By Abbas Nazil
The French media development agency (CFI) has unveiled a collection of climate and environmental media works produced by journalists from Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq, highlighting the outcomes of its climate-reporting programme funded by the French Development Agency.
The exhibition, held at CFI’s Amman office, brought together senior representatives including global director Emanuela Tolan, AFD regional director Yves Gescoro, QARIB programme director Henrik Ahrens, Arab media outlets, donors and members of the QARIB team.
Ahrens said the exhibition demonstrates the impact of CFI’s climate initiative, which aims to raise environmental awareness and strengthen independent media across the four Arab countries.
He explained that the programme, named “QARIB,” was designed to connect journalists across borders, enabling them to share stories that resonate with local communities and amplify the voices of marginalised groups often left out of climate discussions.
Ahrens noted that QARIB participants have been supported to attend multiple UN climate summits, producing reports that cover global negotiations and key environmental challenges affecting the region.
The multi-year project has equipped independent media outlets, including Palestine News Network, with skills in climate journalism and given journalists exposure to international conferences where they produced specialised in-depth content.
Environmental journalist and trainer Suzanne Baaklini said the programme prepared journalists to report on climate finance debates, responsibilities of major industrial countries and environmental mitigation efforts, enabling them to deliver high-quality climate coverage at home and abroad.
Journalists at the event expressed gratitude for the opportunities, saying the project expanded their professional capabilities.
PNN editor-in-chief, Monjed Jadou, said participation in the programme strengthened regional climate reporting and helped establish the Arab Journalists for Climate platform, a volunteer initiative created during the Azerbaijan climate summit.
Lebanese journalist and filmmaker Karam Mandar said QARIB enabled him to document climate challenges in Lebanon through short films, while Jordanian outlet Aramram News credited the programme for improving its coverage of climate and water issues.
Roya Palestine director, Mounia Dweik, highlighted expanded reporting on war-related environmental impacts such as land degradation and soil contamination, stressing the importance of addressing these emerging threats.
Photographs displayed at the exhibition showcased stories produced through the programme, underscoring the urgency of boosting environmental protection efforts and raising climate awareness in a region highly vulnerable to climate change.
