Confab Seeks Sponsorship For African Journalists To Attend World Water Week In New York

Posted by Eric Ojo Africa, African News, Latest Headlines Saturday, February 11th, 2023

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Ahead of this year’s edition of the United Nation (UN) Water Conference, holding in New York, development partners have been called upon to sponsor a number of African journalists to attend the event.

The call was made at the end of the recently concluded workshop on water-related issues for selected journalists from Eastern Africa.

The event which was held from January 30th to February 3rd in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, was organized by Water Diplomat and Africa 21, in partnership with Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture in Kenya (MESHA).

The workshop brought together 30 journalists from Eastern Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia) with the aim of increasing awareness and strengthening their analytical capacities on water-related issues on the African continent.

In a joint statement made available to the media, the organizers said sponsoring the journalists to the UN Conference on Water, which will take place from March 22nd to 24th, at its headquarters in New York, is an excellent opportunity of taking the various conversations they had in Nairobi to the next level.

The statement described the conference as a major international event that brought together water experts, policy makers, and stakeholders from around the world to discuss the pressing water-related challenges facing our planet.

“In a nutshell, sponsoring a journalist to attend the UN Water Conference 2023 will provide an invaluable opportunity for the journalist to enhance their knowledge and understanding of water-related issues and their impact on African communities.

“To network with water experts and policy makers from around the world and engage in discussions on the latest developments in the water sector as well as report on the key outcomes and recommendations from the UN Water Conference 2023, which will help raise public awareness and inform policy decisions”, the statement said.

It also noted that the organizers believe that supporting the participation of journalists to attend and report this year’s UN Water Conference, will have a positive impact on water reporting in Africa.

“Besides, it will contribute to the sustainable development of the region. If you are interested in sponsoring a journalist to attend the UN Water Conference 2023, please contact us. We would be happy to provide more information and answer any questions you may have”, the statement stressed.

The beneficiaries, according to the statement, have now been trained in various aspects of water journalism, including data journalism, investigative journalism, and multimedia storytelling, adding that their attendance to the UN Water Conference, which will be will be invaluable in ensuring that the media in Eastern Africa is equipped to report on water-related issues in a comprehensive, accurate, and impactful way.

The meeting provided a platform for journalists to interact with water experts and policy makers from a range of organizations, including the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), United Nations-Habitat (UN-Habitat), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Global Water Partnership (GWP), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

Moreover, these experts provided valuable insights into the water-related challenges facing Africa, as well as the role that international organizations can play in addressing these challenges. They also shared their experiences and best practices in water management, and discussed the need for integrated, sustainable water management solutions that consider both economic and social factors.

The discussions covered a wide range of topics, including water scarcity, access to safe drinking water, water management, and the impact of climate change on water resources.

In addition to the interactive discussions and workshops, the meeting also included field visits to Limuru Water and Sewerage Company, Ndakaini Dam and Susumua Dam.

These visits provided the journalists with first-hand insights into the challenges and opportunities facing water management in Eastern Africa, as well as the potential solutions being implemented to address these challenges.

The field visits also allowed journalists to see the positive impact that proper water management can have on local communities and to better understand the challenges faced by water companies in providing safe drinking water and sanitation to residents.

The visits equally provided the journalists with a deeper understanding of the technical aspects of water management, such as dam design, water treatment processes, and water distribution systems.

The journalists were also introduced to various tools and techniques for reporting on water-related issues, including data journalism, investigative journalism, and multimedia storytelling. They were also given the opportunity to participate in hands-on workshops, where they could apply the skills and techniques they learned to real-world situations.

The meeting concluded with the journalists presenting their own water-related stories, which they had developed during the course of the meeting. The presentations demonstrated the journalists’ commitment to raising awareness and providing in-depth analysis of water-related issues in Eastern Africa.

The statement therefore adjudged the meeting to be a highly successful event, which provided a platform for journalists to enhance their knowledge and skills, and engage with key stakeholders in the water sector.

“It was also an opportunity for journalists to network and collaborate, and to build a community of reporters committed to advancing the cause of water in Africa”, it further explained.