Radio Sagarmatha is producing and broadcasting content related to cold wave

  • Published Date : February 3, 2021

Radio Sagarmatha 102.4 MHz, the first community radio in South Asia operating under Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ), has been producing awareness raising media contents for disaster preparedness and cold waves in the Terai with the financial support from European Union and in collaboration with Oxfam in Nepal, Rural Development Center Nepal (Gramin Vikas Kendra Nepal) and Koshi Victims Group (Koshi Pidit Samaj).

As a part of this collaboration, the radio has produced three PSA’s related to cold waves and it is being broadcast from Rautahat FM in Rautahat and C FM in Rajbiraj of Saptari district. In addition to this, it has also produced two radio programs based on cold waves and broadcasting them through the FM stations in Rautahat and Rajbiraj.

Similarly, the Audio Visual Department of NEFEJ is also producing a video PSA based on the water-induced disasters that occur every year in the Terai region. The video PSA have been planned to be broadcast from national and local television stations.

For climate change policies and practices in Province 2, an agreement has been signed for the capacity development of various community groups who are also the major development partners. This program is being implemented in Rautahat and Saptari of Province 2. The program is being conducted in Chandrapur and Vriddhaban municipalities of Rautahat and Tirhut rural municipality and Kanchanrup municipality of Saptari.

The above mentioned districts and the local levels under them have been affected by the water-induced disasters as a result of the climate change every year. Additionally, the locals have to suffer from the cold waves as well. This initiative is, therefore, conducting public awareness program with the objective of protecting the local people from such disasters.

The locals of the Terai region have been facing disasters for years. These frequent disasters have affected their lives and caused huge human and property loss each year. This is why media outreach materials were produced so as to save the lives of the local people affected by such disasters.

Almost all the districts of the Terai region are affected by the various disasters created by climate change and their associated impacts every year. This has endangered the lives of the local people. Among all the affected people, the elderly, children, and the chronically ill people are the most vulnerable. Even more so, the marginalized communities like Dalit, Muslim and poor communities are at higher risk.