Imphal: Manipur’s Minister of Forest, Environment, and Climate Change, Thongam Biswajit Singh, highlighted the state’s potential to lead the fight against climate change during the 5th anniversary celebration of the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change’s Media Resource Centre (MRC). The event took place on December 21 at Hotel Imphal.
Speaking as the chief guest, Minister Singh emphasized the urgency of addressing climate change, which he attributed to human greed and environmental degradation. He stressed the importance of collective efforts to combat these issues, cautioning that inaction would jeopardize the well-being of future generations.
“Manipur could be a torchbearer in fighting climate change impact by developing many feasible mechanisms and strategies,” he stated, encouraging citizens to contribute by planting trees on significant occasions.
Dr. T. Brajakumar Singh, Director of Environment and Climate Change, highlighted the MRC’s achievements since its establishment in 2018-2019. The centre aims to enhance climate change awareness across Manipur, recognizing the media as a crucial partner in this effort.
Manipur has set a national precedent by offering state-level media fellowships on climate change reporting since 2019, a first in India. These fellowships have supported 50 journalists, leading to the publication of 126 articles and 53 video stories in English and Manipuri.
Dr. Singh explained that the MRC’s mission is to improve media coverage of climate change, fostering greater public engagement and positive action. The centre also aims to develop a collaborative network of scientists, academics, citizen scientists, and practitioners to contribute to mitigation and adaptation strategies.
As part of the event, members of the MRC, climate change experts, and media fellowship recipients were honored for their contributions.
The program underscored Manipur’s commitment to addressing climate change through awareness, collaboration, and innovative strategies, setting an example for other states to follow.
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