South Caucasus Water Issues Receive Growing Media Interest
Water does not recognize political boundaries, a fact for the South Caucasus region, where the countries are tightly linked geopolitically, historically, culturally, and economically. The neighboring countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia share common water resources. It is extremely important for the populations of these South Caucasus countries to be aware of the quality of the water they use and drink every day, especially when it flows from the territory of neighboring states.
The USAID South Caucasus Water Program held a four-day workshop in cooperation with UNEP and Eurasia Foundation to educate journalists from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia with the goal of increasing public awareness of regional water issues.
“We are very much looking for increased public awareness from the role journalists play in addressing trans-boundary water issues in the region, and hope that the trained journalists will serve as the messengers in their communities. We believe that active community involvement in managing water resources in the end serves to improve people’s health and livelihood in the region”, said Marina Makarova, the Head of the Water Resources Division within the Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources of Georgia.
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Reporters from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia learned about regional
water issues and received hands-on training
Photo Credit: South Caucasus Water Program |
Reporters from the three countries learned about regional water issues and enjoyed hands-on training, working side-by-side with senior international environmental reporters covering trans-boundary water and related issues. The teams investigated and reported on priority regional water topics – alleged river pollution by the Madneuli Copper Mining Plant, located in Kazreti, Georgia, and the purification of wastewater carried out by the water treatment plant located in Gardabani – relevant to their readers, by conducting interviews in the field and reviewing their work with facilitators and other participants. The journalists received a unique opportunity to enter the Copper Mining Plant, which previously had been closed to the public.
“I have investigated the Madneuli issue before for alleged pollution issues. However, despite numerous attempts I was neither able to get in nor to interview plant officials. I am excited with this possibility to see Madneuli with my own eyes and interview people there,” said workshop participant Rezo Getiashvili, a representative of the Georgian newspaper “Akhali Versia.”
The workshop exposed participating journalists to approaches and experiences they are unlikely to have in day-to-day reporting at their media organizations. Participants refined such skills as story conception and organization, interviewing techniques, and presentation of stories to editors. They had an opportunity to interact with their colleagues from neighboring countries, interview national and international experts, high-level representatives of the Georgian Ministry of Environment, independent consultants, and NGO activists. Following their experience, the journalists developed several stories which were published in their respective newspapers to inform the public about developments in the water sector in the South Caucasus region.
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