Zimbabwe-based creative civic organisation Magamba Network launched UKWELI, an African-led guide aimed at countering climate disinformation, which it described as a growing threat to climate action on the continent.
The digital resource was unveiled during a virtual webinar that brought together climate activists, researchers, fact-checkers, journalists and policy advocates from across Africa.
Magamba Network said the guide responds to concerns highlighted in a recent report by the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE), which warned that the spread of deliberate false information about climate change is worsening the crisis by distorting public debate and delaying action.
“As the latest International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) report warns, a torrent of deliberate lies about climate change is accelerating the crisis, “turning it into a catastrophe.” These falsehoods, pushed by fossil fuel interests, Big Tech, political actors, and foreign lobbyists, are designed to stall climate action, distort public debate, and undermine the rights and resilience of African communities,” reads part of the statement.
The organisation also pointed to growing international attention on the issue, including the Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change signed by more than 15 countries at COP30, which commits governments to protecting public discourse from falsehoods that undermine science and weaken community resilience.
“During the recently held COP30, Information Integrity finally took centre stage as governments acknowledged that the fight against climate disinformation is now inseparable from the fight for climate justice. This was reflected in the landmark Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change, signed by over fifteen countries, committing to protect the public sphere from lies that distort science, delay action, and weaken community resilience.”
Magamba’s own Log Off the Lies campaign, launched in October, 2025 has already exposed how coordinated networks of climate falsehoods spread across the continent, making UKWELI a critical next step in defending truth and protecting our climate future.
UKWELI is intended to serve as a practical digital toolbox for journalists, community leaders, youth creators, policymakers and frontline communicators. The guide is designed to help users detect and expose climate disinformation, debunk viral falsehoods and develop narratives grounded in African realities.
The guide draws on Indigenous knowledge systems and lived African experiences, and was developed with input from climate researchers, technologists, storytellers and grassroots organisations.
Magamba Network Creative Director Samm Farai Monro notes that Africa’s information space is being polluted by the same forces harming the environment, and that UKWELI equips people with tools to fight climate disinformation and tell powerful stories that inspire Africa’s transition to clean, people-powered energy.
“Our African information ecosystem is being polluted by the same people polluting our air, our lands and our rivers.”
“UKWELI gives us the tools to fight back against these disinformation strategies, not just how to spot the lies, but how we can tell better, more compelling stories to inspire climate action on the African continent so that we leapfrog to a people-powered, clean energy future,” he said.
Information integrity expert Harriet Kingaby stressed that informed public debate is essential to addressing climate change and described the toolkit as a way for users to strengthen their capacity to counter falsehoods.
“We will only solve climate change if we can have an informed public conversation about the solutions. But right now, vested interests are polluting our information environments to confuse people and obscure the truth. This toolkit is a powerful way for people to skill up and fight back, featuring the best insight from across the international community of information integrity work, masterfully tailored by Magamba Network,” she added.
Climate and science journalist Mactilda Mbenywe explains that climate disinformation in Africa is organized and designed to delay action.
“Our research shows that climate disinformation in Africa is not just noise, it is a weapon. It is organised, financed, and designed to delay climate action in the communities that need it most. For years, disinformation exploited Africa’s weak points,” she said.
Mbenywe however said UKWELI empowers journalists, educators, and communities to detect falsehoods, defend the truth, and amplify African voices, turning vulnerabilities into strengths.
“This toolkit turns those weak points into strengths by giving journalists, educators, and communities practical tools to detect lies, defend truth, and protect their futures. Africa is both a target of climate disinformation and a solution. When African voices, Indigenous knowledge, and frontline realities lead the narrative, falsehoods lose their power,” she added.
UKWELI is part of Magamba Network’s Climate and Indigenous Voices programme and falls under the wider project, Amplifying Indigenous Activists’ Voices: Countering Climate Disinformation. The project is supported through the Digital Democracy Initiative, funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with co-funding from the European Commission and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
UKWELI is publicly available for use by media organisations, civil society groups, youth movements and community leaders across Africa.
Find UKWELI here.
