By Emmanuel Gyezaho
Commonwealth nations, especially those in the underdeveloped bracket are vulnerable to what has been described as “external shocks†due to changes in global climate, says Commonwealth Foundation Director Dr Mark Collins.
It is because of such threats, he says, that there is an urgent need to design and package suitable information for people to understand and deal with the problems associated with climate change.
The British Council is currently spearheading such an effort, at the ongoing Commonwealth Peoples Forum in Kampala, and organised a workshop whose sole aim is to design communication tactics for climate change.
Although he expressed optimism about a somewhat bleak future for third world nations that are currently facing the brunt of climate change for reasons not of their own making, Dr Collins said first world government’s must stand up and walk the talk.
Citing the devastation that befell Grenada in 2004 after Hurricane Ivan hit the Caribbean Island, Dr Collins told Emmanuel Gyezaho that commonwealth nations stand to suffer dramatic impacts due to climate change.
Here’s a short audio interview I did with Dr Collins.
Click to download a low bandwidth file or press play below:
I concur that real challenge lies in the execution of points of action on the part of our policy engineers, political technicians and we individuals within and beyond commonwealth, if we are to takle ‘external shocks’ due to uncertain climatical variency. There is no doubt climate change is a threat and such changes pause a several negative effects on the social and economical welfare of the infflicted population. Take an example of the recent greater Kampala Pre-CHOGAM floods which affected and still affecting several city dwellers like me are undoubtedly due to climate change. I believe there is an urgent need on the part of the commonwealth leadership to comeup with a comprehensive and achievable information module targeting every body, to first understand and then appreciate the urgent need to deal with the problems associated with such a problem. Then later design, package and deliver a plan to counteract the after effects. sort of a disaster management plan and actually stict to it through comprehensive funding of it, backed by reliable human resourse. The media information reporting on climate change should be simple and precise in their design and packaging, not speculative with a political conotation, but addressing the likely grave effects we stand to suffer like dramatic flooding or occationally extreme hot weather if you and me do not take action now.
The shocking climate changes are to me the latest threat to humanity, neither fanatic terrorism nor misconcieved liberalism can compare.
Hope The commonwealth provides a historic opportunity to face this challenge.