LAHORE: The journalists of South Asia, after having met at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Journalists Summit-V on Tuesday vowed to save the planet, the South Asian region and its natural resources and eco-systems from climatic and environmental degradation.

Issuing the Bhutan Declaration on Climate Change, journalists from SAARC countries expressed grave concern over the adverse impact of climate change on human and ecosystems and natural resources in South Asia and a lack of adequate action at national, regional and international levels to preserve the climate, natural resources and the planet.

Under the declaration, the journalists made a commitment to create awareness against the threats to the environment by conflicts and proliferation and potential use of nuclear weapons and its catastrophic impact on life, the environment and the earth.

The declaration expressed concerned about the Hindukush, Karakoram and Himalayan glaciers retreating at an alarming rate for the past few decades, eroding one of the major sources of existence.

It noted that rising sea levels affecting coastal areas meant that the Maldives might submerge and 20 percent of low-lying areas of Bangladesh might sink in the Bay of Bengal, displacing 25 million people.

The declaration called for recognising an organic relationship between human and ecosystems and the need to effectively, collectively and holistically reduce greenhouse gases.

It urged the upholding of principles of equity and human and ecological rights in all processes of decision-making and implementation of policies, laws and programmes on climate change.

The declaration sought effective management and conservation of natural resources that curb ostentatious consumption and promote eco-friendly sustainable development.

It called for realising the fact that the greater impact of environmental degradation and pollution is on women, children, and the poor, particularly the indigenous communities.

The declaration emphasised that public awareness of the immediate threat of climate change is a prerequisite to mitigating its negative impacts on life.

The declaration invited the international community, the South Asian governments and people of SAARC to support the media to optimise the quality and relevance of programming and reporting on climate change by encouraging the production and dissemination of relevant audiovisual and print content at local, national and regional levels to give voice to the people affected by climate change.

It called on the larger community to collaborate and support in raising the skills of media professionals through training, exchange of knowledge and best practices and to by facilitating access to relevant scientific information to build information-sharing networks.

The declaration called for the establishment of the SAARC Green Climate Fund to support projects, scientific research, programmes, policies and other activities related to mitigation, adaptation, capacity-building, technology development and transfer the funding for adoption by the most vulnerable countries and small islands.

It urged the journalists’ media colleagues to raise awareness about the consequences of climate changes and greenhouse gas emissions, promote eco-friendly, low-carbon and judicious consumption lifestyles.

The declarations also demanded that the SAARC member states’ governments give due consideration to the concerns of the most vulnerable communities and countries and the minimum standards advocated by them.

It called for the governments to recognise that women can be proactive agents of change and that their representation in the climate change debate has been marginal.

The declaration asked SAARC member states to remain cognisant of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and the need to take nationally appropriate mitigation measures.

It demanded the governments to allow free movement of media people and products for dedicated collaboration among the media of the region to share and disseminate climate change information. staff report