It is important to stay updated with current affairs and understand the impact of climate change on disaster management. This article discusses the role of journalists in effectively communicating climate-related disasters and the challenges they face in reporting on these events.
Cyclone Vardah hit Chennai in December 2016, leaving residents without power and water for weeks.
Global warming may be responsible for intensifying storms like Vardah.
After storms make landfall, there is a surge of news reports about the devastation caused.
These reports highlight damage to fishing industry, homes, crops, and trees, as well as infectious disease outbreaks and poverty.
The state is often accused of apathy and lack of institutional support.
Commissioning editors face a dilemma of whether to publish similar post-disaster reports every time or strive for something new.
Communication plays a crucial role in addressing climate change, with some preferring alarming stories and others focusing on hope.
Journalists have a large effect on climate change communication and need to do so effectively.
Climate alarmism can lead to hopelessness, while too much hope can lead to complacency.
Repeatedly publishing the same post-disaster reports can lead to disinterest.
Two arguments in favor of repetition are that climate crises are not covered enough and that there is always new information to report.
Reporting on climate change sensitively and sensibly requires time and money.
Just reporting what happened may not be enough, as journalists have power and responsibility.
There is a concern about overstepping into activism and undermining journalistic integrity.
Uncertainties in climate change science add another layer of complexity.
Journalists covering climate-related disasters should have the freedom to make mistakes until there is a theory to guide their coverage.
It is important to develop a theory that informs the relationship between coverage of climate-related disasters and the principles of news-publishing.
The need for a menstrual hygiene policy in India and the importance of providing access to affordable menstrual hygiene products, clean toilets, and water for all menstruating girls. It also highlights the link between menstruation and dropping out of school, and the impact of stigma and lack of access to sanitation.
The Supreme Court of India has given the Centre four weeks to finalize a menstrual hygiene policy with a focus on the distribution of sanitary napkins.
The Chief Justice of India has directed the government to set a national model for the number of girls toilets per female population in government-aided and residential schools.
India has taken over three quarters of a century after Independence to come close to drawing up a menstrual hygiene policy.
Affordability and access hurdles still remain issues for a wide swathe of women in semi-urban and rural areas.
According to the latest National Family Health Survey-5, 73% of rural women and 90% of urban women use a hygienic method of menstrual protection.
There has been a significant improvement in the percentage of women aged 15-24 using a hygienic method of protection, rising from 58% in NFHS-4 to 78% in NFHS-5.
Education plays a significant role in preference for hygiene, with women who have received 12 or more years of schooling being more likely to use a hygienic method.
There is a link between menstruation and dropping out of school due to stigma and lack of access to sanitation.
Little has been done to address these issues over the years.
The article highlights the lack of attention given to the issue of open defecation in India.
It mentions that despite the seriousness of the problem, little has been done to address it.
The article criticizes the government for its callousness towards this issue.
It emphasizes the need for urgent action to provide proper sanitation facilities to the people.
The Centre has informed the Court that a draft policy on menstrual hygiene has been circulated for comments from stakeholders.
The policy should ensure access to affordable menstrual hygiene products for all menstruating girls.
The policy should also address the need for clean toilets and water for women.
The policy should cover the entire lifecycle of menstruation, including health and social issues.
The government needs to prioritize the well-being of women in India.
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