British High Commissioner to Malawi Fiona Ritchie has asked journalists in the country to investigate crimes in the environmental sector while also pushing for transparency and accountability generally.
Ritchie said her government’s foreign policy and development priorities include helping countries fight deforestation, promoting free and independent media and addressing corruption.
She was speaking at her office in Lilongwe during a breakfast the embassy organised for members of the Association of Environmental Journalists (AEJ) ahead of World Press Freedom Day, which falls on May 3.
“The world is facing an existential climate crisis, and Malawi has been at the receiving end of climate change impacts such as extreme droughts, erratic rainfall and floods.
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“Given Malawi’s climate risk profile—and the recurring cycle of weather and climate-related disasters— the media plays an important role in raising awareness of the connections between our interaction with the environment and these shocks,” Ritchie said.
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She then expressed concern over the rampant cutting down of trees at Michiru Mountain in Blantyre, which has left most sections of the onetime dense landscape bare.
Ritchie said the destruction of trees makes it possible for the destruction to lives and property to be immense in events of tropical storms.
She reiterated that her country will always oppose attempts by any State to restrict press freedom, silence debate, abuse journalists or spread misinformation, whether online or offline.
“The World Press Freedom commemoration and this year’s theme ‘A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of Environmental Crisis’ couldn’t be more relevant for Malawi,” the envoy said.
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AEJ president Mathews Malata said the fight for a sustainable future demands that journalists, particularly those covering environmental issues, play their parts in shaping public discourse and driving positive change.
“Ground-breaking investigative stories produced by AEJ members serve as catalysts for change, shedding light on critical issues and holding authorities accountable,” Malata said.
He urged all stakeholders to join hands in confronting the environmental challenges facing Malawi, which is still reeling from impacts of disasters such as tropical storms Freddy and Ana, floods and dryspells.
This year’s World Press Freedom Day, according to Unesco, is dedicated to the importance of journalism and freedom of expression in the context of the current global environmental crisis.
