Fifty-five journalists from various mass media in Indonesia learned about climate change and water crises in a workshop organized by the U.S. Embassy, Society of Indonesian Sciences Journalist (SISJ), CNN Indonesia Academy, USAID, and USAID Indonesia in Jakarta on 6th–9th June and in Makassar on 13th–15th June 2023. Of those 55 journalists, 30 participated in the event in Jakarta and 25 others (including five USAID IUWASH Tangguh partners) joined in Makassar. The workshop improved the journalists’ understanding of climate change’s impacts on water availability. As such, the journalists can include climate change issues and coverage of water crises in their publications to raise public awareness of the issues and call them to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
When opening the workshop in Jakarta, the U.S. Embassy Spokesperson, Mr. Mike Quinlan, explained that the workshop is part of the Archipelago of Drought program, and the U.S. Government is delighted to collaborate with local governments, academics, and mass media to discuss water crises amidst climate change. According to Mr. Quinlan, the involvement of the media certainly has an important role, not only in providing information, but the media can also in helping the public better understand the impacts of climate change on their lives. “Not only providing information, but the media can also encourage the public to take action after receiving this information. Therefore, collaboration between the media and experts is so important because they complement each other,” he said.
During the workshop, the journalist had an opportunity to learn about global climate change threats from Professor Balaji Rajagopalan—an expert on hydrology, water resources, and fluid environmental mechanisms at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Additionally, USAID IUWASH Tangguh’s Water Resource Management Lead, Mr. Agus Hernadi, also shared with the journalists on multi-stakeholder strategies and collaboration to strengthen water resource management in the project’s sites. Aside from classroom sessions, the journalists also had opportunities to witness the real water threat in several areas experiencing the water crisis in Jakarta and Makassar. Those areas are Muara Angke urban village and Mangrove zone in North Jakarta as well as Tallo village in Makassar and Salenrang village in Maros.
Next, the journalists will prepare plans to develop articles to be published in their media. SISJ and CNN Indonesia Academy with a grant from the U.S. Embassy will fund the article development for 10 selected journalists.
Building on this workshop, USAID IUWASH Tangguh will intensify its partnership with the journalists participating in the Archipelago of Drought to socialize, promote, and advocate issues on water resource management and universal access to climate-resilient safely managed drinking water and sanitation access.
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