Three Days Conference
Science Policy on Climate Change concluded today. Federal Minister for Climate
Change Senator Mushahidullah Khan addressed the concluding ceremony and said
Climate Change is not a short-term disease. It will not disappear after a few
months or years. It is a chronic condition. He also said that future of our
children and their children in the world determined by climate change. We have
to make sure that they have good quality of life and strong and sustainable
economic growth. He further added Ministry of Climate Change has taken a number
a actions in this regard. Our action includes the passing of the Pakistan
Climate Change Act 2017.We hope that the first meeting of the National Climate
Change Authority will be held in a month. We are keen to operationalize the
act.
He also highlighted that
some other initiatives includes New Forest Policy, Prime Minister Green
Pakistan Program, and Declaration of Astola Island first Marine Protected Area
of Pakistan. I have also directed the Wildlife Department of Ministry of
Climate Change to formulate first Wildlife Policy of Pakistan. He also
emphasized that we have taken steps to strengthen the Global Change Impact
Study Centre and all other partners for organizing successful International
conference and hope to organize many more such conferences in Pakistan. Deputy
Chairman Planning Commission also addressed the event and said Prime Minister
of Pakistan also instructed to take solid steps for climate change. He also
said that efforts are being done to tackle climate change through different
projects. Pakistan should also work on climate change through partnership of
China.
Climate change is a reality. Pakistan
is a witness to its adverse impacts. In the past 20 years, the country has been
hit by recurrent and devastating floods, recurrent heat waves, a prolonged
drought, erratic weather patterns leading to lowered agricultural productivity,
emergence of new diseases, and the looming threat of desertification due to the
recession of the Himalayan glaciers. In the backdrop of these critical
circumstances, the Science-policy conference on climate change was organized
to; Enhance scientific understanding of the changing climate and associated
impacts on socio-economic sectors, Develop policy recommendations to address
the challenges affecting Pakistan's development. Promote coordination among
researchers and institutions working on different aspects of climate change in
Pakistan and facilitating their collaboration with international scientists and
experts engaged in similar research activities and sharing of knowledge and
best practices on adaptation strategies, including capacity building of
national institutions and experts.
The
Conference has been organized by GCISC with the support of several important
partners, including the HEC, SDPI, COMSATS, NDMA, PMD, PARC, PCRET, HBS, NRSP,
the University of Utah, and the US-Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in
Water and attended by more than 700 delegates representing International and
national research organizations, academia, government, media, law,
parliamentarians and civil society. Other key speakers at closing session were
Ex-Ambassodor Shafqat Kakakhel and Ex Chief Minister of Khyber Pukhtoon Khawa
and Ex-Chairman water and Power Development Authority Shams ul Mulk Chief
Scientist at Global Change Impact Study Centre Arif Goheer.
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