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Heartbeat of the Planet: Reporting on how climate change affects our health

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  1. Objectives and Structure 📋
  2. Lesson 1: Climate Change 🌍
    3 Topics
    |
    3 Quizzes
  3. Lesson 2: Direct health impacts 🌪️
    3 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  4. Lesson 3: Indirect health impacts 🌾
    1 Topic
    |
    1 Quiz
  5. Lesson 4: Solutions Journalism 📰
    2 Topics
  6. Lesson 5: Sources and Resources 📚
    3 Topics

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African Solutions

In Africa, climate change isn’t just a problem—it’s a chance for innovation and teamwork. We’re seeing more renewable energy projects, like solar power, and efforts to protect our natural resources. Communities are coming together to find solutions and make homes more resilient. There are stories like those from an initiative in Kenya that is helping farmers finely tune their cropping decisions to seasonal weather variations. According to this Devex story, adaptation solutions for African agriculture from seed breeding to cutting livestock emission already exist, but more funding is needed.

This report from the Daily Maverick describes how a river clean-up plan and flood protection project in the wake of the devastating 2022 floods in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, could be a blueprint for African cities to cope with climate floods.

This is an inspiring initiative by a photographer who actively profiles problems solvers, community activists, climate campaigners and human right activists. Read their stories here.

Umlibo Credit: © WWF / Pippa Hetherington

Climate change as art

Culture, broadly defined, shapes people’s thoughts and inspires them to action. In recent years, more artists, sports figures, and entertainers are bringing attention to climate change through music, movies, TV, literature, and the visual arts. Covering cultural expression helps the climate story reach new audiences.

The 5m by 2m hand-embroidered artwork (above) created by 43 mostly female artists from the village of Hamburg in South Africa is a magnificent example of how the coastal community came together to tell the story of how climate change impacts their lives.

They named the work of art Umlibo in reference to the pumpkin vine – a symbol of the need to unite and spread the word about the climate crisis.

Commissioned by WWF SA it was displayed at the South African pavilion at the international climate meeting, COP28, in Dubai in 2023.

President Cyril Ramaphosa who was there praised the artwork saying: “It contains everything a head of state needs to say about the climate change issue”. He added, “It is the most amazing piece of work and to know that it was done in the deep rural areas of our country makes me very proud.”

Look for uplifting stories like Umlibo. People like to hear about people like themselves in the media. When a community finds ways of giving creative expression to their daily challenges, others are inspired to find solutions too.

Journalists should report on the impact of climate change on health for several crucial reasons:

  1. Public Awareness: Reporting on the impacts of climate change on health helps raise public awareness about the severity and urgency of the issue. Many people may not fully understand how climate change affects their health directly, so journalism plays a vital role in informing them.
  2. Human Stories: Journalists have the power to tell compelling human stories that illustrate the real-life impacts of climate change on health. These stories can personalize the issue and make it more relatable to readers or viewers, fostering empathy and understanding.
  3. Policy Implications: Reporting on the health impacts of climate change can highlight the need for policy changes at local, national, and global levels. This coverage can put pressure on policymakers to take action to mitigate climate change and protect public health.
  4. Scientific Understanding: Journalists can communicate the latest scientific research on the connections between climate change and health, helping to bridge the gap between the scientific community and the public. This reporting can clarify complex concepts and dispel misinformation or scepticism surrounding climate change and its impacts.

⚠️ For a list of viable climate solutions, refer to Project Drawdown’s Solutions Library. Note the best climate solutions often fix other problems at the same time, especially when it comes to justice and inequality.

Finally, solutions journalism is like a ray of hope in the gloomy world of climate change. It shows us that there’s a way forward, that we can make things better. By focusing on new ideas, teamwork, and making a difference, it’s our secret weapon in the fight for a healthier planet.

 Saving our planet is now a communications challenge.We know what to do, we just need the will.
— Sir David Attenborough, broadcaster, natural historian, and author

More resources: 

These websites offer more information on solutions journalism. They are worth a visit to peak your interest and inspire story angles: