The Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), in partnership with Reporters Without Borders Germany (RSF Germany), will mark World Environment Day 2026 with a training programme aimed at equipping journalists with skills for safe and responsible environmental reporting.
The initiative seeks to strengthen the capacity of selected journalists to report accurately on environmental issues while ensuring their personal safety, particularly when covering high-risk areas such as illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey.
The programme will feature presentations from environmental and safety experts, including Ashanti Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Jackson Adiyah Nyantakyi, environmental journalist Erastus Asare Donkor, criminologist Dr. Jones Opoku-Ware of KNUST, and Ashanti GJA Chairman Kofi Adu Domfeh.
Participants will receive training in environmental journalism, responsible reporting on mining activities, risk assessment, conflict-sensitive reporting, and safety measures for operating in volatile environments.
Organisers say the training comes at a critical time as environmental concerns linked to mining and environmental degradation continue to dominate national discussions. They believe journalists play a key role in shaping public understanding and promoting sustainable development through accurate and ethical reporting.
Speaking ahead of the programme, Ashanti GJA Chairman Kofi Adu Domfeh stressed the importance of equipping journalists with the knowledge, skills, and safety awareness needed to tell impactful environmental stories while protecting themselves in the line of duty.
According to organisers, journalists investigating illegal mining and environmental degradation have increasingly faced threats, intimidation, physical attacks, and accidents, underscoring the need for enhanced safety training.
The organisers expect the initiative to strengthen collaboration among journalists, regulators, and mining stakeholders while promoting professional, fact-based reporting on environmental issues.
The 2026 World Environment Day is being observed under the theme: “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future.”
By Beatrice Spio-Garbrah
