Climate change and Pakistan !
WHERE climate change has sounded the alarm for the whole world, Pakistan is also among the first of the countries affected by climate change.
Due to pollution, indiscriminate deforestation, increasing number of housing societies on agricultural land, increase in population and erosion of mountains is also causing damage.
The recent floods have broken all the records due to which the entire country has suffered severe damage.
Glaciers are melting due to continuous rise in global temperature; this water is causing destruction due to improper planning and is directly falling into the sea without being used for dividends.
The world is working hard for this important problem, especially the European countries are taking all possible measures in this regard.
In the previous government, an international conference was also organized in Pakistan to solve this important problem, which is welcome, but the matter has now progressed beyond conferences.
Practical measures are needed but no special attention is being paid to this important problem in our region so far, if this trend continues, we have to be prepared for severe losses in the coming years.
Last month, COP27 was held in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt. In the conference, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto and Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman not only discussed the effects of climate change at the regional level, but also globally.
In the conference, it was decided that “loss and damage” fund will be released for the vulnerable countries affected by climate change, including Pakistan.
In this regard, a ceremony was held in the federal capital Islamabad the other day to appreciate the efforts of relevant institutions and international partners on successful climate diplomacy of Pakistan during the COP27 conference.
The participants of the ceremony were invited by the Ministry of Climate Change.
Documentaries related to the disasters, relief activities, the visits of the Prime Minister, the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Federal Cabinet to the flood affected areas were also shown.
Addressing the event, PM Shahbaz Sharif said that Pakistan effectively highlighted the agenda of loss and damage caused by disasters at the Sharm-el-Sheikh Conference which resulted in the establishment of the ‘’Loss and Damage Fund’’, a historic milestone.
There is an initiative, Pakistan’s case is climate justice, not charity. It is welcome to accept the challenge of climate change on the part of developed countries, so it is necessary to implement the commitments made in this regard.
Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar also presented this case.
We must now draw attention to this important issue, neither an individual nor any country can deal with climate change alone.
But still we have to continue the Tree Plantation campaign at the national level, prevent deforestation without delay and prevent expansion of housing societies on agricultural land.
More strict policies have to be made for this and we have to do our part together along with the nations of the world.
—The writer is an avid activist of Climate Change reforms and works in the Press Information Department.
