Booklets on climate change launched in three languages

by Dr Ilse Trautmann, ilset@elsenburg.com

DDie Kwik Styg , a weekly Afrikaans radio programme on climate change and its consequences for humans, animals, the environment and the agricultural industry was launched in 2018. It ended in April 2020 after 104 programmes (see previous articles in Agriprobe ). The series, the first of its kind on climate change on radio, was broadcast on Radio Sonder Grense ( RSG ) and discussed a range of interesting topics with a variety of experts. The radio programme was one of the communication tools of the SmartAgri plan, which was completed by the department in 2016. In 2020, Die Kwik Styg was awarded the 2020 Eco-logic Award in the category “Climate Change”, after the SmartAgri plan received the same award in 2019.

Dr Ilse Trautmann, chief director of Research and Technology Development Services, was the coordinator of the radio series. It originated from the Western Cape

Department of Agriculture (WCDoA)'s SmartAgri plan and sought to raise awareness of the “new” climatic environment. The series was produced and funded by the department. In the series, presenter Lizma van Zyl spoke to people from across the spectrum and sought expert advice on appropriate measures to make South Africa, and specifically the agricultural sector, more climate-resilient. The series also placed great emphasis on the responsibility of every citizen. As Lizma remarked in her weekly greeting: “The earth is precious; let's preserve it”.

RSG has also announced recently that it will rebroadcast the series from April 2021 due to its popularity and important content.

Fourteen of the programmes were transcribed and translated into the three official languages of the Western Cape, namely Afrikaans, English and Xhosa, and were published in e-booklet format.

The booklets were recently launched at a stakeholder event hosted by Minister Ivan Meyer, minister of agriculture in the Western Cape. He highlighted climate change as one of his ministerial priorities. “Addressing the impact of climate change is one of my ministerial priorities. The publication of the e-booklets provides another platform to advance a climate-resilient future for the sector”, said Minister Meyer. “We have to increase agricultural production in a sustainable and climate-smart manner”, he concluded.

Dr Ilse Trautmann, a passionate campaigner for advancing a climate-resilient Western Cape, agrees. She commented: “We must take the lead in ensuring that the agricultural sector becomes a low-carbon, climate changeresilient sector by advocating climate-smart production practices”.

The WCDoA’s recently appointed climate change and risk assessment scientist, Professor Stephanie Midgley, will drive the SmartAgri implementation and its management improvement plan. She sees the publication of the e-booklets as a step forward in advancing climate resilience. “The publication of the e-booklets marks another important step in supporting farmers and the sector with accessible science-based local information on how climate change is unfolding, and practical solutions at the farm and household level. I am excited by this opportunity to take the radio programmes to a larger audience.”

Broadcasts of the radio programmes are available on elsenburg.com – click on “Drought portal” and then “Drought media”. The booklets can be downloaded on the same website when clicking on “Resource library and e-book publications”. Embedded radio technology allows the reader to listen to the original radio programme while reading the Afrikaans e-booklet. AP