Role of Media and Indigenous Communities to Combat Climate Change

Abstract

Since the industrial revolution, the greenhouse gas emissions have been on the constant rise and the global average temperature has increased by 1.1 degree Celsius as compared to pre-industrial era. This alarming climate change situation caused by human activities has already been causing devastating effects everywhere on the planet. The melting of sea ice, thawing of the permafrost, increase in natural hazards and their frequencies, reduction in the biodiversity of ecological areas, increase in sea levels, deterioration of species & wild populations, etc. are all pointing towards a direct threat to human well-being posed by the climate change. This research paper, whose idea germinated in the mind of the author while attending Arctic Circle Assembly 2021 in Reykjavik Iceland, circles around the role and position of media and indigenous communities in climate change mitigation and adaption by exploring key questions like challenges and narratives of climate coverage by media, a requirement for revolutionizing the institution of media, the importance of indigenous peoples and traditional knowledge for combatting climate change to name a few. The paper argues various elements affecting media and indigenous communities and concludes the crucial involvement for media and indigenous peoples to act for saving the planet considering the huge scale of this catastrophic climate change scenario.