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-Ambassador, 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.
