KATHMANDU: A four-day regional workshop focused on strengthening cross-border climate and disaster risk reporting between Nepal and India concluded today in Kathmandu. 

The event brought together 20 journalists, 15 from Nepal and five from India, to enhance their reporting skills on shared environmental challenges in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region.

Organized by Youth Innovation Lab (YI-Lab) in collaboration with UNESCO Nepal, the workshop provided hands-on training in AI-assisted journalism, GIS tools, fact-checking, ethical storytelling, and data-driven reporting.

Participants explored key issues such as glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), extreme weather, and unsustainable resource extraction. The program emphasized regional cooperation, with experts and journalists discussing climate diplomacy, risk communication, and media’s role in promoting resilience.

Speakers included Dr. Basanta Raj Adhikari, Kanak Mani Dixit, ICIMOD’s Neera Shrestha Pradhan, and UNESCO Representative Jaco Du Toit, who stressed the media’s role in accountability and transboundary awareness.

The workshop culminated with the formation of cross-border reporting teams who presented joint story pitches and pledged continued collaboration on climate and disaster risk coverage. Journalists also called for better institutional support, timely data sharing, and joint storytelling to inform policy and the public across both nations.