Role of Communication in Creating Climate Change Awareness in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

The planet Earth's constantly shifting environment is endangering the species that calls it home. Every year that goes by shows the effects of changing climatic circumstances. Risks associated with the environment, such as floods, severe weather, wildfires, etc., have significantly increased in recent years due to these quick changes in the climate. While the effects of this environmental disaster are seen globally, emerging nations like Pakistan are particularly susceptible to these unforeseen changes in the climate. Therefore, role of media becomes crucial. Given the fact that the severity of the issue is beyond imagination, its significant to see the part played by media in this regard. This study focuses on the role of media communication in creating awareness among people in Punjab. Considering the research objectives and research questions mixed method techniques has been used by the researchers. A survey was conducted on 100 university students in Punjab while in-depth interviews of 10 media experts were also conducted. Findings of the study reveal that media can play informative role regarding climate change, however, media coverage of the issue is either insufficient or irrelevant (mainly focusing on the incidents not on the cause) coupled with certain challenges such as marginalization, commercial interest and media policy.

Keywords: Climate change, media, communication, awareness, Punjab