adio is still the most readily available medium that can disseminate information to reach the widest and most diverse audiences in the shortest amount of time. According to UNESCO, about 44,000 radio stations broadcast to approximately five billion people, representing 70 per cent of the world population. The number of smartphones in use globally is around 7.21 billion. Almost all mobile sets have the facility of FM and AM radio channels.
The role of radio in bringing people together, promoting freedom of speech and delivering timely information to communities across the world must be celebrated. This year, the theme for World Radio Day was Radio and Climate Change, emphasising how radio can be a powerful tool in addressing one of the most urgent issues of our time. By using radio as a platform to address the climate crisis, we can inform millions, inspire positive change and create a global movement for a sustainable and strong future.
In the present age, as a result of climate change, warmer weather and more frequent droughts can lead to drier vegetation and greater numbers of dead or dying trees. Extremely dry conditions in combination with high winds can be particularly high risk for wildfires. The theme of World Radio Day for this year, Radio and Climate Change, highlighted the opportunities that radio broadcasting brings for giving importance to climate change issues.
In past weeks, wildfires in California became larger, more intense and more destructive due to a combination of factors, such as rapid urbanisation and human-amplified climate change that produced warmer and drier conditions.
Climate change aggravates the factors that put and keep people in poverty. Floods may sweep away urban slums, destroying homes and livelihoods. Heat can make it difficult to work in outdoor jobs. Water scarcity may affect crops. Over the past decade, weather-related events displaced an estimated 23.1 million people on average each year, leaving many more vulnerable to poverty. Most refugees come from countries that are most vulnerable and least ready to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Climate change is one of the most severe threats to humanity in the Twenty-first Century. In such a situation, mass communication channels like the radio can play a vital role in creating awareness of this issue, particularly for farmers, who are affected the most due to the changed climate and the calamity.
In addition, most respondents accepted that lack of water, high temperatures, unseasonal rains, unseasonal cold and heavy storms are the reasons for climate change affecting their yields.
In the event of environmental disasters, radio often becomes the only source of information and support for populations, as it operates even without electricity or internet, can reach a very large number of people at the same time and is not affected by terrestrial or satellite distribution problems. In this way, broadcasters maintain the communication system that saves lives in emergency situations.
By using radio as a platform to address the climate crisis, we can inform millions, inspire positive change and create a global movement for a sustainable and strong future.
Climate change being a global phenomenon, more collaborations between broadcasters in the same country and in other countries are relevant and can enrich the skills, formats and tools needed for its radio coverage. Shared realities, cross-border issues, regional disasters, climate-change-related migration and other challenges make international networking between radio stations fruitful and encouraging.
Radio has emerged stronger with the development of new technologies and adapts to the different tastes of various generations, hence becoming a medium of choice for people. It allows people to get news that is widely reported across the local, national and global levels. Further, Radio has stayed with the last man standing in case of natural disasters. In addition, these devices go where new technologies like electricity and mobile signals can’t reach. This makes them the most effective way to deliver information in removed areas.
Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC, Radio Pakistan) operates 67 broadcasting units, out of which 36 are medium wave, seven are shortwave and 27 are FM stations. The Home Service Programme of Radio Pakistan broadcast in 21 languages for a total of 750 hours daily. PBC today cover 98 percent of the population and 80 percent of the area in Pakistan.
The Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey-2024 supported this proclamation as nearly 87 per cent of Pakistani households have the facility of cell phones and own mobile sets. The number of mobile phone-holders was higher in urban areas (95 percent) than the rural centres (87 percent). Almost all cell phone-sets have an inbuilt facility of radio.
Radio travels with you as an everyday companion, a relatively free and portable public safety net, serves during emergencies and disasters such as storms, earthquakes, floods, heat, wildfires, accidents and wars.
The emergence of FM radio has played a critical role in disseminating emergency alerts and warnings during natural disasters. Through their wide coverage area and immediate broadcasting capabilities, FM radio stations provide real-time updates on weather conditions, evacuation procedures, emergency shelters and other vital information. This helps communities make informed decisions and necessary protections in a timely manner.
Pakistan is one of the countries most affected by climate change, which poses a greater security risk. The role of media in building consensus on the massive challenges of climate change can contribute significantly to tackling the issues. In order to address these issues effectively, it is essential to raise awareness of climate change among the general population. Radio has quickly backed up and is providing minute-to-minute updates in broadcasts that are easily accessed through car radios and portable, battery-operated and hand-cranked radios.
The writer is a playwright and a freelance journalist. He can be reached at pashajaved1@gmail.com and his blogging site: soulandland.com.
