Pakistan is at hit list as the 8th most vulnerable country across the globe to the risks and associated with climate change. The issue receives quite a little attention from the national media.
Climate change has a tendency to report as a standalone issue by over looking at agriculture health and security and the chances for ‘green growth’.
A seminar based on building media skills on reporting on climate change finance in Pakistan took place in Lahore. In the seminar, a handbook for journalists and communication professionals was launched. The guidebook launch was under an initiative of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) called Strengthening the Governance of Climate Change Finance. The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) offered editors and journalists the tools and support to mainstream climate change issues and finance reporting of economic into every day, social and other issues in Pakistan.
Chair Project and Programme of CPNE, Dr. Jabbar Khattak said that we cannot deny the significant role of a media in terms of reporting climate change finance, so, it is very important to gather journalists and editors about the issues that can become prominent and how media should report and respond to them. A healthy media can be an educator, early warning system and arrange a dialogue between government and the population to clear the facts about findings and their use.
Mr. Keith Conlon, a journalist, and consultant from the UK said on the occasion that climate change comes on with massively affect on health, agriculture, industry, cost of living and security.
Mr. Glenn Hodes, Climate Policy & Finance Specialist of UNDP shared his views and said that climate change should be recognized as major social and economic risk by world leaders and top businesses. He said that once left behind are paying for not being green. He also added, “Pakistan is progressing and declining poverty rate moving towards development goals lay down by Agenda 2030, but big alarming challenges like climate change threaten to weaken the development progress”.
Asad Abbas Maken, Public Finance Expert of UNDP on the note of planning and budgeting of public finance informed participants of a seminar about cost paid for the grievous impacts of climate change. He counted the effects on finger tips to be lower agriculture yield, hunger, malnourishment, shortage of drinking water, food insecurity, poverty, and human displacement as potential topics. He appreciated the government for starting the different policies that can trail the spending on climate change financing framework. Numerous editors, journalists, and media persons attended the seminar.
Shaheen Qureshi, Senior Vice-President CPNE said that focus on small actions from individuals has a bigger impact on climate protection. He also highlighted the importance of media reporting in the effective but efficient way for creating awareness and sensitization among the commonalities.
Rehmat Ali Ghazi, Vice-President Punjab CPNE, thanked the presence of all the participants and ensured the support of CPNE for national as well as international organizations for a matter of public interest.