A specialized training course for Portuguese-speaking journalists in Africa to address the challenges of climate change.

As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the capacity of African media in addressing climate and environmental challenges, UNESCO, in partnership with the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB), is organizing a specialized training course targeting media institutions and regulatory bodies in African Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The training will take place from July 30 to August 1, 2025, specifically for Portuguese-speaking participants.

This training course is being held in partnership with the National Television of São Tomé and Príncipe (TVS) and the Radio and Television Corporation of Cape Verde (RTC). It aims to empower Portuguese-speaking journalists to keep pace with environmental challenges through modern journalistic tools and techniques.

The course is facilitated by journalist Alegria Bastos, head of the Portuguese Language Section at the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB), who brings extensive experience in media training and environmental communication.

The training program covers a range of thematic modules that combine both theoretical and practical components, with a strong emphasis on the role of media in raising public awareness and developing responsible messaging around climate and disaster-related issues.

The course includes six sessions distributed over three days:

Day 1 – July 30

▪ Understanding Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction

▪ African Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

▪ Climate Change and Disasters

Day 2 – July 31

▪ Solutions Journalism in the Context of Climate Change and Disasters

▪ Combating Disinformation

▪ AI-Assisted Environmental Reporting

Day 3 – August 1

▪ Climate and Disasters from an Inclusive and Gender-Sensitive Perspective

▪ Building Institutional Frameworks and Effective Partnerships to Support Environmental Media Coverage in Island States

The course will conclude with a practical phase dedicated to collaborative media productions among participants. This production phase will begin on August 31 and end on August 4, 2025, during which journalists will develop field reports and media content addressing climate and disaster issues, applying the approaches and tools acquired during the training.

This training course comes in response to the growing need for specialized media capable of providing accurate and informed coverage of climate change particularly in African island states, which are among the most vulnerable regions to environmental threats. The initiative also reflects the African Union of Broadcasting's commitment to promoting linguistic and knowledge diversity in the field of environmental journalism.