KPK environment experts assess draft of NCC Policy

PESHAWAR – A one day workshop on National Climate Change (NCC) Policy was held Saturday at the Archaeology Museum Hall, University of Peshawar in which experts assessed the draft of the new National Climate Change Policy for the country.
The experts were of the opinion that in the era of global warming and climate change there is a need for a comprehensive NCC Policy to avoid the frequently occurring natural disasters in Pakistan.
They said that most of the areas in the policy have been properly addressed; however the climate change of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Northern Areas needs more comprehensive measures. The chief guest of the workshop was dean faculty of Numerical and Physical Sciences, Prof Dr Muhammad Riaz. The experts backed their comments by the fact that 51 percent of the climate change is due to energy resources and KPK is generating most energy requirement for the consumers.
They said this must be considered in the policy and protection measures should be taken accordingly. They also stated that the province had to face unprecedented loss of lives and property in the flood because of a dearth of small water reservoirs which are environmental friendly and can aid irrigation, producing energy additionally. They said that KPK consisted of 17 percent forests, the figure highest in the country.
Authorities must increase the area under forests and bring it to the global standard of 25 percent of the total land of a country, they added.
At the end of day-long workshop, the group of experts drafted a list of possible amendments in the policy especially for KPK and considered FATA for a likely inclusion. This list was handed over to Director General Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Department KPK, Dr Muhammad Bashir Khan.
The workshop was attended by Ex-Chairman Department of Environmental Sciences Prof Dr Shafiq ur Rehman, Prof Dr Amir Nawaz, Sitting Chairman of Department of Environmental Sciences Prof Dr Noor Jehan and other faculty and delegates from non governmental organizations.