News and Events

Water Awareness Program
ADB National Water Media Workshop - Thailand

13-16 November 2003
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Post Workshop Statement

Background

In May 2002, ADB launched the Water Awareness Program (WAP) to, among other things, increase public awareness and understanding of water issues. Among WAP's target groups are the journalists who are in a strategic position to provide the public with such knowledge.

In February 2003, ADB collaborated with the World Bank to conduct a capacity building workshop for East Asian journalists. This workshop was designed to further the journalists' knowledge and understanding of water issues. Twenty-seven journalists from 9 East Asian countries attended and the result was extensive and informed media coverage on water concerns, and the fostering of a journalist community in the region.

ADB hopes to repeat this success through a series of national water media workshops for journalists. This activity was the second of such workshops, the first being held in Viet Nam on 9-12 November 2003.

Objectives

To increase the understanding of journalists in Thailand towards water issues affecting the country, leading to

• a more informed assessment of the key subjects
• greater media coverage
• more diverse collections of writings on water

The workshops featured speakers from civil society and public and private sectors. There extensive opportunities for discussion and debate.

Program

• Agenda

Participants

Participants included those selected from publications across Thailand-- from national dailies through to NGO-based community radio stations, as well as journalists from outside Thailand.

Simultaneous interpretation was done during the workshop hence the participants were not confined to the English language.

Contact

Paul Fisher
Fax # : +44 (0) 1285 713 071
E-mail : pfisher@timcullen.com