Dr. Wajdan Al-Aqab, Secretary-General of the General Secretariat for Environment and Sustainable Development at the General Union of Arab Producers and President of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society, announced that “the Permanent Committee for Arab Media in the Media and Communication Sector of the General Secretariat of the Council of Arab Information Ministers at the League of Arab States has approved her proposal to organize the Arab Forum for Environmental Media during the last quarter of this year, in line with Kuwait being the Arab Media Capital for this year.“.
Dr. Al-Aqab noted that “the Arab Forum for Environmental Media will be held under the auspices of environmental and media organizations and institutions at the regional level, and seeks to develop media content that addresses environmental issues in an effective and sustainable manner,” adding that “the forum aims to improve media competencies in the field of environmental coverage, enhance cooperation between media outlets and environmental bodies, and provide innovative environmental solutions based on modern scientific and technological knowledge.”.
She explained that “the basic pillars of environmental media revolve around environmental education through providing media content that explains environmental risks and their effects on societies, while proposing solutions based on scientific foundations. In addition, it includes interactive media and the use of modern technological means such as social media and smart applications to reach a wider audience and involve them in environmental discussions.”.
In addition to balanced coverage through a commitment to providing balanced journalistic and media reports that respect the diversity of opinions and interests, while highlighting the measures taken by governments and institutions to reduce environmental damage, the organization also promotes media and community engagement by encouraging the public to actively participate in environmental solutions through media campaigns and community awareness programs.
The Arab Forum for Environmental Media set seven goals: “Enhancing the role of media in environmental issues, building the capacities of environmental journalists, unifying the Arab environmental media discourse, highlighting Arab environmental issues in international media, supporting investigative journalism in the environmental field, stimulating partnerships between media and environmental institutions, and spreading community awareness and environmental participation,” announcing that these goals are consistent with the unified Arab plan for dealing with environmental issues in the media.
She pointed out that “the pillars of the Arab Forum for Environmental Media include an accompanying exhibition, environmental media sessions, and a platform for environmental youth, as well as looking forward to coming up with proposals and executive recommendations to enhance environmental education in school curricula, launching an Arab environmental media network, cooperating with international organizations in this regard, and encouraging environmental funding for media.”.
Dr. Wajdan Al-Aqab concluded by noting the participation of “academics specializing in environmental media, professional media professionals in covering environmental issues, representatives of Arab environmental organizations, and specialists in program design for forums and conferences, in scientific sessions that include panel discussions, training sessions, applied workshops, and interactive sessions, to present the messages of the entities, discuss Arab success stories, highlight environmental influencers, opportunities for building regional networks, and present successful Arab institutional initiatives.”.
