NEWS DESK
Mansehra: E HANDS, in collaboration with the School of Leadership Foundation and UNFPA Pakistan under the Youth Empowerment for Resilience project, organized a specialized Workshop on Climate Change Reporting at Hotel Aashyana in Mansehra. The event gathered journalists, journalism students, climate activists, and civil society members, focusing on strengthening climate awareness and reporting skills within the local community.
Leading the workshop, environmental journalist Afia Salam brought her over 30 years of experience in Pakistan’s media to spotlight the critical impact of global environmental issues on Pakistan. She encouraged participants—especially media students and journalists—to incorporate environmental concerns into their reporting, emphasizing how climate issues are affecting the lives of local residents.
The workshop concluded with an inspiring session by Mr. Sher Afzal Gujjar, CEO of Hazara Express News, who discussed Pakistan’s climate challenges and global environmental initiatives. Stressing the importance of dedicated environmental reporting, he urged news organizations to consider it a primary news beat. Gujjar extended support to participants interested in environmental journalism, offering mentorship, internships, and training materials through Hazara Express News.
Muhammad Hussain Amin, project lead of the Youth Empowerment for Resilience initiative, highlighted the need for local journalists to cover climate change issues, noting, “Since 2021, we’ve been organizing climate reporting workshops in the Hazara region, as we believe the region’s climate challenges are overshadowed by tourism. It’s crucial to sensitize local journalists to produce content in local languages.”
The workshop represents a step forward in equipping Hazara’s journalists with the tools and knowledge to elevate climate awareness, building resilience through informed reporting in the region.
