Media Urged to Highlight Sufferings of Pakistan Flood-hit Communities During COP28

Mon Nov 27 2023
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PESHAWAR: National media should highlight the sufferings of flood-hit communities in Pakistan during the upcoming International Climate Conference (COP28) in Dubai, UAE, from 30 November to 12 December 2023.

This was urged in an online training session on COP28 and the Role of National Media held by Resilient Future International –a research and training company. Journalists and university students attended the training session.

Aftab Alam Khan, the lead trainer, said that while more than five thousand journalists are likely to attend COP28, many journalists from economically developing nations may not be able to attend due to financial constraints.

He urged the media houses and donors to support Pakistani journalists in attending such climate conferences.

National Media Role

Aftab said that national media could play three roles during COP28, reminding the world about the continuous sufferings of flood-hip people, especially women, children, transgenders, the elderly and the disabled.

The national media should support demands for meaningful Loss and Damage Fund and drastic cuts in greenhouse gases and, lastly keep the people aware of the proceedings of the climate conference.

The COP-28 on climate change was scheduled in Dubai, but the sufferings of climate injustice were evident in the flood-hit communities in Pakistan, he maintained.

Aftab said that COP28 presents an exceptional opportunity for Pakistani media to amplify the miseries of the climate victims. By playing such an important role, the media would complement the efforts of Pakistan and other nations in COP28 towards a meaningful agreement on the Loss and Damage Fund.

In 2033, during COP27, Pakistan’s leadership in G77+China and a vigorous presentation of climate vulnerabilities brought the Loss and Damage Fund to the negotiation table, Aftab recalled.

He added that the media should underline the issue of the continuous rise in greenhouse gases generated from fossil fuels, which is the primary cause of climate change.

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2018 report stated that GHG emissions needed to be reduced by 45 percent by 2030.

However, the current plans of top-emitting nations would lead to an increase in GHG emissions by 10.6 percent, which is insufficient to stop climate change. Those nations should commit to a drastic reduction in GHG emissions in COP28.

Chair of the session, Deputy Executive Director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Dr. Shafqat Munir, said that journalists should also keep an eye on the preparatory work running up to COP28.

He said that the Transitional Committee on Loss and Damage Fund met five times this year to deliberate on the nature and structure of the Fund.

He added that the most important resource documents for journalists are Nationally Determined Contributions and the National Adaptation Plan.

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