Kathmandu, June 15:The Ministry of Population and Environment and the Federation of Nepalese Journalists-Gorkhapatra Corporation branch (unit), on the occasion of the World Environment Day-2057, jointly organised a one day workshop ‘Nepalese Journalism and Environmental Conservation’ here today.
Speaking as Chief Guest Minister of State for Population and Environment Shiva Raj Joshi said that inspite of the fact that Nepal is rich in natural beauty, we have not been able to reap the benefits.
Appreciating the growing interest of journalists in the environment and their increasing desire in saving the nature, Minister of State Joshi stressed the need of organising more public awareness programmes relating to saving the environment around us.
Minister Joshi also informed that HMG is going to plant at least 10 saplings each within the government owned land and to mark the World Environment Day.
Govinda Raj Bhatta, Secretary at the Ministry of Population and Environment said that the print and audio/visual media play a definitive role in raising public awareness concerning the environment.
‘It is the responsibility of the media to see whether the various governmental bodies and the INGOs and NGOs working on this field have been working positively to preserve the environment or not’ he said and affirmed that after the establishment of the Ministry of Population and Environment in 2052, the need to protect the environment has considerably risen in our society.
Mangal Man Shakya, General Secretary of Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) said that the trend of writing on environmental issues is relatively a new one amongst Nepalese journalists who have been used to writing political news and commentaries only.
‘But to write suitably on our environment, the reporters have to visit distant places, remote districts and tourist sites’, he said.
Ramesh Tiwari, Editor-in-Chief of the Gorkhapatra daily said that the pristine atmosphere of the mountain region of the Kingdom has deteriorated notably in the last 50 years.
‘We probably have been more alert and active in spreading the environment message across in the urban sector of the country, while the real need is to raise public awareness in the rural areas’, he said.
Dr. Badri Dev Pandey, Acting Director, World Conservation Association-Nepal stressed on the need of teaching about the environment from the school level.
Pushkar Mathema, Chairman, Federation of Nepalese Journalists-Gorkhapatra Corporation branch (unit) said that environment journalists have yet to get the needed support from the government and the non-governmental levels.
Narayan Upadhyaya, Secretary, Federation of Nepalese Journalists-Gorkhapatra Corporation branch (unit) highlighted the aim and importance of the workshop.
Altogether three working papers ‘Nepalese Journalism in the context of Environmental Conservation’ by Tirtha Koirala, ‘The dynamism of NGOs in Environmental Conservation’ by Amod Pokharel of Leaders Nepal and ‘Nepal’s Environmental Condition’ by Ashok Saraf, Under Secretary, Ministry of Population and Environment were presented at the second session of the workshop. Om Khadka, President, Nepal Environment Journalist Association (NEJA), Murari Shivakoti, Ex-President NEJA and Mr. Shyam Wajimaya commented on the respective papers.