Islamabad, 07 July 2023—UNDP Pakistan concluded a series of training for journalists on responsible reporting on climate change and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). 

The two-day training in Islamabad was the last of the training series organized by UNDP’s GLOF-II Project, a joint initiative with the Ministry of Climate Change and supported by the Green Climate Fund. Twenty-five journalists participated in the training, through which they were briefed on the catastrophic impacts of GLOFs, torrential rains, and floods; and how climate-induced disasters disproportionately affect women and girls. 

“Northern Pakistan’s topography is rich with snow-capped mountains and monumental glaciers. However, it is unfortunate that these glaciers are rapidly melting due to the escalating climate, making communities prone to high climate risk. This is precisely why journalists need to be highly vigilant, responsible, and ethically charged in reporting on climate-induced disasters,” highlighted Mr. Amir Khan Goraya, UNDP Pakistan’s Assistant Resident Representative and Team Leader Resilient Environment and Climate Change Unit. 

Two such journalists’ trainings have been rolled out in Swat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), and in Skardu (Gilgit Baltistan), respectively, entailing in-depth discussions on digital journalism ethics, storytelling, multimedia reporting, narrative journalism, creative formats, hand-held shooting techniques and journalists’ safety and security.