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Tool kit on climate change launched
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Kathmandu – Jalabayu Paribartan: Bujhau ra Bujhaau (Climate Change: Understand and Communicate), a toolkit for journalists, was launched here on November 8, 2011at a function.
Minister for Environment Hemraj Tated launched the toolkit prepared by Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ), in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment.
Minister Tated thanked NEFEJ for publishing the toolkit for journalists as reference material to understand the issues.
Dipendra Bahadur Chhetri, Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission, said that apart from environmentalists and journalists the toolkit is equally important for those who have keen interest on environment and climate change.
Krishna Gyawali, Secretary at the Ministry of Environment, said that the book is very useful to understand the issues as it is written in simple language.
Meena Khanal, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Environment, informed that the Ministry collaborated with NEFEJ to fulfill the need of mass media to understand and report on Climate Change and environment management based on facts.
Dr. Tirtha Bahadur Shretha, bio-diversity expert and writer of the book, said that availability of information on Climate Change is very low in Nepal. He said, “We should make strong base of information and create alternatives to reduce and mitigate the adverse impact of it.”
Shiva Gaunle, President of Federation of Nepalese Journalist, said that wrong information and fact would create dilemma while reporting on Climate Change. He lamented that experts and environmentalists should give correct and fact information on issues creating public debate on it. He added that toolkit would be reference material to the journalists to understand the issues.
Nimesh Regmi, project coordinator of the Climate Change tool kit briefed about the content of the toolkit at the function chaired by Laxman Upreti, President of Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists.
The toolkit has 114 pages and NEFEJ has also published brief English version of the toolkit. Journalist Rajendra Dahal has edited the book.
Since its establishment in 1986, NEFEJ – popularly known as Forum – has been involved in advocacy through television, radio and print journalism to bring information on environment and development to the general public and raise awareness, deliver social justice and equity, and encourage conservation at local as well as national levels.
Through its major activities – categorized into four broad fields of public information, advocacy and lobbing, promotion of environmental media resource – NEFEJ fulfils its objective by sensitizing journalists, government leaders, policy and decision makers, and the general public about environment and development issues.
A body of committed journalists and experts in their fields, NEFEJ strives to conserve Nepal’s rich natural environment and bio-diversity with a democratic and professional organizational structure.
The general body, that comprises all its members, is the supreme policy-making body of NEFEJ. The general body meets every year at the annual general meeting (AGM) which elects 13 members to the executive body for a one-year term. The executive committee is answerable to the general body and is responsible for implementing the AGM’s decisions.
There are four different categories of NEFEJ membership – full, associate, institutional, and honorary. Journalists with specific and special interest is raising environmental awareness are eligible for full membership. Associate membership is given to Nepali experts and others who are involved in the field of environment conservation. Institutional membership is awarded to any legally constituted organization or institution that shares the Forum’s overall ideals and is involved directly or indirectly, in environmental protection and sustainable development. Finally, honorary membership is given to those NEFEJ wishes to reward for their continued support.
As a result of its focused efforts and its deliberately structured organization, NEFEJ is not only praised within the Nepali context but is respected internationally.
NEFEJ has been presented several environmental awards and recognitions for proven leadership in its field. NEFEJ is a member of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the Asia Pacific Forum of Environmental Journalists (APFEJ) and is a founding member of the International Federation of Environmental Journalists (IFEJ).
