Journalists sensitized on climate and environmental reporting
MEDIA ACTION NEPAL/ March 21: A group of working journalists participated in a national-level media workshop in Kathmandu on March 20, aimed at raising awareness on various aspects of climate and environmental journalism. The workshop was organized by Media Action Nepal and the consortium partners.
The workshop organized as part of the Nepal National Glaciers, Water, and Weather Week (NNGWWW), with a theme ‘Connecting Science and Society: Communicating Cryosphere, Water Resources, and Climate Impacts’ fostered dialogue between the scientific community and the media.
The consortium partners including Media Action Nepal, UNESCO, ICIMOD, WaterAid, The Small Earth Nepal, KIRDARC, and Kathmandu University (KU) jointly shared their expertise with journalists, highlighting the crucial role of media in combating climate mis/disinformation and raising awareness about the glaciers and their impact on the climate system.
The one-day workshop brought together experts from various organizations and journalists from diverse media houses. Given the media’s pivotal role in bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and public discourse, the discussion revolved around the importance of involving journalists in scientific discussions. This would help facilitate the dissemination of complex scientific knowledge on climate change, glacier dynamics, environmental concerns, and water conservation to the general public in an accessible manner.
The workshop featured renowned experts, including glaciologist Dr. Rijan Bhakta Kayastha, Professor of Glaciology at KU; Laxman Datt Pant, Media Expert and the Executive Director at Media Action Nepal; Dr. Mohan P. Chand, Assistant Professor at KU; and Sharad P. Joshi from ICIMOD, Preeti Mittal from WaterAid and Dr. Dhiraj Pradhananga from the Small Earth Nepal (SEN), the Secretariat of NNGWWW also contributed to the discussion.
The workshop covered a wide range of important topics, including understanding the cryosphere, cryospheric science terminology, the effects of climate change on glaciers, and cryosphere-related activities in Nepal and the Hindu Kush Himalaya region.
Laxman Datt Pant, the executive director of Media Action Nepal and a faculty member at Tbilisi State University, Georgia, discussed climate journalism and the challenges posed by fake news, misinformation, and disinformation in climate change reporting.
During the workshop, Sijal Pokharel from UNESCO, emphasized the media’s role in building resilience in vulnerable communities through evidence-based reporting.
Priyanka Jha, Chairperson of Media Action Nepal facilitated a knowledge-sharing session followed by group discussions on journalists’ role in combating climate change, climate misinformation, the newsroom challenges and approaches to partnerships.
Dr. Dhiraj Pradhananga of Small Earth Nepal (SEN) emphasized the importance of journalists and media in communicating science to a wider audience, as well as the role of media in bridging the gap between the scientific community and society. Similarly, Preeti Mittal of WaterAid stressed the importance of water conservation and the role of media in effectively communicating it.
Participants expressed concern about Nepal’s lack of data on glaciers, water resources, and the effects of climate change. Furthermore, they stated that complex scientific terminologies make climate change reporting difficult for journalists, particularly when translating scientific findings into simple, understandable language for the general public.
The workshop was organized as part of the Nepal National Glaciers, Water, and Weather Week (NNGWWW)—an annual national-level event uniting stakeholders in Nepal’s water sector. The event commemorates World Day of Glaciers on March 21, World Water Day on March 22, and World Meteorological Day on March 23.
This year marks the first-ever celebration of the World Day for Glaciers, emphasizing the need for urgent action to protect the world’s glaciers amid escalating climate change threats.
