Framing Water and Climate as Ecological Constructs in Pakistani English Newspapers: A Corpus-Based Analysis

Abstract

The study examines how water and climate are framed as ecological variables in two major Pakistani English-language newspapers, Dawn and The Nation, using articles published between January and July 2024. Drawing on the ecolinguistic framework and corpus approach outlined by Stibbe (2015), the study analyses metaphors, contexts, linguistic features, discourse markers, frames, and narratives to reveal how media discourse shapes the construction of hydro-climatic reality in a country vulnerable to climate change. Results indicate a pronounced ideological inequity: Dawn employs systemic metaphors, proactive plots, and explanatory and reformist frames that construct positively. In its turn, The Nation employs defensive metaphors (e.g., water as a besieged lifeline), reactive contexts, adversative markers, and survivalist frames, developing cautionary discourses of national threat and self-reliance. Both demonstrate anthropocentrism, which excludes intrinsic ecological value. The paper identifies the media's role in shaping perceptions of people amid the rising water crisis in Pakistan, exacerbated by climate change. Dawn's positive discussion encourages agency and teamwork, whereas The Nation risks fostering fatalism. Finally, it highlights the necessity of harmonious reframing to facilitate sustainable adaptation, alongside ecolinguistics and environmental communication in South Asian contexts.

Keywords: Water, Climate, Corpus Analysis, Pakistani Newspapers