The Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association is joining forces with Reporters Without Borders Germany to strengthen the capacity of journalists covering Ghana’s environmental challenges, as the world commemorates World Environment Day 2026 this Friday.
The capacity-building programme is designed to equip selected journalists with technical knowledge for accurate environmental reporting and practical safety skills for high-risk field assignments.
Organisers say the timing is critical as environmental concerns, particularly those tied to mining activities and illegal small-scale mining, or _galamsey_, continue to dominate public discourse and policy debates.
Ghana’s extractive sector remains a major contributor to economic growth and national development. Yet mining operations also generate complex environmental, social and governance challenges that require informed public engagement and responsible media scrutiny. From degraded water bodies and deforestation to community displacement, the impact of these activities is felt most by local populations.
Against this backdrop, journalists investigating environmental degradation have increasingly faced threats. In recent years, media practitioners reporting on illegal mining and natural resource exploitation have reported intimidation, physical assaults, accidents, and harassment. Some have sustained injuries while covering stories in remote mining communities where tensions often run high.
According to organisers, the training will close the gap between public interest and reporter safety. “Journalists play a critical role in shaping public understanding of environmental issues and influencing action to protect natural resources and promote sustainable development,” the Ashanti GJA and RSF Germany stated.
The programme will feature presentations from environmental and security experts. Confirmed facilitators include Dr. Jackson Adiyah Nyantakyi, Ashanti Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency; award-winning environmental journalist Erastus Asare Donkor; Dr. Jones Opoku-Ware, a criminologist at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology; and Kofi Adu Domfeh, Chairman of the Ashanti GJA.
Participants will be taken through core modules on environmental journalism fundamentals, responsible reporting on mining activities, risk assessment techniques, conflict-sensitive reporting, and personal safety protocols for volatile operational areas. The sessions are expected to blend technical reporting skills with field safety strategies.
Speaking ahead of the programme, Ashanti GJA Chairman Kofi Adu Domfeh underscored the dual responsibility of journalists to inform the public and protect themselves.
“World Environment Day reminds us that protecting the environment is a shared responsibility. Journalists are indispensable partners in this effort because they help communities understand the consequences of environmental destruction and the urgency of sustainable action,” he said.
“To perform this role effectively, they must be equipped with the knowledge, skills and safety awareness needed to report with accuracy, courage and responsibility.”
Mr. Domfeh added that quality environmental journalism remains essential for promoting accountability, supporting evidence-based decision-making, and amplifying the voices of communities most affected by environmental degradation.
The Ashanti GJA–RSF Germany initiative is expected to foster stronger collaboration between journalists, regulatory institutions like the EPA, and stakeholders in the mining sector. Organisers believe ethical, professional and fact-based reporting will lead to a more informed public discourse on environmental governance.
They are optimistic the programme will contribute to national efforts toward a cleaner, safer and more sustainable future for Ghana.
World Environment Day 2026 is being observed globally under the theme: “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future.” For Ashanti journalists, the training represents a practical step toward ensuring that those who tell the story can do so safely and credibly.
