Iqtidar Gilani, a senior reporter with English language daily The Nation, has been covering the environment for the past 18 years but struggles to dedicate time to in-depth investigative pieces on the subject. He is often bogged down by \u2018routine stories\u2019 \u2014 a euphemism for hard news stories centred on politics, crime and the economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDespite being an existential crisis for Pakistan, climate change receives little attention in the national English dailies,\u201d Gilani told thethirdpole.net<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Coverage of climate change is imperative for Pakistan, which is the fifth country most vulnerable to climate change according to think-tank Germanwatch. In a report released this year, Germanwatch<\/a> said Pakistan has lost 9,989 lives, suffered economic damages worth USD 3.8 billion and experienced 152 extreme weather events from 1999 to 2018. But despite these alarming figures, the climate crisis does not feature prominently or even regularly across Pakistan\u2019s vibrant broadcast and print media landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See<\/strong>: Climate change threatens disaster in Gilgit-Baltistan<\/a><\/p>\n Lack of technical skills<\/strong><\/p>\n Among the range of challenges that discourage coverage of the climate crisis, one major hurdle is the lack of training amongst journalists. Gilani said that the subject at times becomes \u201ctoo difficult for journalists to understand\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reports and journals on climate change are complex. At times, even I find the executive summaries of reports too technical to understand,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The lack of training is not limited to reporters, as editors in major newsrooms are also not able to grasp the issue comprehensively said Salim Bokhari, a senior journalist who until recently was the chief editor of The Nation. \u201cThe news editors do not give climate change stories their due display since they are also not aware of the importance of the subject. There is hardly any understanding of the impact that climate change is going to have on future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n See<\/strong>: Learning to live with flash floods<\/a><\/p>\n Pervaiz Bashir, the head of reporting at the widely read Urdu newspaper Daily Jang, said the long-term impact of environmental degradation is one factor which makes it difficult for reporters to understand the issue.<\/p>\n \u201cAccess to reliable data on climate change is another challenge,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Another broadcast journalist from Lahore, Arsalan Rafique Bhatti, currently associated with television channel Din News, suggested that the media has not \u201cfully understood\u201d the threat posed by climate change.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the media hasn\u2019t understood the problem how will it explain it to someone else?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n Low priority<\/strong><\/p>\n Bhatti demonstrated how the climate crisis competes for airtime with current affairs stories. \u201cThe broadcast media is failing in its moral responsibility to highlight climate change. Airtime is mostly consumed by politics, the prime minister\u2019s activities, National Assembly proceedings and infotainment,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cEnvironment falls in the last slot.\u201d<\/p>\n The 9 PM prime time bulletin is the most watched broadcast segment in Pakistan but it is rare for a climate change story to make it to that slot.<\/p>\n Ahmad Waleed, the bureau chief of channel Samaa TV in Lahore, acknowledged that \u201cthe level of coverage is not up to the mark\u201d and highlighted the media\u2019s tendency to cover climate stories reactively as a challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cThe broadcast media mostly covers imminent issues like smog, industrial pollution, air pollution and vehicle emissions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Waleed explained why climate change is not high on the agenda in newsrooms. \u201cAs a developing country, Pakistan has been witnessing war-like situations and terrorism besides political instability. The mainstream media has been focusing on these issues while climate change has been the lowest priority.\u201d<\/p>\n See: <\/strong>Climate change leaves women in Skardu facing disaster<\/a><\/p>\n He said that the government should fund climate change stories to fulfil its responsibilities of creating public awareness.<\/p>\n Snapshot of disconnect in Gilgit Baltistan<\/strong><\/p>\n A questionnaire<\/a> taken by 15 journalists associated with the Gilgit press club highlights the challenges faced by the local media when it comes to daily climate change reporting.<\/p>\n The Gilgit Baltistan region is particularly vulnerable<\/a> to climate change as it has a fragile mountain ecosystem and also because factors such as the fast melting of glaciers drastically affect the local community.<\/p>\n\u201cIf the media hasn\u2019t understood the problem how will it explain it to someone else?\u201d<\/blockquote>Arsalan Rafique Bhatti<\/cite><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n