At the beginning of March 2020, the winners of the Republican contest “Climate Change Adaptation measures in Kazakhstan” were determined. The authors of the best media coverages of climate change issues were awarded diplomas and valuable prizes. The competition was conducted as a part of the project "Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program for Aral Sea Basin" (CAMP4ASB) by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC).
THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN CLIMATE CHANGE COVERAGE
If you are not an expert in the field of climate change, you could learn about it only from news, articles, blog entries, or from social networks. The fact that the topic of climate change has gone beyond the expert discussion is for what we should be grateful to the media.
Saltanat Zhakenova, climate change specialist at the CAMP4ASB project:
“The role of media as the main source of environmental information and a resource that motivates society to solve environmental issues cannot be overestimated. In terms of printed media, television, and social media, how the information will be presented, whether people will learn about the existing problem, and how they will relate to it are all things for which journalists and bloggers are responsible. Whether this problem will cause a panic in society or, on the contrary, decisive actions to protect the rights to a safe environment.
In the frameworks of “Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program for Aral Sea Basin” (CAMP4ASB), for the second timeCAREC has organized climate change coverage contest. We believe that journalists have a specific role today - to understand what is happening with the climate, bring it to the pulic, and, as a result, to increase pressure on those who make decisions that affect our lives.”
ABOUT THE CONTEST
Only works published and broadcasted from September 1, 2019, to February 15, 2020, took part in the competition. It encouraged authors to create new articles, programs, and blog notes on a given topic.
It is important to note that it was not just about raising the topic of climate change. It’s not enough to know that the climate is changing now. It is important to know how exactly this affects our region and what needs to be done.
After all, adaptation to climate change is what we need today. It is the topic that requires comprehensive and high-quality coverage through the media. Journalists and bloggers need to discuss how various sectors of the economy are introducing new technologies and practices and which results have been achieved.
The competition raised the topic of climate change adaptation in the following sectors:
- Agriculture
- water management
- energy, including renewable energy sources
- transport
- industry
- food security
- economy and politics.
Challenging tasks that require the authors to laboriously research topics, cite experts, search for modern approaches to cover a given topic.
In total, 55 works were submitted, among which there were articles, television programs, and photo reports. Each work made a certain contribution to the readers' understanding of the need to take measures to adapt to climate change. All the works can be found
here.
The competent jury consisted of environmentalists and climate change experts. It included:
1) Natalya Druz – a member of the National Coordinating Committee of the GEF / UNDP Small Grants Program in Almaty, Ph.D. in chemistry, an expert in the field of climate change, energy efficiency, renewable energy, greenhouse gas inventory and reduction of emissions, environmental protection, housing, and communal services;
2) Maria Genina - a holder of a Master's degree in ecology and politics obtained at the University of Northern Arizona, coordinator of projects in the field of eco-entrepreneurship at the Kazakh-German University, creator of the agro-tourism eco-farm in the vicinity of Almaty "Straw Paradise";
3) Dina Ni – a Communications Specialist of Living Asia since 2017. She was a coordinator of climate finance projects sponsored by the Global Greengrants Fund. Since 2018, she has been actively covering the climate change issue in Central Asia, which includes the work within the CAMP4ASB project.
The jury determined four winners who were awarded diplomas and memorable prizes.
GRAND PRIX
Khamzina Aida, journalist, editor of TC Khabar, received the Grand Prix of the competition.
Aida is an author of the program “Tomorrow will be hot! Bureau of Investigation”, TC “Khabar”. The program shows how climate change can affect our country and its inhabitants in the nearest future.
Indeed, Kazakhstan in Central Asia occupies a leading position in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Experts in the field of climate change, renewable energy, and agricultural technologies prompt us to think by providing us with undeniable facts.
What we could learn from the program is that Kazakhstan has climate-dependent agriculture, what is the main source of CO2 emissions and, also, how we can influence the current situation.
Khamzina Aida:
“I must admit that, unfortunately, the topic of climate change is not as popular as we would like it to be. Therefore, information resources rarely cover that topic. Besides, it is not frequently discusses by both society and social networks.
People believe that it does not concern them. It seems too global and far away from them. Perhaps I thought so too until I plunged into the issue. While we are discussing things that barely depend on us, the processes that are directly related to our society occur. We can influence them. We should be responsible for the impact we have on climate change; even small contribution matters.
I like that today it has become a trend to be eco-active: sort garbage, avoid plastic, etc. Skeptics consider this to be populism, but, for me it is a positive outcome ... This is just the first step towards a global rethinking of climate change.
I think it is very important and necessary to raise the subject of the changing climate further. It is possible to use a non-standard approach to draw attention to the climate change issue. Since our country is involved in this process, we need to discuss it and show examples.”
The best blog-work
The article “Global Warming: What Kazakhstan is waiting for?” won in the best blogging article nomination. The author is Oksana Tarnetskaya.
Oksana Tarnetskaya:
“Previously, I always enjoyed watching films in which a massive disaster destroys entire cities. I believed that people with such an inconsiderate attitude to nature deserved to disappear from the Earth. Being in the “green” community for many years, I saw that our efforts to fundamentally change the situation were not enough.
But recently things have become different. CLIMATE CHANGE appeared. People noticed how disaster films went off the screens and became a reality. And every year the situation is aggravating. The time “there is no time to explain, just go for it quickly!” has come.
The topic of climate change causes great panic but gives great hope at the same time. There is hope since humanity has never made so much effort to make a change to the situation. Entire countries are moving towards an environmentally friendly lifestyle by abandoning consumerism. Now - in the next 10 years – every person faces a mega-task: to stop consumerism and to update one's mindset. We should begin to feel responsible for everything that is happening around us. We should maintain proper initiatives, give a raise for useful things, and enjoy at those small changes that are taking place place.”
The best article in Kazakh
The article “Zher Sharyn Zhaylagan Orman Erti Oylandyrady” (translated - “The fire that gripped the planet makes you think”) by the well-known Kazakh journalist Kainar Olzhay was considered the best article in Kazakh. Also, the article was published in Russian
here.
The original style of the author, his deep knowledge in various fields, appeal to folk signs and traditions, wisdom and a philosophical view of the world do not leave the readers indifferent.
The story that the author tells captures from the first lines, leads to the awareness of important things. Indeed, the environmental issues that we have now are not a combination of circumstances beyond our control but a crisis in our relations with the world and ourselves.
Kaynar Olzhay:
“I have been writing on environmental topics for a long time. This is the most important topic for Kazakhstan now. It needs to be raised. I remember one incident that happened 15 years ago. It was the anniversary of the famous writer Sherkhan Murtaza. The anniversary took place at the stadium in the Dzhambul region. The wind was blowing, people were performing from the rostrum, and plastic bags flying upwind flew around. I was very impressed. I wrote an article and talked about the dangers of plastic, how it is being around the world, and which bans are to be introduced.
The topic of climate change is one of the most pressing now. Kazakhstan has signed the Paris Agreement, but obligations are being implemented very poorly. So, I am not tired of writing about climate change issues. I have recently released an article in which I told that nature would only benefit from the coronavirus. The factories in China do not work and do not produce smoke. Therefore, the sky over China has become cleaner. Then I talked about the birds of the lanes. We have a lot of them because it is getting warmer, and these heat-loving birds move. Besides, there was an article about solar panels located directly on the water, which take place in England, Thailand, China. I have lots of ideas. Probably, I have ideas and some information for 100 articles ahead.
When I write articles, it’s like weaving a pattern by interlacing 3 important components: world facts, folk signs and history.”
The best article on adaptation practices
The jury also highlighted the article “There is a universal eco-farm which tests diverse environmental technologies near Almaty”, the author of which is Tolegen Zhanbota.
Another work of Zhanbota recently won a prize in the Republican essay and journalistic competition "Kazakhstan on the path to a carbon-free future", which was also conducted as a part of the project "Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program for Aral Sea basin" (CAMP4ASB ) funded by the World Bank. The work was entitled "The impact of livestock farming was discussed in Nur-Sultan."
The journalist plans to keep writing about climate change.
Zhanbota Tolegen:
“I write on various topics, but I am attracted to the topic of sustainable development of the food industry. When I find some interesting facts related to the impact of climate change on our lives in Kazakhstan, I attempt to cover it. In addition, in Almaty, we have already felt that global warming is a reality, not a fiction. In my article, I narrate about Denis Ten’s eco-farm. That man shows us an example of the farming of the future.”
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Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Program for Aral Sea Basin
