20th August 2021, Kathmandu: NEFEJ supported Government of Nepal Ministry of Forests and Environment to organize an orientation program for central level journalists on Roadmap to COP26 to facilitate journalists to report on climate change issues as well as the upcoming 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference which is scheduled to be held in the city of Glasgow, Scotland starting from 1st November till 12th November 2021. UKAID, OPM and PIF also supported Government of Nepal on this. The orientation program, moderated by journalist Subodh Gautam, was organized using the virtual zoom platform where 19 central level journalists had participated. The participating journalists were associated with different national media outlets such as Onlinekhabar, deshsanchar.com, Baahrakhari.com, Setopati, Image Television, Annapurna Post, Kantipur TV, Radio Sagarmatha, Naya Patrika, Nagarik Daily, Karobar Daily, Kantipur Daily, Aankhijhyal, naturekhabar.com, The Rising Nepal and Rajdhani Daily.

Journalist Subodh Gautam facilitated the entire orientation program where the participating journalists firstly shared the issues that they face during the climate change reporting. First of all, HOD of Department of Environment Science and Engineering- KU Dr. Rijan Bhakta Kayastha focused his presentation on climate change and its impacts on water resources and cryosphere of Nepal. He shared that the all Nepal temperature trend from 1971 to 2014 shows that the temperature changes in Nepal to be 0.029 degree Celsius/ year as per DHM, 2018. He stressed that the media persons should focus on reporting on the proper implementation of the rules and regulations formulated for environment and climate change.

Similarly, Climate Change Expert Manjeet Dhakal gave a presentation on dialogue and understanding process on climate change in the international level. He gave an overview of the climate change related institutions and the various protocols and agreement carried out till date. Moreover, he explained about the COP26 dialogue and understanding processes at the conference and Nepal’s commitment for emissions reductions as outlined in the second NDC.

During the orientation, Editor for Shikshyak Monthly Rajendra Dahal said, “Journalists should not just focus their reporting on the opinions of the experts but they should dig out the issues themselves and then form the basis for their reporting.” He stressed that journalists must work towards justifying climate change as our own issue. Adding to this, journalist Sarah Rai from English Department at Kantipur Television suggested the formation of a resource circle of climate change reporters as this would support them to raise the climate change issue strongly through the media.

Rosy Joshi from Oxford Policy Management, which has been supporting Ministry of Forests and Environment for implementation on Roadmap to COP 26, shared about Nepal’s preparation for COP26. She stressed, “Journalists have the power to take complex climate science topic in a simplified way to the general public. This is why we conducted this program.”