Environment conservation is duty of all
Scientific approach is a must to create awareness for environment, which is facing pressure from many quarters in the process of development and general ignorance among common people. It is pertinent thus to identify the target and deliver the message in the best possible way.
This was stated by Dr Ahmed Abdullah al Sayari, Director-General of Environment and Climate Affairs, Dhofar Governorate, during the opening of a four-day workshop on ‘Launching media campaign for environment awareness’ in Salalah.
The four-day workshop was inaugurated by Najib bin Ali al Rawas, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Recreation Centre on Tuesday. The participants in the workshop included representatives from different government agencies, civil society members and members of environment awareness and nature conservation bodies.
Dr Sayari called upon the participants, who hailed mainly from the media committees of different sectors, to draw peoples’ attention towards environmental issues through well researched relevant and clear messages. “Many things are happening out of ignorance; hence the people dealing with media should take up the cause of environment… this is one sector that affects all irrespective of profession, occupation or habitation,” he said. He put stress on achieving the country’s ambitious goals of sustainable development, which possible only through the involvement of all the segments of the society.
“It is easy as well as a difficult goal. It is easy when there is mass awareness and difficult when people are left to assume that this is the role of a particular agency or group,” he said.
He put stress on active cooperation between public and private sectors and appreciated the role of workshop partner Salalah Methanol for volunteering support for many social projects. He called for cooperation between national, regional and international agencies as well to achieve larger goals.
Dr Ahmed Ali al Mushaikhi, Senior Faculty Member of Media Studies Sultan Qaboos University, addressed the gathering and explained the workshop themes to them. While defining the concepts of media campaign, Dr Ahmed put stress on research and studies and called for identifying the right audience to deliver the message.
“The application should be practical and simple so that it is easy for the common man to understand. It should be interactive and target oriented. Our target here is conservation of environment,” he said.