Environmental experts have warned that Pakistan may face disastrous climate effects if greenhouse gas (GHG) omission is not timely controlled.
They were speaking at a seminar organized by Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP), Rawalpindi-Islamabad chapter and presided over by its chairman Engr. Hafiz M. Ehsan Ul Haq Qazi here on Sunday. Renowned expert on global environment Jawed Ali Khan was the key-note speaker who deliberated upon various aspects of GHG emission trends and technological options for its reduction in Pakistan.
A large number of professionals and environmental experts attended the seminar. The speakers including Engr. Arjumund Shaikh, Dr. Attaullah Shah and former DG, Plannig, CDA Shafique Ali siddique called for taking timely pre-emptive measures at government’s level to check GHG emission.
Speaking on the occasion Jawed Ali Khan said that GHG inventories carried out in Pakistan in 1994, 2008 and 2012 reveals that there was multiple increase in GHG emission in Pakistan which resulted in temperature rise. Pakistan could overcome the challenges of global warming by adopting suitable measures like boiler and furnace energy efficiency improvement, adopting renewable energy resources, using nuclear technologies for electricity generation and moving towards Winds, solar and clean coal technology, he added.
He also underline the need of appropriate application of fertilizers and soil carbon management and rice cultivation by alternate wetting and drying.
Tracing the background of carbon emission in Pakistan, Khan noted that during the last century average annual temperature increased by 0.6 degree C while in future average temp will increase by 1.3 – 1.5 Degree C by 2020. GHG emission recorded in Pakistan was found to be in energy (47.2 -50.7%) followed by agriculture (38-44.8 %).
Jawed Ali Khan, former Director General Ministry of Climate Change appreciated the government’s recent steps of adopting renewable energy resources and launching of mass-transit road network programs hoping that these would help to reduce GHG emission to a great extend.
Engr. Aurjumund Shaikh said climate change is a worldwide phenomenon which has brought disastrous consequences and immense financial losses and substantial decrease in GDP. If current trend is continued, the global temperatures could rise to 4 degrees Celsius by the end of century, he added.
