A call for more energetic adaptation

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development: Twenty-four media representatives from the South Asian countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka called for better understanding on the science behind climate change and increased attention on adaptation to climate change. The journalists had an opportunity to network and enhance their knowledge of regional climate change issues at the three-day South Asia Media Workshop on Adaptation to Climate Change, held in Dhulikhel and Kathmandu from 18 to 20 May.

The workshop, organised by the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia (AKP), the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN), and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), was designed to facilitate awareness raising on the increasing impacts of climate change, related vulnerabilities, and strategies for adaptation by mountain and downstream populations through strengthening food, water, energy, environmental, and biodiversity security. The workshop also served to bring into focus the upcoming issues and agenda for UNFCCC and RIO+20 conferences and others.

At the opening of the workshop, Dr Young-Woo Park, Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, stressed, "The basis of the three-day media workshop is harnessing the power of media and their influence on public opinion in this region for raising awareness on climate change and the need to adapt to it.”

…Ms Roopa Rakshit of the Adaption Knowledge Platform, one of the organising partners, noted that the workshop would serve as a stepping stone towards a sustainable network of ‘climate change adaptation aware’ media persons from South Asia advocating for climate change adaptation and the mountain agenda. She also emphasised better linkages and coordination between the media community and adaptation practitioners. She suggested and urged fostering an e-community of practice for the media with a focus on climate change adaptation, using one of the many existing social media tools.

Mr Joydeep Gupta of the Third Pole Project, the facilitator of the workshop, said, “There has not been enough focus on the effects of climate change on water supply and agriculture, though this is what affects most people. By providing scientific information and credible evidence to journalists, this workshop is equipping them to produce more effective reports in this critical area.”...

A farm in the Kathmandu valley, shot by Till Niermann, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license