Internews TV and radio programs tackle environmental concerns

Tales of Vanishing Leopards, Poisoned Fish, and Inspired Activists

Environmental stories are among the many issues covered by the radio and television programs that Internews regularly produces around the world. From Afghanistan to Vietnam, these stories give voice those most directly concerned. Here are a few examples.

JOHN BUTT/INTERNEWS Tirah, in tribal territory southwest of Peshawar, Pakistan, is suffering from deforestation as local tribes stop charging strict fines for unauthorized tree-falling. Internews’ radio program for the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Da Pulay Poray, has reported on the issue.

ON THE PAK-AFGHAN BORDER

In the remote tribal region along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, a unique radio program is produced by reporters from both countries working together. Da Pulay Poray (On the Borderline), a program of Internews Network’s Pak-Afghan cross-border project, recently reported a story about deforestation and the destruction of wildlife habitat.

A villager, Talib Jan, is heard saying, “In former times, there were bears and leopards in our forests. There were all sorts of wild animals, but not now.”

Due to poverty, he and his village have recently logged 800 trees in four days, he says.

In another episode, elders speak about the harmful effects of plastic bags on the environment, and they recommend that people go back to using cloth bags or shawls to carry their goods, as in olden times.

Listen to audio in Pashto plus English transcripts.

Da Pulay Poray is broadcast weekly on independent radio stations in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

VOICE OF MY COUNTRY

RISKA DWI FIRMIYANTI/INTERNEWS For an investigative report for Internews’ Indonesian radio news program, Suara Negeriku, reporter Riska Dwi Firmiyanti made a dangerous trip to Serbajadi Forest in East Aceh and shot this rare photo of an illegal logging operation.

On the Indonesian radio news program Suara Negeriku (Voice of My Country), listeners heard that the fishermen of Taman Jaya Village used to catch fish by using bombs or poison. But as their haul has shrunk, they have learned instead to protect the sea they rely on.

The program, which Internews launched in 2005 in cooperation with local radio stations, showcases Indonesia’s changes in governance and its progress towards decentralization, and covers development issues including environmental protection. Funded by the US Agency for International Development, Suara Negeriku airs on 208 broadcast partners across Indonesia twice a month.

ELEMENT ON MTV EUROPE

BENJAMIN KIPLAGAT/INTERNEWS Dolphine Emali, TV Production Specialist for Internews Kenya, films the launch of the television training component of Internews’ Local Voices project in Kenya.

“When I saw the oil pipe, I was angry. I was so angry, I did not know what to do.” So says Ifie, a young Nigerian women who teamed up with her sister Tina to fight the oil industry’s devastation in the Niger Delta and its effect on global warming.

“Ifie and Tina” is one segment in Element, a new series produced for MTV Europe that addresses “big picture” issues like climate change and poverty. Another episode, “Tia,” features an environmental activist from New Zealand.

Designed to inform and inspire the 16 to 34-year old television demographic around the world, Element is a collaboration of Television Trust for the Environment, Internews Europe, and the Element Partnership.

Element tells stories against the backdrop of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the internationally agreed upon goals to halve poverty by 2015.

A program on climate change is currently in production.