Federal Minister for
Climate Change attended a high level side event at Conference of Parties 23
tilted “ Cooperation for Building Resilient Mountain Communities” organized by International
Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.
While addressing to event, Federal
Minister for Climate Change, Senator Mushahidullah Khan highlighted that in Pakistan, the Himalayan, Karakorum and Hindukush (HKH)
mountain range form the largest glaciers in the world outside the Polar
Regions. This region plays an important role in global climate change. It is
the source of large river systems. People living in the HKH region of Pakistan
are annually affected by a number of climate-related hazards. These include
floods, heat waves, glacial lake outburst floods, avalanches and landslides
that result in extensive human and material losses.
He further added, a major part of
the snow and ice mass of the HKH region in Pakistan is concentrated in the
watersheds of the Indus basin. As a result of the rapidly changing climatic
conditions, the glaciers in Pakistan are receding at a much faster rate,
particularly due to rapid changes in the world’s temperatures.
He also emphasized that dependence
on natural resources is central to the livelihoods of many rural communities
and degradation of ecosystems. The natural habitats in the mountainous region
of Pakistan will shrink and shift under global warming, putting the survival of
species like snow leopards, brown bears, at risk of extinction in the wild.
Increases in snow and glacier melt, coupled with extreme climatic events, will
adversely impact habitats through increase in intensity and frequency of
floods. Mountain communities living in the proximity of glacier lakes and
glacier-fed rivers are particularly at risk. There is an opportunity to
alleviate poverty by maintaining the health of ecosystems on which these
communities depend.
He also highlighted that the
National Climate Change Policy mentions about the most likely climate change
risks to the mountain areas of Pakistan, such as: Increase in frequency and
intensity of precipitation, resulting in more frequent flash floods and
landslides; Increase in intensity of wind storms; Increase in temperature,
resulting in rapid glacier melting and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and
change in cropping patterns. He also told the participants that Pakistan is
taking number of initiatives including development of a program to prevent crop
damage due to unexpected weather changes, Introduction of short duration food
crops suited for high altitude, introduction of new feedstock technology for
livestock, slope stabilization is a part of all road construction projects to
minimize landslides, Restrictions on illegal trade of timber and other
development activities detrimental to mountain ecology, Protection of agricultural
terraces from extreme soil erosion, wind, hailstorm and snowstorm related dam,
Building vegetative barriers for combating rangeland erosion and increasing
forest cover.
He also emphasized It is expected
that the aforementioned efforts will contribute towards overcoming the adverse
effects of climate change in mountain areas and improve livelihoods of the
local communities. Pakistan will indeed avail this opportunity to learn from
other country parties to further increase support for the mountain communities.
The event was also attended by Mr.
Anwer Hossain Manju minister for environment and Forests, Government of
Bangladesh, Mr.Dashu Chencho Norbu, Secretary for National Environment
Commission, Government of Bhutan, Mr.Shri Chandra Kishore Mishra, secretary for
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change ,Mr. Shri Chandra Kishore
Mishra, Secretary for Ministry of Environment, government of Nepal, Mr.
Qingchen Chao, Professor Deputy Director General, National Climate Centre China
metrological Administration.
