Nelly Bassily | October 31, 2011
Months of preparation and negotiations have preceded the upcoming climate change talks in Durban. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international environmental treaty. It provides a framework for intergovernmental efforts to address climate change. Government representatives from around the world will attend the meetings, which are being referred to as COP 17 (Conference of the Parties). Many civil society groups will attend the conference in Durban with official observer status.
Visit the UNFCCC website here: http://unfccc.int/meetings/durban_nov_2011/session/6294.php
For more information about the UNFCC’s Clean Development Mechanism, visit: http://cdm.unfccc.int/
The Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) has 16 members in 12 countries in southern Africa. Visit their website: http://www.sacau.org/
Script package 89, from December 2009 focused on the topic of climate change. Access scripts from this package and earlier scripts on the same topic here: http://farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/climate.asp
Here are some stories on climate change published in Farm Radio Weekly:
-Rwanda: Climate change worries farmers on World Food Day (FRW 131, October 2010) http://weekly.farmradio.org/2010/10/11/rwanda-climate-change-worries-farmers-on-world-food-day-by-jean-paul-ntezimana-for-farm-radio-weekly-in-rwanda/
-Kenya: Re-discovering cassava during drought (FRW 160, June 2011) http://weekly.farmradio.org/2011/06/20/kenya-re-discovering-cassava-during-drought-ips-daily-nation/
–Uganda: Drama and song raise awareness of climate change (FRW 118, July 2010) http://weekly.farmradio.org/2010/07/05/1-uganda-drama-and-song-raise-awareness-of-climate-change-by-sawa-pius-for-farm-radio-weekly-in-uganda/
-Kenya: Farmers use drought-resistant crops and improved access to water to adapt to climate change (FRW 114, June 2010) http://weekly.farmradio.org/2010/06/07/2-kenya-farmers-use-drought-resistant-crops-and-improved-access-to-water-to-adapt-to-climate-change-farm-radio-weekly-scientific-american/
In view of the upcoming talks in Durban, you might want to prepare some radio spots to highlight climate change. You could ask farmers to ask how they experience climate change, and whether they are interested in the climate negotiations. Find out if the local agricultural extension department has information or projects on climate change, and ask them how the high-level talks affect their work. Ask if there is funding available for climate change projects for farmers, or if local government or NGO staff have experience accessing funding for climate change initiatives.