By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: Life for Guardians Foundation (LGF) organized a one-day training workshop on climate change awareness and media reporting at a local hotel in Lahore. This event was held under LGF’s ongoing Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) program. It marked the second media-focused workshop by LGF in Lahore, following successful sessions previously held in various districts of Punjab including Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Layyah, and Muzaffargarh, where local journalists and community representatives received training on climate awareness and environmental journalism.
LGF Executive Director Ms. Mehnaz Javed, while highlighting the objectives of the workshop, stated that the aim was to enhance public awareness on climate change, strengthen media capacity, and promote institutional collaboration. She emphasized that journalists are not just observers but storytellers whose reporting can influence public behavior, policy-making, and practical action. She further noted that Pakistan has a large youth population, and engaging them in climate action is essential for building a sustainable future.
Mr. Amir Irfan, researcher and consultant, delivered an in-depth talk on the educational aspects of climate change. He shared that Pakistan is among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. These impacts include rising temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns, floods, droughts, and declining agricultural productivity. He stressed the urgent need to integrate environmental education into the national curriculum to raise awareness among the younger generation. He also called for promoting research-based climate education and providing youth with practical training to become environmental stewards. Mr. Irfan underscored the importance of collaboration between media, civil society, and academic institutions to formulate and implement effective strategies to combat climate change.
More than 20 journalists from print, electronic, and digital media participated in the training session. They engaged in hands-on exercises on environmental journalism, storytelling based on community experiences, and effective use of social media.
Participants unanimously agreed on the importance of running awareness campaigns in both urban and rural educational institutions on key topics such as climate change, water conservation, tree plantation, and carbon footprint reduction. The workshop concluded with the distribution of certificates among the participants.
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