Moving beyond disaster reporting

Delivering remarks on behalf of UNDP Malawi Resident Representative, the UNDP Chief Technical Advisor on the Rule of Law and Human Rights, Dr Rowland Cole, called for journalism that looks beyond the immediate impact of climate-related disasters.

“Floods and droughts will always make the news headlines. But we need reporting that also asks what is driving degradation, who is responsible, what the evidence shows, and what is working, so that the coverage informs solutions and not only sympathy.”

The message encouraged journalists to examine the causes of environmental degradation, identify responsibility, rely on verified evidence and report on responses that are delivering results.

Dr Cole further underscored that environmental justice recognises that a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment is closely connected to the enjoyment of fundamental human rights, including the rights to life, health, food, water and an adequate standard of living. He also called for meaningful public participation, equitable access to environmental information, and accountability and effective remedies for people affected by environmental harm.

Such reporting can move coverage from documenting hardship alone to informing public debate, supporting accountability and showing communities what solutions are possible.

Media as an accountability actor

Reinforcing this message, MHRC Executive Secretary Ms Habiba Osman underscored the media’s role in bringing environmental and climate justice issues to national attention.

“Journalists are more than reporters of events. They are trusted communicators, agenda setters, and accountability actors. Through your reporting, climate and environmental issues can move from isolated incidents to national priorities. You help ensure that communities are heard, facts are understood, and solutions are demanded.”

The engagement also drew on evidence from the Malawi Human Rights Commission’s environmental and climate justice work. With support from UNDP, Malawi has developed a systematic, rights-based tool for monitoring the human rights impacts of climate change.

The tool has been applied in investigations across 16 climate-affected districts, documenting how floods and droughts interfere with rights including housing, food, water, health and education.

UNDP has also supported work examining pollution linked to mining and industrial activity, environmental justice capacity-building for members of the judiciary, and accountability initiatives that help communities understand their environmental rights and available remedies.

Participants discussed the need for journalists to have better access to experts, verified data and storytelling resources. They also considered how sustained engagement between the media, oversight institutions and development partners could improve the quality, depth and frequency of environmental reporting.