Environmental Education

Until recently environmental education (informally) has been a function of the NGO sector. NGOs have been handling the task of environmental education mainly in the form of awareness creation through publications including the newspapers.

Certain NGOs have also conducted seminars, workshops, lectures, photographic exhibitions and other activities. Various donor agencies have also come to the assistance of these NGOs towards their efforts. Because of the role played by the NGO sector in the sphere of environmental education certain state sector agencies have also got involved in this important task in the recent past by seeking the expertise of the NGOs on certain occasions in conducting education programs.

As a result in changing world trends in environmental concerns, the subject of environment has      recently found its way into education programs mainly at university level. Environmental topics have also of late been included in teacher training curricula. This augurs well for future trends in environmental education in Sri Lanka.

In the face of the situation that existed during the past few decades in regard to environment education in Sri Lanka, environmental journalism played the all important role of filling the void of not having properly structured programs of environmental education. As stated earlier, at least the basic function of awareness creation in environmental issues owes much to environmental journalism.

Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum (SLEJF)

It is no exaggeration to state that environmental journalism in Sri Lanka owes its present organized state to the efforts of the Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum (SLEJF) which was found in 1987. The SLEJF is the only professional NGO in Sri Lanka devoted to the promoting of  environmentally sound and sustainable development through the powerful and effective channels of mass media, including radio and TV. The SLEJF has tirelessly pursued the mission of mobilizing mass media institutions and journalists towards effective and meaningful coverage of issues relating to environment and development and to build capacity for their cause.

The programs pursued by the SLEJF are aimed at: Enhancing public awareness of environment and development issues; Environmental educational activities in schools and the promotion of school environmental clubs; Training media personnel in environmental journalism; Campaigning for greater public participation in environment and development-related decision-making and so on.

Environmental Journalism

It has been often stressed that environmental journalism is an important pursuit, but it is by no means like bed of roses. Environmental journalists sometimes have to face many odds including threats to their life from individuals with political connections, particularly when it comes to illicit felling of trees, illicit trade in endangered species of birds and animals etc. This is a feature prevailing in   Sri Lanka as well as in many other developing countries.

As much as environmental journalism is an important pursuit, several critical environmental  problems and issues relating to Sri Lanka still remain to be addressed comprehensively. Some of the more important issues are: Deforestation caused by shifting cultivation in the dry zone areas of Sri Lanka and by illicit felling of trees by timber pirates; Soil erosion resulting from deforestation and the resultant loss of productivity in agricultural lands; Situvation of reservoirs meant for irrigation purposes.

The list of such problems is fairly long and these problems used to be addressed by the relevant authorities. Environmental journalism has a vital role to play here by highlighting these issues in cause action to be taken. This is the challenge facing environmental journalists in Sri Lanka. Thus the SLEJF has a definite role to play here. Environmental journalism should direct more attention to these problems and issues.

Environmental journalism and the SLEJF are almost synonymous so much so that both depend on each other for progress. Finally, the SLEJF exists for the promotion of environmental journalism and capacity building (empowerment) of environmental journalists in Sri Lanka. This is where the real challenge exits. Based on its past experiences and achievements, the SLEJF is confident of reaching the desired goal. What is required towards this task will be the interest and dedication on the part of the journalists who seek to be empowered.

Making use of SLEJF’s connections and close links with media organizations in other countries, many local journalists have been afforded opportunities for overseas training in environmental journalism. Also the SLEJF has helped in conducting training programs in certain SAARC countries. In addition, the SLEJF has conducted several in-country awareness programs on vital international    environmental issues. These programs were carried out through a combination of newspaper articles, special publications, seminars, workshop and competitions. Environmental photographic competitions at national level have also been organized by the SLEJF in addition to these awareness programs.

SLEJF’s role in awareness creation does not end with these events. A regular press clippings service operated for the benefit of journalists as well as students is a popular program of the SLEJF. All these activities aimed at raising the level of environmental journalism have been hailed as immensely useful.

During the past few years, the SLEJF has conducted many training programs on various aspects of environmental journalism for the benefit of journalists attached to all sections of the Sri Lanka media. These programs included one-day seminars as well as workshops of longer duration. In addition, the SLEJF published as Handbooks on Environmental Reporting. Training programs meant for  environmental  journalists have been organized in various parts of the island in addition to the above  mentioned activities. Exchange programs for journalists have been a special feature of SLEJF training activities and these are still continued.

Networking with similar organizations nationally and internationally was pursued by the SLEJF a few years back with the main objective of utilizing maximum resources for training of environmental journalists. At national level, the SLEJF has developed very close links with dozens of other NGOs working on environmental issues both in urban and rural areas of the island. These links are expected to yield fruitful results in the future in the area of promoting environmental journalism for the ultimate benefit of the citizens.

In view of the existing economic policies in Sri Lanka, development is taking place at a rapid pace. Therefore it behaves environmental journalists to not only enlighten the public on possible environmental problems likely to crop up, but also to caution the individuals concerned or those agencies responsible for development to ensure that such development is maintained at sustainable levels.

There have already been some instances of environmental concerns emanating from certain          development projects undertaken in the recent past. Alert environmentalists and journalists took up the connected issues mainly through press articles compelling the relevant agencies to take remedial and preventative actions. It is a happy situation that the vigor of environmental journalism as it exists in Sri Lanka at the moment was responsible for preventing possible environmental adverse effects resulting from certain development projects. The SLEJF along with certain other active environmental NGOs took the initiative in highlighting the issues involved.

Conclusion

There is a growing demand from the public for more and more information on environmental issues. This is an indication that environmental journalism has had the desired effects over the years.
This goes to prove that environmental journalism in Sri Lanka occupies an important position and that it also enjoys government patronage. This augurs well for the future of environmental journalism in Sri Lanka and organizations like the SLEJF have an important role to play in promoting vibrant environmental journalism.

Sri Lankan Waterfalls

Dharman's Media Guide
of Sri Lanka
Year 2009 Edition

Goodbye Tsunami
- A Vision to action

Sri Lanka
Environmental
Bibliography

Green Success
Stories

Sri Lanka Directory
of Green NGO's

Sri Lanka Directory
of Provincial Journalists

Sri Lanka Directory
of Women Journalists
& Writers

Sri Lanka Directory
of School Environmental
Club's

Diyadama -
A Sinhala Green Magazine

Directory of Environmental
Professionals in
Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Directory of
Environmental
Journalists

Sri Lanka directory
of Professional
Journalists