Strengthening Environmental Media in Sudan’s Celebration of World Biodiversity Day in Port Sudan
The Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources, through the project to Strengthen National Capacities to implement environmental commitments, organized today in Port Sudan an enlightening workshop. The workshop theme is on enhancing the capabilities of media professionals in dealing with environmental issues. The states of Gadaref, Kassala and the Red Sea participate in this workshop.
The workshop was held within the framework of celebrates World Biodiversity Day, which marks May 22 every year . On his part, Professor Migdam Sheikh Abdul Ghani, National Director of the Project to Strengthen Capacity to Attend, recites the circular issued by the United Nations on the occasion of the World Biodiversity Day. This year’s celebration comes under the slogan: “Building a shared future for all life.” He Calls for a broader understanding and deeper knowledge of the importance and role of biodiversity and the need to preserve and sustain it and integrate its implications into national and sectoral development plans.
Dr. Nadia Hassan Omar presented a paper on climate change and its causes, effects and implications on Sudan and national efforts to adapt and mitigate negative effects.
Dr. Mirghani Taha Reviewed the phenomenon of desertification, its risks and ways to combat it. He highlighted the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and its relevance to the Sudan and its implementation pathways.
Also, Dr. Ahmed Ali Hassab Al-Karim presented highlights on the concepts of biodiversity at the genetic level, plant and animal species, various ecosystems, threats to its existence and strategies to preserve it. He addressed the general features of the Convention on Biological Diversity, its objectives and the protocols attached to it and Sudan’s efforts to implement it through institutional work, laws and policies as well as training and scientific research.
In addition, Maulana Yasser Ahmed Saleh provided features about the various amendments law for the year 2020 in unifying the environmental councils, which gave the Federal Environment Council the authority to establish branches in the states and gave the right to any citizen to report environmental crimes. He cautioned the media to shed light on the environmental violations for which there are no regulating laws.
On his part, the media advisor of the project, Khaled Abdel Aziz, described environmental issues as a rich field for media coverage, since they are linked to poverty, desertification, climate change, conflict over resources and wars, and pointed to the provision of environmental information in simplified templates for citizens.
The participants asked for more training opportunities on environmental issues, provision of aids for work, enforcement of laws, and strengthening of government institutions entrusted with implementing environmental policies. In the end, certificates for participation were awarded to journalists from the three eastern states
