News | Energy Efficiency

http://allafrica.com/stories/201103280222.html

Nairobi — Youth are the future of nations and leaders of tomorrow, or so the saying goes.
But for one Ugandan woman, Patricia Okoed-Bukumunhe, this time-worn cliché took on a new meaning when she considered the environmental challenges her two young daughters, aged five and eight, would inherit due to the devastating effects of climate change.

She envisioned a world of floods, droughts, limited water sources and insufficient food that would make her children miserable and impoverished.
This grim vision provided the creative fuel for the radio feature dubbed Climate Change and Uganda which recently won the 34-year-old Okoed-Bukumunhe the 2011 Unep Young Environmental Journalist Award for Africa.
"I feel humbled and honoured that my contribution towards the protection of our planet and future has been recognised," she says of the award she received at the opening ceremony of the 2011 Unep Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum in Nairobi recently.
"I realised that I had to begin telling the stories of climate change and its increasingly severe consequences for us," she says, stressing that global warming is now not just a Western phenomenon but a reality for Africa as well.
Okoed-Bukumunhe believes journalists need to speak out for the voiceless and less privileged in society, who are extremely vulnerable to climate change effects such as floods, drought and food insecurity.
"We also need to empower them and ensure that they are not caught off-guard when these catastrophes strike. This will only be achieved by telling their stories well - factually and authoritatively."
Judges noted that her winning radio entry brought the economic, social and environmental effects of climate change closer to home.
It emerged best of 110 entries received from television, radio, Online and print journalists from 24 African countries.In the feature, Okoed-Bukumunhe highlights the effect of climate change on the coffee industry, which is Uganda's largest export
She interviewed farmers who confirmed that floods from heavy rains cause the crop to rot while extreme dry conditions harden the soil thus reducing coffee yields.
Her story also focused on the Rwenzori Mountains, a major tourist attraction for Uganda.
Due to global warming, the snow has receded to 46km square down from 563 km square.
If this trend continues, by about 2025 there may be no snow. This will significantly affect the county's tourism industry, and source of water for rivers that communities have used for years in agriculture and home consumption.
Okoed-Bukumunhe's report further explained how the melting ice may propel border conflicts between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This is because the melting snow is the source of a river that marks the boundary of the two countries.
Increased water levels have already widened the river, shifting its banks by about 1km into Ugandan territory, thus prompting an inquiry into the exact border line to allay disagreements.
The setting of the story may be in Uganda, but the challenges exist in many African nations whose economies depend on environmental resources which are extremely vulnerable to climate change.
"The notion that environmental conservation hampers economic growth and development in African countries should therefore be discouraged," she asserts.
Okoed-Bukumunhe calls upon young people to take charge and prevent climate change in their own small way, even as developed nations and governments mitigate it at a higher level.
Okoed-Bukumunhe, a graduate of Makerere University, is a broadcast journalist with 13 years experience in local and international media.
She works as a news editor and anchor at Capital Radio - a private FM radio station in Uganda.
She is also a freelance journalist with Paris-based Radio France International and has worked with ORF radio in Austria as a freelance producer handling features and magazine shows.
Despite her achievements, Okoed-Bukumunhe possesses a relaxed demeanour.
Her knowledge and passion on matters close to her heart - the environment, health and women issues - are also evident as she articulates herself.
As part of her prize, she will take part in a professional exchange visit to the United States, following a specially designed "green itinerary."
She will travel across the US interacting with environmental experts, leading environmental journalists, scientists and public figures.
About the award
The Unep Young Environmental Journalist Award for Africa was established last year with the aim of showcasing excellence in the field of environmental reporting and nurturing new talent that will help to shape opinions on the environment in Africa.
Radio, television, Online and print journalists of 25-35 years are eligible to participate with each submitting one article or report on an environmental theme.