The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe conducted a training course on environmental journalism and the main environmental challenges in Tajikistan for 35 young journalists from Dushanbe and different regions of the country on April 17-18.

The event was jointly organized with the Committee on Environmental Protection under the Government of Tajikistan. 

According to the OSCE Programme Office, the young journalists - 18 women and 17 men - from Dushanbe, Khorog, Khujand, Jayhun, Bokhtar and Rasht enhanced their knowledge on environmental challenges in the country, the Aarhus Convention, and how to better introduce environmental topics to audiences and readers through the media.

Ibodullo Sangov, Deputy Head of the Environmental Information Centre of the Committee for Environmental Protection, said: “Today's event is one of the OSCE’s initiatives in the framework of the beneficial co-operation between the OSCE and the Committee on Environmental Protection.  Taking into account the importance of mass media in shaping public opinion, the OSCE in collaboration with the Committee is intending to train young journalists to raise their awareness of environmental problems and present real and precise information to the population.”

Filippo Crivellaro, Head of the Economic and Environmental Department at the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, said: “We believe that high-quality and socially-oriented articles in the newspapers, internet, radio and TV programs could reach more people across Tajikistan and pave the way for the implementation of the Government’s strategic documents on environmental protection.”

On the margins of the training, the participants visited a paper recycling plant and Dushanbe botanical garden where they developed reports on the visits that were later presented and analyzed during the training course.