The meeting of the Central Asian competition for the best media coverage of climate change issues, organized by Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program for Aral Sea Basin (CAMP4ASB) project, was followed by a joint session where the participants have discussed information exchange opportunities in the region.
The members of the jury represented a wide spectrum of mass media outlets, ranging from ЛИВЕНЬ.Living Asia online magazine, highlighting environmental issues for broader public, to specialized international organizations, such as CAN and UNESCO. This created a unique opportunity to look at information platforms both aiming at ordinary people and representatives of expert and academic community.
The participants talked about activities implemented by their organizations, explained how their work is structured, specifically looking at content and news development in their media companies and organizations.
The audience has discussed general tactics, methods and trends currently used in climate change and ecological journalism. The importance of Internet platforms and social networks for information and awareness raising campaigns on climate change as well as the existing gaps and problems were highlighted. The participants were actively engaged in the discussion of possible solutions. Tatiana Shauro, EECCA Communication Manager, CAN International, shared her views on the present day situation in the communication space of climate change in the region of Central Asia. Tatiana particularly stressed that the region already has adequate database resources at its disposal, but accessibility of data remains to be improved. In her opinion, very interesting materials are often presented on web sites that barely known by broader audience, impeding wider distribution of valuable data and ideas.
Drawing from their own experience the participants recalled project initiatives that had been once implemented in the region, trying to analyze why some of these platforms ultimately ended up unviable and how similar mistakes may be prevented in future.
While moderating the joint session the organizers focused the attention of the participants on the existing potential and expansive knowledge base that are already available in the region. They have stressed the importance of consolidation of these information resources and the need to establish a regional information platform on climate change. Implementation of such initiative is currently envisaged as part of CAMP4ASB.
Therefore, the Central Asian competition for the best media coverage of climate change issues became a wonderful opportunity to bring together some of the key communication stakeholders of the region and mobilize the available resources.
Climate change represents a challenge common to everyone. In this context, events similar to the joint meeting of media professionals serve as an excellent platform that supports the consolidation and optimization of existing knowledge resources in the region and greatly strengthen the existing potential. The working visit of the selected winners to the 24th Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-24) would be one of the first steps in this direction.
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Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program for Aral Sea Basin (CAMP4ASB)