Improving climate change communication effectiveness
(VOV) -An international seminar in Hanoi on December 5 heard despite living in one of the five countries most vulnerable to climate change, the Vietnamese public has yet to properly acknowledge the threat’s true severity.
The Academy of Journalism and Communication (AJC) and Germany’s Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) hosted the seminar to raise public awareness of Vietnam’s vulnerability to climate change’s repercussions.
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AJC Vice Director Pham Huy Ky said climate change is a major concern for all of the world’s nations. He affirmed mass media’s responsibility to ensure the issue receives the attention it warrants and social resources are mobilised to ameliorate negative impact.
He noted a number of Vietnamese media agencies have published articles about climate change, its consequences, and the risks it poses to ordinary citizens’ living conditions and environments.
However, they have yet to clarify the relationship between natural disasters and climate change and to put forth orientations towards environment protection.
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Chief FES Vietnam Representative Erwin Schweisshelm praised the Vietnamese Party and Government’s climate change response. He also commended the national action plan for fighting climate change.
Seminar delegates representing State agencies, development organisations, research institutes, and media agencies stressed the need to incorporate climate change education as a part of professional journalism training. They agreed communications could be improved by closer cooperation between State agencies, legislators, scientists, journalists, project officials, and the community.
Vietnamese and foreign journalists capitalised on the opportunity to exchange opinions regarding the best approaches to harnessing the public in local and national climate change adaptation campaigns.