80 Journal of Contemporary Studies, Vol. XIII, No.

1, Summer 2024

MEDIA’S ROLE IN CLIMATE LITERACY:

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PAKISTAN
Fizza Hameed Khan & Dr Sobia Hanif

Abstract
This study examines the critical role of media in promoting climate
literacy in Pakistan, employing the agenda-setting theory. The
study argues that despite the increasing frequency and severity of
climate-related events in Pakistan over the years, a significant lack
of climate coverage exists within its media landscape. Through a
qualitative and analytical methodology, this research explores how
expanded climate journalism can effectively generate awareness
and engage the public in dialogues and actions on climate change.
Findings reveal the influential role of media in agenda-setting on
climate issues. The study concludes by advocating for a more
substantial commitment to climate journalism, highlighting the
importance of supporting capacity-building efforts for journalists
and fostering collaboration between media organizations, civil
society, and policymakers. By addressing the identified challenges
and harnessing the power of media, Pakistan can better address
the climate crisis and advance towards a more sustainable and
equitable future.
Keywords: Media, Climate literacy, Agenda setting, Public
perceptions, Climate journalism

Introduction

T
he contemporary global landscape is defined by a plethora of
problems predominated by non-traditional security challenges.
Beginning in the late 20th and early 21st century, climate change,
climate security, and climate change adaptation and mitigation have
emerged as urgent concerns. Despite contributing minimally to the
problem, small island states and developing countries face existential


Fizza Hameed Khan is a graduate Student at Department of International
Relations, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Email:
[email protected].

Dr Sobia Hanif is an Assistant Professor at Department of International
Relations, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Email:[email protected].
Media’s Role in Climate Literacy 81

threats due to unregulated emissions primarily from the Global North.

This disparity underscores the pressing need for international cooperation
and equitable solutions to address the climate crisis and safeguard the
most vulnerable populations from its far-reaching consequences.
The earth's temperature has risen by approximately 1.1°C since
the 1800s, primarily due to human-induced activities such as burning
fossil fuels. Despite international efforts outlined in the Paris Agreement to
limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with
aspirations to cap it at 1.5°C, the current trajectory indicates a shortfall in
meeting these targets. The 2023 UNEP Climate Change Synthesis Report
emphasizes this gap, warning of the dire consequences of surpassing the
1.5°C threshold, considered crucial for avoiding the worst fallout from
climate change.1 The years 2015-2019 have been recorded as the five
warmest years on record, with the decade spanning from 2010 to 2019 as
the warmest decade observed to date.2 These statistics highlight the
gravity of the crisis that the international community must deal with in the
coming years.
Equally, climate change presents an acute barrier to social,
environmental, and economic growth in developing nations like Pakistan.
The repercussions of this global phenomenon are already seen in the
country, which has witnessed a significant increase in the frequency of
droughts and flooding, irregular weather patterns, changes in agricultural
patterns, a decline in fresh water supplies, and a loss of biodiversity.3
Unfortunately, projections indicate that these impacts will only escalate in
the coming decades. Pakistan Country Climate and Development Report of
2022 suggests that climate-related events, environmental degradation,
and air pollution could collectively contribute to a significant economic
downturn, with Pakistan's GDP projected to shrink by 18-20% by the year
2050.4 Therefore, Pakistan needs to take substantial action to ensure
social, ecological, and environmental stability.
A multifaceted strategy that includes sustainable practices,
conservation measures, adaptation strategies, etc., needs to be

1 “Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report,” UNEP - UN Environment

Programme, n.d., https://www.unep.org/resources/report/climate-change-
2023-synthesis-report.
2 United Nations, “Key Findings United Nations,” United Nations, n.d.,
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/key-findings#temperature-
rise.
3 National Climate Change Policy (Islamabad: MoCC & EC, 2012),
https://mocc.gov.pk/Policies
4 Juan D. Barón Saher Asad and Juan D. Barón Saher Asad, “Turning Concern
into Action: Understanding Climate Change Attitudes in Pakistan,” World Bank
Blogs (blog), December 19, 2023, https://blogs.worldbank.org/
endpovertyinsouthasia/turning-concern-action-understanding-climate-
change-attitudes-pakistan.
82 Journal of Contemporary Studies, Vol. XIII, No.1, Summer 2024

implemented in Pakistan to address this growing problem. More

importantly, initiatives to promote awareness and create resilience at the
community level are critical for minimizing the effects of climate crises,
such as ecosystem loss and water, food, and energy insecurity. Identifying
the media's significant eminence as the "fourth estate,"5 and an instrument
for shaping public opinion, there is a strong case for Pakistan's
mainstream media to put climate journalism on its agenda. Given the
media's ability to shape perceptions, establish priorities, and disseminate
knowledge, it has the potential to play a critical role in shaping public
behavior in both adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change.6
Hence, climate change education and awareness is an important step that
needs to be initiated in Pakistan to ensure community-level engagement to
thwart the effects of climate change.
The research hypothesizes that a higher level of climate coverage
in the media correlates with increased climate literacy in Pakistan which
in turn, can contribute to the development of robust climate policies.
Conversely, in Pakistan’s case, a substantial lack of climate literacy is
attributed to low climate change coverage in the media. It is therefore
imperative that the media’s ability to educate and raise awareness in the
masses regarding climate change should be utilized effectively. By
fostering a more informed and engaged citizenry, media platforms have
the potential to influence public opinion and policymaking processes,
leading to more comprehensive and sustainable climate action at the
national level.
The methodology employed in this research includes interviews
with journalists and experts on climate change and document analysis of
secondary sources. It aims to provide a holistic understanding of the
intersection between climate journalism and climate literacy. Interviews
with journalists and experts allow for firsthand insights into the
challenges and opportunities faced in communicating climate change to
the public. These perspectives are necessary for understanding the
dynamics of media coverage, the framing of climate issues, and the
effectiveness of communication strategies. Additionally, the analysis of
secondary sources such as articles from environmental journals, policy
assessments, and reports from various organizations contribute new
insights to the field, which may assist policymakers, academia, journalists,
and professionals working in the field of environment to inform evidence-
based policy decisions aimed at improving climate literacy and
communication strategies.

5 A term initially coined by Edmund Burke in a parliamentary debate in the

House of Commons in 1787.
6 Sanaullah Khan and Raja Muhammad Khan, “Role of Media In Tackling
Climate change Issue–A Case Study Of Pakistan,” Margalla Papers 20, no. 1
(2016): 184–99.
Media’s Role in Climate Literacy 83

Theoretical Framework
The agenda-setting theory of mass communication, introduced by
Maxwell McComb and Donald Shaw, provides a framework for
understanding the influence that media has on public discourse. The
media influences how issues are presented in the news, affecting public
opinion. The media's selection and presentation of news shape the public's
perception of what is important and what is not by giving priority to some
issues over others through techniques such as news placement, emphasis,
duration, space, and repetition.
Maxwell McCombs identifies three models of the Agenda Setting
Theory, i.e, the Awareness Model, Salience Model, and Priorities Model.
According to the Awareness Model, an issue comes onto an individual's
agenda once it is viewed in the media. Individuals are unlikely to consider
it significant if the media does not cover an issue or topic. The priorities
model is a method of identifying the public’s priorities. In other words, the
media sets the agenda for public discussion and prioritizes some issues
over others. Individuals are likely to prioritize the same concerns
highlighted as significant by the media. The salience model falls in
between the awareness and priority models. According to this model,
individual preferences do not perfectly match those of the media.
However, some issues that are constantly covered in the media will get to
the top of people's priority lists.
Political and traditional security issues dominate the Pakistani
media, whereas coverage of issues related to climate change does not find
salience. In Pakistan, where climate change poses significant risks, the
media's ability to set the climate agenda is vital to fostering climate
literacy. By highlighting the urgency of climate change and its hazardous
effects on Pakistan, the media can shape public discourse, which also puts
pressure on policymakers to adopt climate-resilient policies that are in
line with national interests. In this study, we argue that the agenda-setting
function of the media positively impacts climate literacy which in turn, is
associated with effective climate change policies at the national level. As
per the awareness model, the Pakistani media can shape public
understanding and knowledge on climate change, influence public
discourse towards effective adaptation as well as mitigation of climate
change in the long term, and thereby contribute towards policy-making
and initiatives regarding climate change.

Literature Review
The need for climate change literacy has emerged as a critical
component in the adaptive response to the ongoing environmental crisis.
While there has been a discernible rise in knowledge about climate change
over the past decade, the present levels of climate literacy in Pakistan
remain dismally poor. Given Pakistan's increased susceptibility to the
84 Journal of Contemporary Studies, Vol. XIII, No.1, Summer 2024

consequences of climate change, a heightened emphasis on developing

climate awareness within the general public has become imperative. With
this backdrop, media appears as a potent medium for disseminating
information, given its vast potential to reach an extensive audience
simultaneously. Leveraging media channels can help foster a better
understanding of climate change and the critical need for adaptation and
mitigation actions amid the looming crisis. This literature review explores
the existing research on climate literacy in Pakistan and places the current
study within the broader research context by filling in hitherto unexplored
gaps, i.e., the role of media in enhancing climate literacy and the challenges
to effective climate journalism in Pakistan.
Azam Jan, Tariq Anwar Khan, and Muhammad Imran Mahsud
explore the underlying reasons behind the lack of success of government-
led climate-related policies and laws in Pakistan in their work, “The
Climate Change Awareness and Literacy in Pakistan: Role of Media and
Social Actors.”7 The study utilizes the Cultural Theory of Risk to assess the
role of various social actors in promoting climate literacy in Pakistan,
including educational institutions, civil society, local government, health
workers programs, and the media. Employing a qualitative, descriptive,
and analytical methodology, it identifies inadequate climate literacy as one
of the key reasons for the failures of such policies. Additionally, poor
climate awareness is attributed to the paucity of political will, absence of a
climate curriculum, lack of a national program for climate awareness, and
insufficiency of media initiatives. Although the research highlights the role
of various social actors in generating climate literacy, it does not
undertake a detailed analysis of the role of the media nor its associated
challenges in promoting climate literacy in Pakistan.
Similarly, Komal Ahmed underscores the role of media and
education in creating climate awareness in “Role of Media in Creating
Awareness with Respect to Climate Change,”8 wherein she conducts a
survey of 199 respondents to collect data on climate literacy and the role
of media. The findings highlight climate illiteracy and ignorance amongst
the general public, educated groups, and key players. Based on the findings
of the survey, the author advocates for dedicated segments to generate the
public’s climate awareness but also warns against the oversaturation of
such types of content in the media. The study is largely a measure of public
perception regarding the risks of climate change. However, it fails to

7 Azam Jan and Tariq Anwar Khan, “The Climate Change Awareness and
Literacy in Pakistan: Role of Media and Social Actors,” Liberal Arts & Social
Sciences International Journal 4, no. 2 (December 28, 2020): 256–66,
https://doi.org/10.47264/idea.lassij/4.2.20.
8 Komal Ahmed, “Role of Media Creating Awareness with Respect to Climate
Change,” Pakistan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 10, no. 1
(February 13, 2022): 77–88, https://doi.org/10.52131/pjhss.2022.1001.
0176.
Media’s Role in Climate Literacy 85

highlight the challenges faced by the media and climate journalists in

Pakistan and the requisite measures that need to be undertaken to address
these challenges.
“Understanding Influences, Misinformation, And Fact-Checking
Concerning Climate Change Journalism in Pakistan,” authored by Waqas
Ijaz, Muhammad Ittefaq, and Muhammad Arif uses a qualitative study
design characterized by semi-structured interviews to identify three
themes i.e. pervasive influences on climate journalism, perception of
misinformation as low priority topic and the inconsistency in use of fact-
checking. They find that various influences shape climate journalism in
Pakistan, varying from a lack of journalist expertise, influence of western
models of climate journalism, and self-censorship because of advertisers
and corporations.9 More so, there is a lack of fact-checking among climate
journalists because of the perception among them that misinformation
doesn’t exist.10 Whereas, the research assesses the influences on climate
journalism and the prevalence of misinformation due to a lack of fact-
checking, it does not focus on the role of media on climate literacy and the
impact of these challenges on climate awareness in Pakistan.
Sajid Manzoor and Arshad Ali gather detailed insights from
journalists on climate reporting in Pakistan using a qualitative
interviewing approach in their work, titled “Media and Climate Change in
Pakistan: Perception of the Journalists in Mainstream Media.”11 They find
that this subject is underreported and is dealt with reactively instead of
assuming a proactive stance towards it. The authors also outline various
challenges faced by journalists in climate reporting, such as inadequate
resources and training, lack of access to reliable data, and deficit of
structural support from media houses to climate journalists.12 While the
study sheds light on the major impediments faced by journalists regarding
climate reporting, the study does not link it with climate literacy in
Pakistan.
Sanaullah Khan and Raja Muhammad Khan’s co-authored research
titled “Role of Media in Tackling Climate Change Issue - A Case Study of
Pakistan.” employs a qualitative approach to analyze the complexities
surrounding climate change. It utilizes the agenda-setting theory to
explain the influence of media on public opinion regarding climate change

9 Waqas Ejaz, Muhammad Ittefaq, and Muhammad Arif, “Understanding

Influences, Misinformation, and Fact-Checking Concerning Climate-Change
Journalism in Pakistan,” Journalism Practice 16, no. 2–3 (August 31, 2021):
404–24, https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.1972029.
10 Ibid.
11 Sajid Manzoor and Arshad Ali, “Media and Climate Change in Pakistan:
Perception of the Journalists in Mainstream Media,” Journal of South Asian
Studies 9, no. 2 (August 31, 2021): 133–41, https://doi.org/10.33687/
jsas.009.02.3786.
12 Ibid.
86 Journal of Contemporary Studies, Vol. XIII, No.1, Summer 2024

and highlights its potential to influence climate action in Pakistan.13 The

study concludes that media is a potent tool in shaping public opinion on
climate change and driving environmental action towards climate
sustainability.14 While Khan and Khan's work provides useful insights, by
employing the agenda-setting theory, more current and targeted research
is needed to fill the gap by diving into the current state of climate literacy
in Pakistan, with a focus on the media's role in it. The article also
demonstrates how media can strategically cover climate change to
increase its significance in the public mind, thus implicitly utilizing the
agenda-setting theory's salience model. This strategy emphasizes how
important it is for the media to get more involved in promoting awareness
and action on climate-related issues in Pakistan.
An overview of the existing literature emphasizes the need for
increased climate change literacy in Pakistan given its acute vulnerability.
Prior studies point towards the media's critical role in fulfilling this
responsibility, given its ability to disseminate information and create
awareness on issues of public concern at a large scale. This study however
goes further by establishing the link between climate journalism and
climate literacy in Pakistan. The study utilizes the awareness model to
analyze the role of media in creating awareness in the general public and
how the media’s increased coverage of climate change issues can enhance
the public's climate literacy levels. It also assesses the challenges faced by
climate journalists and suggests possible pathways to address them
thereby contributing to a new dimension of study within the existing body
of research.

Pakistan’s Vulnerability to Climate Change:

Over the past two decades, Pakistan has consistently featured
among the top 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change.15 The
country faces rates of warming considerably above the global average with
a potential rise of 1.3°C–4.9°C by the 2090s over the 1986–2005 baseline.
Projections indicate a greater number of people likely to be affected by
flooding, with an increase of around 5 million people exposed to extreme
river floods by 2035–2044. Moreover, there is a risk of around 1 million
people being exposed annually to coastal flooding by 2070–2100,

13 Sanaullah Khan and Raja Muhammad Khan, “Role of Media in Tackling

Climate change Issue–A Case Study Of Pakistan,” Margalla Papers 20, no. 1
(2016): 184–99.
14 Ibid.
15 Jumaina Siddiqui, “Pakistan’s Climate Challenges Pose a National Security
Emergency,” United States Institute of Peace, July 7, 2022,
https://www.usip.org/publications/2022/07/pakistans-climate-challenges-
pose-national-security-emergency.
Media’s Role in Climate Literacy 87

according to a 2021 report by the World Bank Group and the Asian
Development Bank Climate Risk Country Profile of Pakistan.16
In recent years, Pakistan has experienced severe heat waves, with
temperatures soaring above 120 0F in certain areas, breaking the record
for more than six decades. In 2022, the extreme rise in temperature
triggered widespread flooding and infrastructure damage in Gilgit-
Baltistan while exacerbating water shortages in Karachi and other parts of
the Sindh province.17 Future climate change projections, based on the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report
(IPCC-AR5) Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) scenarios,
show that the average rise in temperature over Pakistan, by the end of the
century, will be about 1°C higher compared to the global average.18 These
trends underscore the urgent need for Pakistan to implement
comprehensive climate adaptation strategies to safeguard its people and
economy from escalating climate risks.
The IPCC’s sixth assessment report (AR6) found that regions and
people with considerable development constraints have a high
vulnerability to climatic hazards. This illustration of individual studies of
risks to living standards and the conditions under which they could
become severe in terms of aggregate economic output, poverty, and
livelihoods found that Pakistan is a highly vulnerable state.19 The
University of Notre Dame's ND-GAIN country index ranking also observed
that Pakistan has a high vulnerability and poor preparedness score,
reflecting a critical need for greater investment and innovation to improve
preparedness.20 These findings highlight Pakistan's urgent need for
targeted investments and innovative strategies to enhance its resilience
and preparedness against climate risks.
Over the past decades, increased extreme weather occurrences
such as floods, droughts, glacial lake outbursts, cyclones, and heat waves
have impeded social and economic development in Pakistan.21 Pakistan

16 “Climate Risk Country Profile: Pakistan,” World Bank Group and Asian
Development Bank, 2021, https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files
/publication/ 700916/climate-risk-country-profile-pakistan.pdf.
17 Ibid.
18 Hafiz Muhammad Azeem, “Climate Change: Causes, Outcomes in Pakistan and
a Way Forward,” Daily Times, September 24, 2019,
https://dailytimes.com.pk/472217/.
19 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate Change 2022 – Impacts,
Adaptation and Vulnerability, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1017/
9781009325844.
20 University of Notre Dame, “ND-GAIN Country Index,” Notre Dame Global
Adaptation Initiative, n.d., https://gain.nd.edu/.
21 Zakir Hussain, “Climate Change in Pakistan: Impacts, Strategies, and the Way
Forward,” Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review 6, no. I (March 31,
2022), https://doi.org/10.47205/plhr.2022(6-i)16.
88 Journal of Contemporary Studies, Vol. XIII, No.1, Summer 2024

has seen significant flooding occurrences since 2010, particularly in 2010

and 2022. One-fifth of the nation was impacted by the 2010 floods, which
caused over 6 million people to be displaced and about 2,000 fatalities.22
The 2022 floods that devastated the country resulted in damages
exceeding USD 14.9 billion and total economic losses of around USD 15.2
billion. The floods harmed 33 million people and caused more than 1730
fatalities.23 The flood waters remained stagnant in many regions, with
more than 8 million displaced people facing a health emergency.
Torrential downpours and flash floods in March 2023 caused massive
damages and fatalities in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.24
Destructions were reported in June 2023 in the regions of Bannu, Lakki
Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, and Karak as a result of high winds, lightning
strikes, and heavy rain.25 Additionally, storms in Balochistan Province in
April of the same year triggered flash floods in several districts. 26
In August 2023, high-level floods were witnessed in the Sutlej
River in the district of Vehari which rendered thousands homeless, and
disconnected land routes of various settlements.27 High-level flooding
occurred in Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Minchanabad, Bahwalnagar and
Chishtian. Around 100 villages in Pakpattan district were inundated and
20,000 settlers faced evacuations.28 At present, heavy rainfall has affected
southern Pakistan, caused floods, and led to casualties and damage.
According to media reports, multiple deaths and injuries were reported
due to severe flash flooding in Karachi City, Sindh Province.29
These extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts,
floods, and cyclones, are occurring more frequently in Pakistan as a result

22 Urooj Fatima Zaidi, “WWF Reports Differences between 2010 and 2022
Floods,” The Diplomatic Insight, September 7, 2022,
https://thediplomaticinsight.com/wwf-reports-differences-between-2010-
and-2022-floods/#google_vignette.
23 Mariam Altaf, “Pakistan: Flood Damages and Economic Losses Over USD 30
Billion and Reconstruction Needs Over USD 16 Billion - New Assessment,”
Press release, October 28, 2022, https://www.worldbank.org/en/
news/press-release/2022/10/28.
24 Richard Davies, “Pakistan – 11 Dead as Rain and Flash Floods Cause Houses to
Collapse in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” April 3, 2023, https://floodlist.com/asia/.
25 Richard Davies, “Pakistan – Flash Floods and Strong Winds Leave over 20
Dead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” June 12, 2023, https://floodlist.com/asia/.
26 Richard Davies, “Pakistan – Deadly Floods in Balochistan Province,” May 1,
2023, https://floodlist.com/asia/.
27 Shahid Mirza, “Sutlej Flooding Renders Thousands Homeless in Vehari,” The
Express Tribune, August 24, 2023.
28 “High Flood in Sutlej River Inundates Villages, Farmlands,” The News
International, August 28, 2023, https://www.thenews.com.pk/
print/1104476-high-flood-in-sutlej-river-inundates-villages-farmlands.
29 “Daily Flash,” n.d., https://erccportal.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ECHO-Products/Echo-
Flash#/daily-flash-archive/4995.
Media’s Role in Climate Literacy 89

of climate change. Floods are among the extreme weather occurrences

that climate change has made more recurrent and severe in Pakistan.
Changes in temperature, precipitation patterns, and the melting of glaciers
in the Himalayas - the source of the majority of the nation's rivers, are
already being felt in the country.30 The alarming vulnerability statistics
and recurrent disastrous catastrophes in Pakistan show the urgent need
for comprehensive measures for mitigating the effects of climate change
and strengthening resilience across the country.

Source: Climate Risk Country Profile: Pakistan – WB and ADB 31

Climate Literacy in Pakistan

Climate literacy is recognized to have a critical role in reducing
emissions and adapting to climate change. Hence, it is critical to
disseminate information about the anthropogenic causes and the impacts
of climate change. Such awareness not only improves individual
comprehension but also increases the ability of both human and
institutional resources to effectively address environmental deterioration.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a key U.S.
federal agency, defines climate literacy as.
“… the profound comprehension of one's impact on climate and the
reciprocal influence of climate on individuals and society. A climate-
literate individual possesses a foundational understanding of the Earth's
climate system, possesses the ability to critically evaluate scientifically
credible climate information, communicates about climate change with
efficacy, and is equipped to make informed and responsible decisions
affecting the climate.”32
The importance of climate literacy is also resonated by the United
Nations' Sustainable Development Goals in SDG 13, Target 13.3, which
argues explicitly for improved education, awareness-raising, and human

30 Zakir Hussain, “Climate Change in Pakistan: Impacts, Strategies, and the Way
Forward,” Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review 6, no. I (March 31,
2022), https://doi.org/10.47205/plhr.2022(6-i)16.
31 “Climate Risk Country Profile: Pakistan,” Asian Development Bank, May 24,
2021, https://www.adb.org/publications/.
32 “What Is Climate Science Literacy?” NOAA Climate.gov, n.d.,
https://www.climate.gov/teaching/what-is-climate-science-literacy.
90 Journal of Contemporary Studies, Vol. XIII, No.1, Summer 2024

and institutional capacity in areas like climate change mitigation,

adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning systems.33 Climate change
literacy is a central component for building human and institutional
capacity to reduce the adverse consequences resulting from climate
change.
A 2021 report by UNICEF “Rising to the Challenge: Youth
Perspectives on Climate Change and Education in Pakistan,” showcased
the low levels of climate literacy in Pakistan.34 The report found that only
27% of respondents in Pakistan could explain climate change whereas,
73% of the respondents were unaware of the phenomenon. The survey
that compared people’s knowledge about climate change across all South
Asian countries found that climate literacy in Pakistan was well below the
regional average of 36 % and the lowest amongst all the reporting
countries. These numbers underscore significantly low levels of literacy
among the general public of Pakistan, reiterating the fact that the
government needs to take substantial steps toward climate sustainability.
The low climate awareness and literacy in Pakistan are attributed
to a lack of political will and commitment. Despite global concerns about
climate change, the country lacks a national-level program dedicated to
climate awareness. Additionally, the education system, considered the
foundation for public awareness, has not adapted to address emerging
needs, with climate change notably absent from the national curriculum. 35
As part of the Clean Green Pakistan Movement, WaterAid Pakistan in
association with the Federal Directorate of Education and the Ministry of
Climate Change has started the Clean Green School Programme (CGSP) in
Islamabad, to bring climate literacy and environmental education into
schools through innovative and relevant action-based learning.36 UNESCO
published a guidance report in 2024 on the importance of greening
curriculum and how it can transform climate action.37 Pakistan's education
system primarily emphasizes job-oriented aspects, neglecting broader

33 “Sustainable Development Goal 13,” United Nations Department of Economic

and Social Affairs Sustainable Development, n.d., https://sdgs.un.org/goals/
goal13#targets_and_indicators.
34 “Rising to the Challenge: Youth Perspectives on Climate Change and Education
in Pakistan,” UNICEF, April, 2021, https://www.unicef.org/rosa/media/
13991/.
35 Azam Jan and Tariq Anwar Khan, “The Climate Change Awareness and
Literacy in Pakistan: Role of Media and Social Actors,” Liberal Arts & Social
Sciences International Journal 4, no. 2 (December 28, 2020): 256–66,
https://doi.org/10.47264/idea.lassij/4.2.20.
36 “Clean Green School Programme,” Water Aid Pakistan, n.d.,
https://www.wateraid.org/pk/clean-green-school-programme.
37 “Greening Curriculum Guidance: Teaching and Learning for Climate Action,”
UNESCO, June 6, 2024, https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/greening-
curriculum-guidance-teaching-and-learning-climate-action.
Media’s Role in Climate Literacy 91

environmental concerns.38 Thus, taking robust policy measures to

integrate climate education is a necessity in the case of Pakistan.
Low climate change literacy in Pakistan is a major problem that
requires immediate action. Inadequate knowledge of climate change issues
impedes effective adaptation as well as mitigation measures. Enhanced
climate literacy is critical for raising awareness and promoting informed
action to combat the country's rising climate change consequences.
Improved education and awareness initiatives are essential for
empowering communities, politicians, and individuals to make informed
decisions, promote sustainable behaviors, and build resilience to the
challenges posed by climate change.

Role of Media in Climate Literacy

The news media, particularly in developing nations plays a crucial
role in increasing people's understanding, as well as their ability to make
informed decisions and participate in civic activities, by providing access
to information and knowledge. The media greatly influence perceptions of
the public and their willingness to take action. By disseminating accurate
and timely information, media can enable individuals to make informed
decisions about their personal, political, and social actions.39 This is
particularly crucial in the context of the climate crisis, where informed
decision-making is vital for effective adaptation measures and mitigation
in the long run.
Digital media, especially in the current age is a powerful tool for
disseminating information and raising awareness regarding climate
change. A survey conducted in 2021 by the UNDP, Viamo, and the Ministry
of Climate Change found that 43% of young people (ages 19 to 34) who
had digital access showed a high level of understanding of climate change.
This rate fell to 10% for individuals without cell phones, underlining the
importance of digital access for climate literacy.40 The findings highlight
the importance of information availability and electronic media in raising
youth’s awareness about climate change. While mainstream media has
often been found lacking in assuming the responsibilities of climate
literacy, social media has played a relatively more constructive role in
improving youth engagement on climate change. With greater access to
information through digital platforms, young people are increasingly
engaged in discussions on climate issues, learning about global efforts and

38 Azam Jan and Tariq Anwar Khan, “The Climate Change Awareness and
Literacy in Pakistan: Role of Media and Social Actors,” Liberal Arts & Social
Sciences International Journal 4, no. 2 (December 28, 2020): 256–66,
https://doi.org/10.47264/idea.lassij/4.2.20.
39 Rafay Alam, interview by Fizza Hameed Khan, December 15, 2023.
40 Huma Yusuf, “Climate Discourse,” Dawn, August 8, 2022.
92 Journal of Contemporary Studies, Vol. XIII, No.1, Summer 2024

multilateral engagements, and advocating for action on climate change.41

The findings highlight the importance of information availability and
electronic media in raising the youth’s awareness about climate
change.However, climate coverage has been limited in Pakistan due to the
low interest of viewers in this topic. Over the years, there has been a
practice in Pakistan that news that does not promote sensationalism and
improve TRP ratings for TV channels is often filtered out in the process of
gatekeeping.42 Consequently, climate change receives minimal coverage in
the Pakistani media, highlighting the need for a shift in priorities to
address this crucial environmental issue.43 Climate journalism may
successfully push climate action to the fore by continuously spreading the
word regarding the crisis to promote sustainable action among
communities.44
The media’s role in increasing climate literacy amplifies public
pressure to resist unsustainable policies and practices. The shift in Saudi
Arabia's stance on the fossil fuel agreement at COP28 underscores the
influential role of media, particularly social media, in shaping
governmental policies and decisions on critical issues such as transitioning
away from fossil fuels.45 The Saudi government was faced with
considerable pressure when its reluctance was met with public opposition
through social media and it was reported in international media outlets
such as the New York Times, Guardian, BBC, etc, compelling Saudi Arabia
to maneuver itself out of the situation. Likewise, the plans for the Adani
Carmichael coal project in Australia46 and the Keystone XL oil pipeline
from Canada to the US,47 were met with intense public opposition owing to
environmental concerns, leading financial institutions to withdraw
support and governments annulling project permits respectively,
indicating the influence of popular opposition to unsustainable schemes.
These cases demonstrate how public pressure and backlash in the media
sphere can compel governments and institutions to reconsider their
positions and ultimately take action aligned with public sentiments and
international agreements. Thus, the media can shift the discourse in favor

41 Zofeen Ebrahim, Freelance Environmental Journalist, interview by Fizza

Hameed Khan, December 11, 2024.
42 Rafay Alam, interview by Fizza Hameed Khan, December 15, 2023.
43 Ibid.
44 Laura Quiñones, “Five Ways Media and Journalists Can Support Climate
Action While Tackling Misinformation,” UN News, October 3, 2021,
https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/10/1129162.
45 Rafay Alam, interview by Fizza Hameed Khan, December 15, 2023.
46 Matthew Hall, “Adani’s Carmichael Coal Mine Controversy Explained,” Mining
Technology, July 27, 2020, https://www.mining-technology.com/features/
47 Melissa Denchak and Courtney Lindwall, “What Is the Keystone XL Pipeline?”
Natural Resources Defense Council, March 15, 2022, https://www.nrdc.org/
stories/.
Media’s Role in Climate Literacy 93

of sustainable climate action and create a bottom-up pressure to move

Pakistan towards ecological sustainability. Pakistan needs to invest in
public awareness campaigns; both media campaigns as well as in-person
awareness sessions, to enhance public understanding on climate change.
The public needs to be made aware of the specific impacts of global
warming, such as rising sea levels, melting glaciers, and increasingly
severe storms, to alter their assessment of the severity of the problem.48
Therefore, media has a major impact on promulgating climate knowledge
to various communities and can reach multiple zones simultaneously.

Challenges to Climate Journalism in Pakistan

Climate journalism in Pakistan encounters numerous challenges
leading to a significant lack of reporting on environmental issues and
thereby impeding the formation of a strong narrative on environmental
concerns in Pakistan's media landscape. Traditionally, Pakistani
mainstream media was primarily focused on issues related to politics,
security and economics. Focus on climate change stories increased
marginally with time, which is attributed to extensive climate journalism
in international media, but there is still a lack of significant emphasis on
this issue. The importance of this subject has increased in the past two
decades with growth in column space and air time, but unfortunately, the
reporting has been disaster-centric and it remains a difficult subject to
write on.”49 Climate journalism surged in Pakistan abruptly after the floods
of 2010. Some climate stories published were nuanced, but testimonial
journalism and quotative reporting prevailed, covering what federal
authorities were narrating, instead of thorough climate journalism.50
Hence, climate journalism and the media’s role in climate literacy has
remained marginal ultimately resulting in a reduced knowledge of climate
change.
Episodic Framing of Climate Stories
The general public is reliant on the media for the events happening
around them as it does not have direct access to primary information
about climate-related occurrences. This dependence provides space for
the newsroom to frame an issue in a way that influences the audience in a

48 Sarah Pralle, “Agenda-Setting and Climate Change,” Environmental Politics 18,

no. 5 (September 1, 2009): 781–99, https://doi.org/ 10.1080/
09644010903157115.
49 Zofeen Ebrahim, Freelance Environmental Journalist, Interview by Fizza
Hameed Khan, December 11, 2024.
50 Afia Salam, Environmental Journalist, Interview by Fizza Hameed Khan,
January 13, 2024.
94 Journal of Contemporary Studies, Vol. XIII, No.1, Summer 2024

particular manner, limiting the public debate on it accordingly.51 "In their

study 'Pakistani Print Media and Climate Literacy: A Study of Formal-
Stylistic Frame Analysis During 2018-19,' Saleem and Rahman provided
significant insights into the framing strategies used by the Daily Jang and
Dawn papers and found that the predominant framing approach used in
both Dawn and Jang newspapers for climate and environment news
articles is episodic, with 87.4% in Dawn and 98.6% in Jang. Meanwhile, the
thematic framing approach constituted only 12.6% of Dawn’s and 1.4% of
Jang’s. The news articles categorized under episodic framing focused on
providing information about the impact of climate-related incidents on
people's lives and infrastructure.52 The frames that media selects to
broadcast climate stories should be thematic and technical, and they
should be framed in a manner to describe the interdependency of various
issues with climate change as well. This is because episodic framing and
reactive reporting of climate disasters do not enhance climate awareness
among the masses. Desensitized Media Gatekeepers.
Editors and producers often overlook climate-related news
because of their limited knowledge about the issue. There is a lack of
emphasis on investigative journalism for climate stories, thereby leading
to reduced investigative reporting and feature writing on climate change.53
Afia Salam, a Pakistani environmental journalist highlights the editorial
dichotomy between reporters and editors. She contends that while efforts
are directed towards reporter training, insufficient awareness among
editors and directors is leading to frustration among the reporters, with
climate stories sometimes allocated inappropriate time slots or subjected
to harsh editing. Salam calls for reforms in journalism standards, arguing
that sensitizing editors to climate change is critical as it would lead to
correct reporter assignment, column space allocation, and airtime
allotment for climate-related topics.54 Therefore, investment towards
sensitizing directors and editors needs to be made to ensure more

51 Sajid Manzoor and Arshad Ali, “Media and Climate Change in Pakistan:
Perception of the Journalists in Mainstream Media,” Journal of South Asian
Studies 9, no. 2 (August 31, 2021): 133–41, https://doi.org/ 10.33687/
jsas.009.02.3786.
52 Syed Muhammad Saqib Saleem and Bushra Hameedur Rahman, “Pakistani
Print Media and Climate Literacy: A Study of Formal-Stylistic Frame Analysis
during 2018-19,” Research Journal for Societal Issues 5, no. 1 (April 1, 2023):
113–37, https://doi.org/10.56976/rjsi.v5i1.61.
53 Sajid Manzoor and Arshad Ali, “Media and Climate Change in Pakistan:
Perception of the Journalists in Mainstream Media,” Journal of South Asian
Studies 9, no. 2 (August 31, 2021): 133–41, https://doi.org/
10.33687/jsas.009.02.3786
54 Afia Salam, Environmental Journalist, Interview by Fizza Hameed Khan,
January 13, 2024.
Media’s Role in Climate Literacy 95

informed and aware gatekeepers can circulate climate knowledge among

the public thereby enhancing the levels of climate literacy in Pakistan.
Corporate Monopoly
News channels trying to avoid castigation at the hands of
corporations also impact climate coverage. As businesses try to control
and exercise influence over media narratives to safeguard their interests,
this leads to a pattern of self-censorship regarding ecologically
detrimental behaviors to avoid associated costs. In a study titled
“Understanding Influences, Misinformation, and Fact-Checking Concerning
Climate Change Journalism in Pakistan,” Ejaz and Ittefaq concluded that
advertisers and corporations have a certain level of influence over climate
journalism.55 Advertisers and corporations significantly influence the
news stories on environmental issues, as they have a monopoly over
resources that the media organizations rely on. Advertisers have the
power to shape media coverage that aligns with their interests, potentially
leading to biased or favorable portrayals of certain topics or entities.
However, the media landscape has transformed in recent times as a
greater number of audiences are moving away from traditional media
towards digital media. With this transformation, many journalists have
also shifted towards digital media, where they are independent of
corporate advertisements.56 Journalists now have new avenues for climate
journalism where feature writing and investigative journalism on climate
change is feasible. Therefore journalists and media personnel must put
immense effort into navigating corporate monopoly to effectively diffuse
climate knowledge to the masses and create climate change awareness in
Pakistan.
Barriers to Scientific Data on Climate Change
Restricted access to information and the lower news value of
environmental topics, eclipsed by political domination act as two major
barriers to journalists' thorough reporting. Access to valid and verifiable
data is a major problem for climate journalists as organizations working
on climate change usually hold data close to their chest and academic
research is not openly accessible to journalists, leading to stories lacking
substance.57 Therefore, technological and interaction hurdles must be
effectively overcome to capacitate journalists with access to information
and experts on climate change. There also exists a gap of understanding

55 Waqas Ejaz, Muhammad Ittefaq, and Muhammad Arif, “Understanding

Influences, Misinformation, and Fact-Checking Concerning Climate-Change
Journalism in Pakistan,” Journalism Practice 16, no. 2–3 (August 31, 2021):
404–24, https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.1972029.
56 Afia Salam, Environmental Journalist, Interview by Fizza Hameed Khan,
January 13, 2024.
57 Ibid.
96 Journal of Contemporary Studies, Vol. XIII, No.1, Summer 2024

between the journalists and experts. A shared understanding of the

intersectionality of climate-related issues hinders journalist-scientist
collaboration.58 Journalists working on the science of climate change, have
to deal with the inability of the majority of the experts, to communicate to
the journalists at the level of their understanding. Journalists are unable to
understand the technical jargon of the people of science. Thus, there needs
to be some kind of bridge to allow the journalists to not only understand
the science and the actual conversation about climate change but also to
enable them to make it more comprehensible for the audience as well.”59
By doing so, we are creating a coherence in the flow of information from
the experts to the public via climate journalists.

Way Forward for Pakistan

Pakistan is among the most vulnerable nations to climate change.
According to the worldwide climate index, Pakistan ranks as the eighth
most vulnerable country to the effects of climate change despite its meager
contributions to global emissions.60 Thus, the enormity of the climate
crisis, particularly for Pakistan, requires a holistic strategy in journalism as
well. Pakistan's mainstream and new media can augment the importance
of issues related to climate in public discourse through recurrent coverage.
Persistent featuring of nuanced climate-related reports, for instance,
media coverage of extreme weather occurrences, climate change policy
debates, debates on scientific reports, and events that are interconnected
with the issue of climate change, will influence the audience's perception
of the importance of these topics.
Climate illiteracy cannot be viably addressed through individual
reporting by a single media organization. Collective journalism is an
effective strategy for overcoming corporate monopolistic exercise over
media coverage and increasing the salience of climate change among the
public of Pakistan.61 By collectively investigating and exposing instances of
pollution, deforestation, and other environmentally harmful activities,
media outlets can create pressure, for corporations to adopt more
sustainable practices. The Engro Thar Block II Power Plant project is an
example of effective collective journalism. The power plant construction
received criticism and opposition, largely because it relied on coal, which
raised environmental concerns about air pollution, deforestation, and the
impact on nearby communities. As the project was extremely
controversial, with environmentalists and local people opposing it,

58 Ibid.
59 Ibid.
60 “Environment and Climate Change,” UNDP, https://www.undp.org/pakistan/
environment-and-climate-change.
61 Zofeen Ebrahim, freelance environmental journalist, Interview by Fizza
Hameed Khan, December 11, 2024.
Media’s Role in Climate Literacy 97

consequently Engro was compelled to invest in social responsibility

activities i.e. funding education, healthcare, and infrastructure initiatives
to show a commitment to the well-being of the community affected by the
project. Similarly, collective journalism on various media channels can
encourage corporate accountability in Pakistan, prevent castigation, and
increase issue salience on the public’s agenda. Thus, consistent media
advocacy can lead to positive consequences.
The collaboration between media outlets and international
organizations like the United Nations, NGOs and civil society organizations
dedicated to climate advocacy is a key step in incentivizing increased
climate journalism. A cohort of young journalists was formed by WaterAid,
where they had to engage in writing pieces on WASH-related issues in
Pakistan. This fellowship not only provided financial incentives to the
journalists but also heightened their interest in continuing to write on this
topic.62 Thus, collaborations of this kind can simultaneously address the
problem of inadequacy of resources while also providing avenues to train
groups of journalists to work on climate and environmental advocacy.
Reporters can present verified data where different narratives are
voiced to allow the audience to comprehend and build an opinion on the
issue at hand. Climate reports can be linked with other issues such as
health, economy, or social justice, highlighting their interdependence, thus
drawing the attention of the masses.63 Journalists can creatively present
climate news by linking them with topics that attract the interest of the
general public. In addressing pertinent subjects like climate change, it is
critical to strike a balance between pessimistic and solution-based
reporting.64 While it is necessary to emphasize the gravity and potential
repercussions of environmental concerns, concentrating entirely on doom
and gloom might instill sentiments of despair and disempowerment in the
audience. Incorporating solution-based reporting not only gives a broader
perspective but also enables individuals and communities to take positive
action.
More so, a critical distinction between the impacts of climate
change and the consequences of environmentally unsustainable practices,
particularly in the context of urban infrastructure and management, needs
to be emphasized for public consumption. While climate change
undoubtedly contributes to irregular weather patterns and extreme events
such as heavy rains, it is essential to recognize that local factors, such as
inadequate urban planning, poor infrastructure maintenance, and
negligent municipal authorities, can exacerbate these challenges. In
instances where choked sewerages lead to flash flooding, the root causes

62 Ibid.
63 Afia Salam, environmental journalist, Interview by Fizza Hameed Khan,
January 13, 2024.
64 Ibid.
98 Journal of Contemporary Studies, Vol. XIII, No.1, Summer 2024

may indeed be more closely tied to local governance failures and

insufficient infrastructure rather than solely attributed to climate
change.65 Addressing these issues on media platforms will enhance
targeted interventions, such as improving drainage systems, investing in
sustainable urban development, and enhancing disaster preparedness and
response mechanisms.
Environmental and climate issues should not merely be published
in the form of news articles or debates. Instead, media channels can utilize
compelling visuals, like the film “Erin Brockovich” to reach all of our
demographics.66 Through visual storytelling, documentaries, like David
Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet, creative news reports, and
educational programs, media outlets can raise awareness about the
urgency of the climate crisis and educate the public about climate change,
its causes, and its potential impacts on Pakistan's environment, economy,
and society.

Conclusion
Pakistan is highly vulnerable to the devastating effects of climate
change, ranking as the eighth most vulnerable country worldwide. Over
the last two decades, the country has experienced severe climate-related
disasters such as heat waves, floods, droughts, and cyclones, which have
killed thousands of people and caused billions of dollars in economic
losses. Future climate projections show that Pakistan's temperature will
rise faster than the global average by the end of the century.
However, a significant impediment to effective climate action in
Pakistan is a lack of climate literacy among the general public. The media
plays an important role in increasing climate literacy in Pakistan.
However, climate journalism in the country faces several challenges,
including episodic framing of climate stories, desensitized media
gatekeepers, a corporate monopoly on media narratives, and limited
access to scientific data. These factors have resulted in a significant lack of
environmental reporting and hampered the development of a strong
narrative on climate concerns in Pakistan's media landscape.
To address these challenges, Pakistan needs to invest in public
awareness campaigns, including both media campaigns and in-person
awareness sessions. The media should continue to cover nuanced climate-
related stories, including extreme weather events, climate policy debates,
scientific reports, and events related to climate change. Collective
journalism can also be an effective strategy for overcoming corporate
monopolistic influence over media coverage and raising the salience of
climate change among the public. Pakistan can take a significant step

65 Afia Salam, environmental journalist, Interview by Fizza Hameed Khan,

January 13, 2024.
66 Ibid.
Media’s Role in Climate Literacy 99

toward resilience and adaptation to the escalating climate risks it faces by

addressing climate literacy barriers and increasing public awareness
through timely and effective media strategies. To protect the country's
people and economy, urgent action is required to introduce climate
literacy at the national level as well as implement comprehensive climate
adaptation as well as plans.