Participants holding their certificate and organizers of the training at the end of the four days workshop. (photo: TNF)

The CAMCA project focuses on the effects of environmental and climate change on migratory species , including the snow leopard, argali sheep, Bukhara deer, Asiatic ibex, Tian Shan maral, and Tian Shan brown bear. These species are primarily found in mountainous regions, with natural habitats generally far from human settlements. With the changing climate, the availability of resources such as forage and water is fluctuating. These changes are also affecting people throughout Central Asia and Tajikistan.

Herding is a common activity among communities in rural and mountainous areas. Raising livestock such as sheep, goats, or cows provides a steady income  because of the high demand for meat in Tajikistan. Unfortunately, with a changing environment, competition for resources is increasing, leading to a rise in human-wildlife conflicts.

Such interactions are often complex and challenging to fully understand and explain, especially in the media. Solutions are not always straightforward or simple, but they can be implemented, often requiring integration with existing systems, policies, or practices to achieve meaningful change. This is what the CAMCA project aims to accomplish.

Part 1: How the project operates and storytelling techniques

Ten journalists were selected after a nationwide open call. With diverse backgrounds and experiences, we had the pleasure of welcoming journalists from online media and print outlets such as Asia-Plus, Oila.tj, YOUR.TJ, and Halva.tj; the radio station Sound of Dushanbe; the national TV broadcaster Televizioni Tajikistan; as well as other independent freelance journalists.

The first part of the workshop focused on familiarizing the journalists with implementing an international project like this in Tajikistan, outlining its main objectives, and introducing the project partners. The training was jointly organized by Mirzo Mirzoev, Director of the Tajikistan Nature Foundation; Maarten Hoffman, UNEP Associate Programme Management Officer; and Laurent Fouinat, Senior Environment Expert at GRID-Arendal. The workshop was led by Shakhodat Saibnazarova, Associate Professor in the Department of Television and Radio Broadcasting at the Russian-Tajik Slavonic University in Dushanbe.

During the training, participants learned about biodiversity conservation and storytelling techniques. (photo: Laurent Fouinat/GRID-Arendal)

Many discussions centred on the storytelling techniques journalists can use to develop environmental topics. Focusing on character-driven stories is crucial, as is conducting interviews in relevant locations where events occurred or solutions were implemented, which can strengthen testimonies. Journalists today also face competition from new ways of consuming information, such as short, content-rich formats delivered at high frequency, similar to those offered by social media. It is also challenging for journalists to persuade media editors to publish environmental stories, which often require a longer format to explore the topic in depth.

These challenges are faced by journalists worldwide, including those in Central Asia. Providing opportunities for Tajik journalists to discuss and apply these storytelling techniques is an important part of the project, as it helps share methods for addressing climate change impacts and improving the resilience of mountain populations.

Part2: Meeting the communities facing challenges

The group of ten journalists embarked on a trip from Dushanbe to the well-known Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve, about a four-hour drive to the south. This state reserve is renowned for its location where the Vakhsh River, originating in the Pamir Mountains, flows through a semi-arid environment, bringing much-needed moisture to a large valley. The nature reserve is home to many large mammals, including deer, wild boars, and gazelles, as well as a wide variety of migrating birds.

People living in the vicinity of the nature reserve depend on some of the resources available in the valley. Our group met with representatives from the local authority in the nearby town of Dusti and the Environmental Protection Committee to gain insights into the efforts to mitigate environmental change made by the local government. Communities, including a local women’s group, welcomed the journalists into their homes to discuss issues such as access to water. They later spoke with a farmer to learn more about local challenges faced towards adapting his practice to climate change and possible solutions to address those.

Part 3: The stories from Tajikistan

As part of the workshop and to build on the momentum created during the training, the CAMCA project launched an internal contest among the participants to award three travel grants of $1,500 each. These grants were intended to support the creation of stories of their choice, with the only requirement being that the stories address environmental topics and apply some of the techniques learned during the workshop.

The three winners were selected by the project partners based on the quality of their pitches. The winners were:

Akmal Mannonov, produced by “Together Towards success”Climate change and the life of migrating birds” in Russian with English subtitles link

Dilbar Ismatova, produced by Sound of Dushanbe: “Nature reserves are a rare nature of Tajikistan!” 40 mins radio program in Tajik aired on the radio and available here

Soibnazarov Tavarali, produced by TV channel “Science and Nature” aired live in Russian with English subtitles available here

With this communication workshop in Tajikistan, the CAMCA project aims to strengthen the capacity of journalists to cover stories about people who are affected by environmental change. Disseminating this information through the media is important for informing the public about ongoing environmental initiatives and fostering an open discussion on future projects.  It also helps address how the targets of international agreements can be implemented and met.