The growing influence of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in all spheres of life has led to some youths in Zimbabwe embracing it to fight climate change.
By Tafadzwa Muranganwa
In an interview with 263Chat, a young journalist Blessing Bonga who runs an environmental news website, EnviroZim, confirmed that ICTs were crucial in advancing the fight against climate change.
“Besides advocating for climate change awareness and mitigation on our website, we also use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to amplify the message,” revealed Bonga.
“The advantage of ICTs is that you are able to reach out to a larger audience,” he added.
According to Tinashe Mangosho who leads another youth initiative, Sustainable Climate Action Trust, his organisation is developing an application to monitor climate change.
“As an organization, we are currently working on an app for climate change which will be able to monitor this phenomenon this will help in adaptation and mitigation planning,” revealed Mangosho.
Another young climate change activist, Nkosilathi Nyathi has gained prominence for making videos documenting the impact climate change on the environment.
A report by a local NGO news portal Kubatana says the young advocate received a grant from UNICEF and the G20-backed Global Infrastructure Hub in 2016 to build a biogas digester at his former primary school.
Nyathi also helped in establishing the Zimbabwean chapter of Fridays for Future campaign last year and continues to make videos alongside UNICEF Africa.
Speaking to this publication, EcoEthics Zimbabwe president Tendai Guvamombe rallied young people to use ICTs in advancing the fight against climate change.
“Young people should be the drivers of a sustainable future in every part of the globe hence they are expected to take a leading role in terms of initiating climate change adaptation measures.
“It is crucial then to have them come on board in exploring new areas of innovation in the world of communication technology to bring light in the fight against climate change which has remained a global threat ,”cited Guvamombe.
“ICT is one area that has remained critical in advancing climate action programmes such as climate change mitigation and adaptation which in most instances require technological investments,” added Guvamombe.
Zimbabwe has in the past decade recorded countless climate change induced disasters including Cyclone Idai which left over 500 people dead in Chipinge and Chimanimani districts.
Infrastructure worthy millions of United States dollars was destroyed while thousands of people were left homeless when Cyclone Idai hit the country in 2019.
