Media urged to highlight sufferings of flood-hit communities

PESHAWAR: Speakers at a webinar on Monday urged the national media to highlight the sufferings of flood-affected communities of the country through respective channels besides bringing the issue to the limelight during the upcoming International Climate Conference (COP28) in Dubai from November 30 to 12 December 2023.

The webinar on ‘COP28 and the Role of National Media’, was organized by Resilient Future International - a research and training body. Journalists and university students participated in the event.

Aftab Alam Khan, a trainer, said more than 5000 journalists were expected to attend COP28. 

“Many journalists from poor countries may not be able to go there due to financial constraints”, he said.

He stressed the need for media houses and donors to support Pakistani journalists in attending such climate conferences.

Aftab Alam Khan noted that national media could play roles during COP28, reminding the world about the continuous sufferings of flood-affected people, especially women, children, transgenders, elderly and disabled.

The national media should support demands of meaningful Loss and Damage Fund and drastic cuts in greenhouse gases (GHGs) and lastly to keep the nation aware of the proceedings of the climate conference.

The international Conference of Parties (COP-28) on climate change is scheduled in Dubai, but the sufferings of climate injustice are evident in the flood-affected communities in Pakistan, he added.

The trainer said COP28 presents an exceptional opportunity for Pakistani media to amplify the miseries of the climate victims. By playing such a role the media would complement the efforts of Pakistan and other countries in COP28 towards a meaningful agreement on Loss and Damage Fund, he pointed out.

Last year, during COP27, Pakistan’s leadership in G77+China and a vigorous presentation of climate vulnerabilities brought the Loss and Damage Fund to the negotiation table, he recalled.

The trainer added that the media should highlight the issue of the continuous rise in greenhouse gases (GHGs) generated from fossil fuels, which is the primary cause of climate change. The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 2018 report stated that GHG emissions needed to be reduced by 45 percent by 2030.

However, the current plans of top emitting countries would lead to an increase in GHG emissions by 10.6percent, which is insufficient to stop climate change. Those countries should commit to a drastic reduction in GHG emissions in COP28.

Dr Shafqat Munir, Deputy Executive Director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, said journalists should also keep an eye on the preparatory work run up to COP28. The Transitional Committee on Loss and Damage Fund met 5 times this year to deliberate on the nature and structure of the Fund.