Call for common platform for environment reporting

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

Guwahati, Oct 10: The Assam State Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC), an autonomous body of the State Science Technology & Environment department, on Tuesday stressed the need of forming a common platform for impactful environment reporting in Assam.

Speaking at a media consultation on ‘Environment and Climate Change Reporting’, Dr. Arup Kumar Mishra, Director of ASTEC, said no doubt political, sports, page-3 reporting are something which new generation demands but for the cause of social commitment one should also report and write stories about environmental degradation.

The consultation was organized by Centre for Environment, Social and Policy Research (CESPR) in collaboration with ASTEC at NEDFi House in Guwahati.

“This is something which is always in our mind that we need to improve the environmental reporting in our area and for that to happen a common platform for environment reporting is the need of the hour. The strength of environmental reporting has been felt for a long time in this country because of various factors. The power of media we saw during when Medha Pathekar started rmada Bachao Andolan movement. This was only due to the media Medha Patekar maged to catapult it from premature stage to advanced level”.

Abhay Kumar Johari, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), said, as, a result of climate change 99% of life which was ever existed in this earth has already been extinct and what is now left is hardly 1%.

He further pointed out that climate can be changed due to various factors such as rise in temperature, receding glaciers, erratic rainfall, extremes of temperature, faster rate of species disappearance etc, “Earlier species disappeared in slower rate, whereas  in the current face species are getting disappeared in such a rate which unpreventable. This disappearance of species is anthropogenic which is because of the factors caused by human beings.”

 Rizwan Uz Zaman, team leader, Assam, of the Climate Proofing Growth and Development, while addressing the gathering said, “Climate change is not only threat, instead it is also an opportunity.”

He further added impacts of climate change are more pronounced at the grass root level.

“The low income groups are more vulnerable as their livelihood is directly affected by climate change. Poverty and lack of exposure and awareness have increased their vulnerability,” he said.

Speaking at the consultation on how to write a good environment story senior jourlist Rahul Karmakar pointed out, “The story should have good beginning and good ending, catching intro always attracts readers.” 

He further asked reporters and media students to make the sentence short and crisp and avoid jargons as much as possible.

Senior jourlist Bhupen Bhattachayya said, “A jourlist should write stories in a way that it would be understood by a less educated person.”

Top Headlines

No stories found.
Sentinel Assam
www.sentinelassam.com