The Mizoram State Climate Change Cell in collaboration with Center for Media Studies (CMS), New Delhi organized a two days Media Workshop on Climate Change Reporting in the Himalayas on 13^th September, 2017 and 15^th September 2017 at Aijal Club, Aizawl Mizoram. The Media workshop was a part of the capacity building programme within the objectives of the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE).

The Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme (IHCAP) is an agency and also collaborative programme between Swiss Agency for Development and Corporation (SDC), Embassy of Switzerland and Government of India through Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi. The IHCAP has been coordinating capacity building programme in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) with the state climate change cells. CMS is an agency who are awarded by DST, the responsibility to organized such type of Climate Change related workshop and capacity building programmes to a particular target group, Journalists and Media Persons.

The workshop was initially planned for three days but due to a statewide total bandh on 14^th September, 2017, the workshop was rescheduled on the 13^th and the 15^th. On the first day of the workshop, in the augural session, the concept of the workshop was briefly highlighted by Ms Annu Annand, Head, CMS Advocacy. Ms Shimpy Khurana, Communication Officer, IHCAP also highlighted in her speech about the activities of IHCAP. A booklet “Himalayas, Climate Change and The Media” published by IHCAP was released following her speech. A lamp lighting ceremony followed, the Chief Guest of the workshop, His Excellency, the Governor of Mizoram, Lt. General Nirbhay Sharma then inaugurated the workshop and delivered great advices in his speech. The Guest of Honour, Shri Lalsawta, Hon’ble Minister, Planning (Science and Technology), Govt. of Mizoram also delivered an informative and encouraging speech. The workshop inaugurating session ended after a vote of thanks spoken to the participants by Dr. R.K Lallianthanga, Chief Scientific Officer and Member Secretary, Mizoram Science Technology and Innovation Council (MISTIC), Directorate of Science and Technology, Govt. of Mizoram, who is also the Principal Investigator of the Mizoram State Climate Change Cell.

The first Technical Session followed which was moderated by Mr Dinesh Sharma, Science Journalist and Editor, India Science Wire. he gave an opening remark followed by self-introduction by the participants. He then gave a talk on a topic Challenges of reporting on Climate Adaptation with examples of live stories and introduction to IHCAP’s media manual on Climate Reporting.

The 2^nd technical session starts after lunch which was again moderated by Mr Dinesh Sharma. There were two speakers on this session, The first one is Mr. Pradeep Chettri, Subject matter Specialist, Agriculture Department, Govt. of Mizoram who gave a talk on Sustainable Agriculture Development through Expansion, Enhancement and Modelling under NAFCC. The Second one is Dr. Lalrokima Chenkual, Disaster Management, Administrative Training Institute, Govt. of Mizoram who also gave a talk on Climate change and effects of the rainfall. An interactive discussion among the participants and the session speakers followed after which a token of appreciation was given to the technical session speakers which concluded the first day of the workshop.

On the second day of the workshop on the 15^th September 2017 (Friday), there was a field visit programme on the first half of the day. Two sites ‘Dragon fruit plantation’ at Ailawng area Supported under Mission Integrated Development of Horticulture by Dept of Horticulture, Govt. of Mizoram, which was also an activity under climate change programme. There were interactions between the workshop participants and local farmers and well as officers and staffs of Horticulture Department. Video interviews were also done for news coverage.

On the afternoon after returning from the field visit, Mr Lalthanpuia, Project Scientist, Mizoram State Climate Change Cell gave a brief highlight of the field visit and a short interaction followed. The last session of the workshop ‘Media Skill Development & Round Table on- Bridging the gap between media, scientist and civil societies’ followed in which three invited speakers, Dr. John Zothanzama, Asst. Professor, Dept of Environmental Sciences, Mizoram University, Dr. Irene Lalruatkimi, Asst. Professor, Dept of Mass Communcation, Mizoram University and Mr Lalnghinglova Hmar, Joint Editor, Vanglaini express their on how to bridge the gap between scientists, media and the general public. An interactive discussion followed among the participants in which ideas were expressed and shared.

Certificates were distributed to all the participants after which the two days Media workshop was concluded.

Journalists and Media persons from several Newspapers and Local Cable TV as well as national and PTI correspondents, students and faculties from Mizoram Universities, Officials from Different Line Departments attended the Workshop.