The Journalism Students Network of Zimbabwe (JSNZ), in partnership with Orbit International, organized a photo exhibition on Friday to raise awareness about the impact of climate change in Zimbabwe.
The event was organized in alignment with this year’s World Press Freedom Day theme “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of Environmental Crisis.”
The guest speaker at the event was Joanna Mamombe, the Member of Parliament for Harare West. Also in attendance was Mr. Adler Aristilde, the Canadian Ambassador to Zimbabwe.
During the event, Mamombe emphasized the significance of press freedom in exposing environmental crimes.
“As policymakers, we must create an environment that supports a free and independent press because journalists put their lives on the line every day to report environmental crimes,” said Mamombe.
The exhibited photographs highlighted pressing climate and environmental issues in Zimbabwe, including human-wildlife conflict, siltation in the Save River, pollution, and drought.
Emma Zihonye, a photojournalist at the event, discussed the local authority’s failure to provide clean and safe water for residents in many suburbs of Harare. Her photographs illustrated a severe water crisis, depicting residents having to fetch water from grave sites.
“These photographs are proof of how the government has failed the residents. Some have opted to dig wells, but they still can’t get water because of the dry spell. Others are now getting water in grave sites, which are now heavily polluted as well. This is a crisis that needs to be addressed,” said Zihonye.
The climate and environmental crises in Zimbabwe require urgent action as some communities are already relying on their final harvests due to the El Nino-induced drought.
“The urgency of climate change requires our collective attention and action. This exhibition provides a powerful platform for visual storytelling, shining a spotlight on this critical issue,” stated Tafadzwa Tseisi, JSNZ Director.
This photo exhibition is one of several initiatives aimed at addressing the climate crisis in Zimbabwe.
