KATHMANDU – Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, has said media could interfere significantly in information and education sectors to minimise potential crisis from climate change and augment to disaster resilience.
In her address to an interaction entitled “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of Environmental Crisis” organised by the Sancharika Samuha Nepal here today, the Minister urged media to increase is role from the dissemination of pre disaster warnings to the risk assessment.
Media role is vital in sharing about the knowledge of risk, its monitoring and data analysis, information flow about the risk and making citizens aware of all these, according to the government Spokesperson.
As she said, globalization of disasters taking place in the Hindu Kush region should be the major agenda of media, she said. “Climate change has appeared as a significant global challenge and the mountain region has been the affected most. Nepal is highly vulnerable to climate change consequences.”
She also urged media to be aware of gender gaps increased by the climate change crisis and give a due coverage to such issues. The Minister further said the government has pursued a policy of addressing the concerns of that community in discrimination.
Taking reference of increasing phenomenon of torrent and drought, the consequences of climate change, the Minister expressed concerns over the loss of life and property in such incidents. Sancharika Samuha President Bimala Tumkhewa said study shows women suffer the most worldwide from the consequences of climate change. She stressed that the earth should be saved for our future generation.
Chairperson of Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), Bipul Pokhrel, said environment impact issues should get media coverage with much priority. “We are responsible for escalating t he incidences of natural disasters as we are not practicing environment-friendly lifestyle.”
International Alert National Director Rabina Shrestha said media role is vial in building an atmosphere for the mitigation of environmental impact.
She underlined the need of combined efforts to mitigate risk of climate change consequences in Nepal. This year, the World Press Freedom Day (May 3) was observed with the theme of ” A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis.”
