SINGAPORE: For its first-hand look at the direct impact of global warming on lives in Nepal, CNA picked up a gold award at this year’s WAN-IFRA Asian Digital Media Awards in the Best Use of Video category.
The World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) is the global organisation of the world’s media and has 60 member publisher associations representing 18,000 publications in 120 countries.
The award was presented on Thursday (Oct 19) at the Digital Media Asia (DMA) conference. Now in its 15th year, the event is Asia Pacific’s largest regional news media industry event on digital trends, revenue and technology.
CNA’s Climate Correspondent Jack Board travelled to Upper Mustang, once known as Nepal’s last forbidden kingdom, where he shot his winning digital video piece, Climate Change and Nepal’s Dying Village in the Mountains.
Even as glaciers melt, the village of Samdzong is running dry. And as global warming ravages the Himalayas, communities there have no choice but to adapt and uproot themselves.
Recounting his experience, Mr Board said filming the story was an “absolute privilege and challenge”.
“Upper Mustang is a naturally breathtaking environment, and while it felt so distant, the local challenges there are so connected to the overall climate change threat that the world is facing,” he said.
“Reaching the high-altitude glacial lake, featured in the story, was the most physically demanding thing I’ve ever done in my life. Yet it’s in these hard-to-reach places that climate change is hitting in most dramatic fashion. What happens up there really matters.”
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Mr Board also paid tribute to his local fixer and producer, Tashi Bista.
“I want to thank Tashi for his help, companionship and creative eye. He’s been involved in environmental journalism for many years and was an incredible resource. Mustang is his home and this was another great reminder of how integral local fixers and producers are when we do reporting in frontier environments.”
Commenting on the piece, one of the judges said the project provided “a window to one of the most remote areas of the planet”.
“This is powerful reporting from a location – and a community – not easy to reach,” said another.
CNA Digital’s Chief Editor Loh Chee Kong said: “Climate change is the biggest crisis the world is facing, yet it’s a constant challenge for journalists to tell the stories and keep minds focused on the issues.
“Jack’s work illustrates how when it all comes together – through stunning visuals, compelling human interest stories and a powerful message – journalists and the media can play an important role in tackling this crisis, and reminding the world what is at stake if we don’t act.”