- Mongabay-India, in collaboration with the Indian Society for Ecological Economics (INSEE) is conducting a series of workshops on the intersection of journalism, environment and economics, titled “Environmental Economics for Journalists”.
- The first of these four workshops is planned on the 10th of February 2023. The session is titled “From garbage to pollen: How economics underlies environmental decisions in South Asia.”
- Journalists from across the country and South Asia can apply for this free online workshop.
Mongabay-India, in collaboration with the Indian Society for Ecological Economics (INSEE) is conducting a series of workshops on the intersection of journalism, environment and economics, titled “Environmental Economics for Journalists”.
Though economics plays a central role in the dynamics of environmental decision making, there is not much nuanced discussion on economics in the environment media space in India. While economics and environment form seemingly disparate beats, we feel there is a need to bridge the gap and build a body of work that incorporates economics in environmental journalism. Mongabay-India has reported several stories that connect the beats of environment and economy, as part of the series ‘Environomy’.
Mongabay-India and INSEE are teaming up to conduct four workshops in 2023, and we welcome journalists and copy editors to use this opportunity to enhance their understanding in this interesting subject. We encourage journalists and copy editors from across the country and South Asia to attend these workshops (Check the eligibility criteria for more details). The events will be conducted online and are free of charge.
Though the medium of instruction will be English, journalists and freelancers working with regional language media are also welcome to apply. After the workshop, the participants are encouraged to explore and pitch stories in different formats – text/ video/ infographics.
The first of these four workshops is planned on the 10th of February 2023. The first workshop is titled “From garbage to pollen: How economics underlies environmental decisions in South Asia.”
It will be a day-long workshop starting at 9.30 am and ending at 5pm, with the first part of the day led by INSEE, with experts talking on two interesting topics. During the second half of the day, journalists from Mongabay-India will speak about integrating the morning’s learning into everyday storytelling. The pitches and ideas that come up from this session will be workshopped and developed. The journalists participating in the workshop will be required to attend the whole event.
Session 1: The economics of urban waste management in South Asia
Speaker: Mani Nepal, Lead Economist at ICIMOD and Program Coordinator, South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE)
About the session: Every year, several cities in South Asia experience waterlogging, especially during the monsoon due to poor stormwater drainage systems. However, climate events such as intense and frequent rainfall overwhelm urban drainage systems. Indiscriminate dumping of solid waste in urban settlements, which clogs the drainage system, is another reason. Waste dumping is specifically a behavioural issue that involves how cities manage their solid waste and to what extent citizens cooperate with civic bodies to dispose their waste. This session will also focus on the other co-benefits and costs of managing municipal waste and how to finance these costs.
Session 2: Economic valuation of ecosystem services
Speakers: Vikram Dayal, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi; and Suresh Babu, Dean, School of Human Ecology, Ambedkar University, Delhi
About the session: In this session the speakers will introduce some basic concepts in economics and ecology that are relevant to the Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services and engage in conversation with journalists about the important areas to report on.
Eligibility
- Journalists and copy editors covering environmental and/or developmental issues from South Asia
- A basic understanding of South Asia’s environmental concerns
- Prior journalistic experience (at least four years)
Application process and timeline
Application deadline: January 30, 2023 | 5:00 PM IST
The selected applicants will receive a confirmation by the first week of February. Around 30 journalists will be selected for the session.
For any questions, please write to [email protected] with the subject line “Environmental Economics for Journalists workshop”.
Read more: [Explainer] What is biodiversity finance?
Banner image: People carrying firewood in Wayanad. Photo by Vinayaraj/Wikimedia Commons.
