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Journalists from all parts of the country and from a cross section of the media will be explained the science of climate change, its impact, and examples from all over the world about the ways this is being communicated

The workshop is being conducted by renowned human ecologist Dr. Gary Haq of the Stockholm Environment Institute, Benjamin Chesterton, a seasoned journalist who has worked with the BBC and has trained journalists and producers in Africa, and Jonaid Gillani from the OXFAM team Oxford.

Mahmood Akhtar Cheema of the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥ Pakistan welcomed the participants and emphasised the role of the media in awareness raising and bringing an attitudinal change.

Ms. Neva Khan of Oxfam GB, in her address, said that her organization was very concerned about the impending impacts of climate change and wanted to assist in the building the capacity of the national media to communicate the message of imperatives of mitigation and adaptation responses to Climate Change.

Day one was dedicated to the explanation of the science of climate change. Dr. Parvaiz Naim, Country Advisor KFW, a German Development Bank in his presentation explained the perils of climate change as documented by scientists and the alternatives put forward by those who deny of climate change.

He presented evidences put forward by both groups so that the audience could analyse and compare both points of views.

In his presentation, Dr. Pervaiz Amir of ASIANICS detailed out the cuurents and possible future impacts of climate change in Pakistan. He presented recent examples of climatic abbreations and changes in crop and disease patters observed over the last 10 to 15 years and warned that lack of adaptation will lead to greater problems that will immediately impact the marginalized, especially the women, children and the elderly.

Ambassador Safdar Kakakhel of Sustainable Development Policy Institute apprised the journalists of the international treaties and commitments regarding climate change.He gave a background of the Kyoto Protocol and the opposition to it by leading industrialized countries.

He also explained the fuctioning of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, made up of a large body of environmental and allied activists. His talk led up to the Bali Convention, that served as a precursor to Copenhagen towards which all eyes are focused for a consensus on a strategy to deal with Climate Change.

Abdul Qadir Rafiq, Senior Programme Officer of the UNDP gave the perspective of the donor agency about the need to deal with the subject of climate change, and briefed the audience about the role of his agency in providing support for studies and projects related to the issue.

Day one ended with a panel discussion wherein the journalists clarified matters of science, policy, governance and actual examples of climate change impact.

Day two agenda focuses on presentation of case studies and examples of how climate change has been communicated the world over.


Notes to editors
For more information please contact:
Afia Salam, Coordinator Communications and Outreach, Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥-Pakistan.
0300 9223019
[email protected]

About Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges by supporting scientific research; managing field projects all over the world; and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN, international conventions and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.

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