In spite of being an insignificant contributor to climate change and being an integral part of the warm region, the forecast is that Pakistan is going to experience higher temperature increase than the global average in the near future. Hence, massive climatic fluctuation will continue to hit the country in the form of floods, draughts and rampant epidemics in flora, fauna and humanity. This was the gist of the discussion between academics and researchers in a seminar titled, “Impacts of Climate Change and its Preventions” organised by Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) in Punjabi Complex here on Thursday.
Besides highlighting the hazards of climate change, the seminar also discussed in detail the measures needed to ensure optimum safety and vigilance needed for protection of lives and properties of the people living in both the coastal and urban areas. Secretary Sajjad Saleem Hotiana, Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Director General Maqsood Ahmed Lak, Punjab University Prof Dr Ghazala Nasim, University of Engineering and Technology Lahore Prof Dr AR Saleemi, Ahsan Javaid from CDM Cell, ENERCON and Chief Meteorologist Muhammad Riaz spoke on the occasion.
Prof Dr Ghazala Nasim while presenting her thesis on “Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture and Biodiversity” said that owing to climate change and augmentation in global temperature, a negative impact was being observed on agriculture in Pakistan. She said the precipitous climatic change has massive ramifications for flora, fauna and human lives. She said the entire world is under the menace of the unflinching phenomena of natural disasters, which had largely been attributed to the activities of the human population. She said the experience of the past two years was a clear indicator that the country was precariously susceptible to floods, droughts and desertification.
“Most of Pakistani land is semi-arid, arid or hyper arid and only 60 percent land receives less than 250mm of rainfall,” she stated. She added that as a result of draught, flood and a decrease in water supply from upper regions the country could face acute shortage of food in the coming years. She said the available statistics revealed that around 23 percent of Pakistan’s land and 50 percent of the entire population was vulnerable to the disasters related to climate change. She said the people should be educated about the calamities of the changing climate and the required funds to minimise the repercussions of alterations in climatic conditions should be allocated.
Dr AR Saleemi, presenting his thesis on “Industrial Sector and Climate Change” advised the industrialists to work out a comprehensive plan to stop the emissions of gases from their respective production units across the country.
He said power plants and fertiliser factories were the hub of gaseous emissions in Pakistan and there should be an unyielding check on them. He said the government should take solid steps to reduce the emission of harmful gases and a joint strategy with the help of industrialists should be formulated in this respect. Ahsan Javaid said carbon funds were available for those industrialists who were taking measures to minimise gas emission.
Chief Meteorologist Muhammad Riaz said global warming and climate change are creating negative impacts on water resources. “Glaciers are melting, erosion of the earth is increasing and floods are destroying our agricultural lands,” he said, adding that emergency steps to minimise the risks of global warming should be taken. Secretary EPD Sajjad Saleem Hotiana said that to counter the challenges posed by global changes one should understand that they were the result of our actions and inactions. “We all need to do our bit to save mother Earth,” he said, adding that cumulative efforts would give us a more sustained planet to pass on the baton of life. He urged the civil societies, educational institutions and Non Government Organisations to plant trees every day to control the gases causing climatic damage.
Pakistan touted as being under the gun of climatic fluctuation
