts.

Climate change has become an undisputed fact about our current livelihoods. Farmers in Ghana in recent times have observed a reduction in crop yield largely because they are unable to predict the season. The setting in of the rainy season is mostly delayed with a prolonged period of the dry season.

Fisherfolks now have less catch while our environment and survival have become vulnerable to disasters and tragedies, now and in the future due to climate change. Flooding has become common anytime it rains. We are in the blink of a severe crisis evident by the natural disasters in the country.

The power of the media in Ghana is setting the agenda on national issues was highlighted in the fight against illegal mining. Illegal mining has been a thorn in political administrations but came to the spotlight with the media leading the crusade against the menace of illegal mining.

The media is believed to be interested in news items that sell. However, news relating to climate change is seen as hard to sell. Even with this, climate change could be seen as human-interest news. The reality is that climate change is scientific and news reporters lack the capacity to communicate the scientific information to the public.

It’s also a concern that media practitioners work within strict timelines and do not have sufficient time to research and report on climate. There’s, therefore, an urgent need for media houses to build capacities of reporters on environmental issues, particularly climate change.

According to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN 2020) index, Ghana is rank 112th out of 181 countries with 0.465902 scores and a score of 0.352838 on climate change vulnerability and readiness respectively.

The ND-GAIN ranks countries on climate change vulnerability measures exposure, sensitivity, and readiness. The ND-GAIN (2020) scores place Ghana on a high level of climate vulnerability with a low level of readiness.

Several interventions have been put in place aimed at mitigating the impact of climate change. But until the public are educated on the impact, mitigation and adaptation measure, Ghana's fight against climate change will not go far. The media must take up its public education role.

The data on climate change is a manifestation of an environmental crisis. If we pretend to be working, the price to pay for it is huge as Pope Francis once said “Every year the problems are getting worse. We are at the limits. If I may use a strong word, I would say that we are at the limits of suicide.”