16 journalists and editors from 10 countries visit the Nile Basin Initiative headquarters in Entebbe, Uganda. Here, they are photographed with the Executive Director, Eng. Sylvester Anthony Matemu.

Reporters from 10 Nile Basin Countries Visit East African Freshwater Biodiversity Sites

Posted on Aug 11, 2022

Reporters from 10 Nile Basin countries met in Uganda this past July for a week-long workshop organized by the InfoNile run by JRS funded Water Journalists Africa (WJA). The objective of the workshop, Reporting on Rivers and Biodiversity in the Nile Basin, was to build their capacity to tell freshwater biodiversity stories using science and data along the River Nile Basin across different countries and media platforms.

Workshop attendees on a field visit to the Mabamba Swamp, a Ramsar site wetland near Lake Victoria, Uganda, to see the endangered shoebill stork.

The workshop entailed classroom sessions as well as field visits to different biodiverse locations such as Mabamba Swamp, Kalange and Busowoko Falls along the Nile River. Scientists and biodiversity experts guided discussions with the journalists, and shared interpreted data that will inform insightful reporting on rivers and freshwater ecosystems and the critical species found in Nile Basin habitats.

Workshop attendees pose on a rocky overlook at Busowoko Falls of the Nile River, Jinja, Uganda

Workshop attendees successfully pitched freshwater biodiversity story ideas to one another, receiving feedback and suggestions that will result in improved multimedia coverage and reporting on transboundary biodiversity issues.

Resources from the workshop can be found on NileWell, InfoNile’s new platform to connect journalists and environmental researchers in the Nile Basin.