SharaKa—Inclusive Climate Action in the MENA Region

EJN is collaborating with Internews’ Middle East and North Africa (MENA) team on a new two-year media project, SharaKa—for Inclusive Climate Action, led by Hivos, in partnership with the Arab Reform Initiative and Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism.

SharaKa, which in Arabic means “partnership”, aims to increase the ability of journalists, civil society organizations and citizens to safely and meaningfully engage in climate issues in the region) with a focus on Tunisia, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinian diaspora (based in Lebanon and Jordan)

The MENA region—home to more than 490 million people—is highly vulnerable to climate change, with temperatures warming at nearly twice the global average; the region cited as “the most water-stressed on Earth by far.” Rainfall is decreasing while rising sea levels erode coasts and cause saltwater to intrude on freshwater sources. Extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and dust storms, which are expected to increase in frequency and intensity, also contribute to desertification, loss of livelihood and food insecurity. This amplifies long-standing problems of governance and human rights issues in the region. It also reinforces inequalities and impacts the most vulnerable such as women and youth.

In the face of numerous challenges, including disinformation, politicized media and conflicting economic interests, SharaKa aims to build a network of learning and exchange between climate civil society organizations, natural resource defenders and media practitioners to produce reliable information and make climate issues more widely accessible to the public.

This project  will see the launch of:

• A regional climate platform to facilitate collaboration between civil society organizations and natural resource defenders from Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia and Palestine, in order to yield key recommendations on the climate crisis, identify legal gaps and issues, and opportunities for action.
• Roundtable discussions and multi-stakeholder dialogues led by civil society,  to bring international donors, policymakers and the private sector together on country-specific and regional climate issues.
• Core funding to three civil society organizations and three independent media outlets to support improvements to their digital and operational infrastructure and strengthen institutional capacities.
• Digital safety and literacy trainings to help civil society organizations, media outlets and others protect themselves against digital attacks.
• An Arabic-language climate journalism reference guide, video tutorials and webinars to enhance the capacity of journalists and media outlets to provide credible and engaging information on climate issues.
• Reporting fellowships for journalists to produce in-depth, investigative stories.
• An EJN MENA chapter for journalists in the region to exchange ideas, knowledge and opportunities related to climate justice reporting.

SharaKa will take an inclusive, climate justice approach, rooted in a shared understanding that participation of those most affected by climate change, including women and youth, will lead to better outcomes for all. 

Banner image: Farmers use stones to build 'jessours' for water harvesting in Tunisia. The stone structure collects water from the scarce rainfall to irrigate olive orchards / Credit: CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems via Flickr.