Muzaffarabad: (Parliament Times) Minister for Health, Finance, Planning and Development Dr. Najeeb Naqi said that the government is trying to grapple the situation created by climate change saying that agreement between WAPDA and government will be settle soon.
Dr. Naqi expressed these views while addressing the workshop organized in regard of climate change. He said “Special projects are being launched with the help of WAPDA to cope with climate change effects; the government is trying to ensure the protection of environment with the completion of these projects.”
He said that before February 2018, the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir will dealt with the agreement of the Neelum Jhelum Hydro Power Project between Azad Kashmir government and WAPDA.
Federal Minister for Climate Change Syed Abu Ahmed Aqif, Additional Chief Secretary Development Dr. Asif Hussain Shah, Executive Director GCISC Dr. Tariq Banori, Chief Executive CNCC Aisha Khan, Dr. Imran Khalid and others also addressed.
While addressing the occasion, the speakers said that dangerous results of climate change are being arrived to Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. Due to increase in temperatures, the glaciers are swallowing rapidly, which results in stormy floods and destruction every year. High-speed industrial growth results in seasonal changes.
Speakers suggested that immediate measures are needed for the procurement of seasonal problems arising from industrial development and there is a dire need for implementation of the rules that have been made to protect climate change.
Speakers said that climate change is observed as a global issue. Climate change issues are very high in developing countries, the creation and execution of an essential policy in order to address these issues and to deal with problems is indispensable.
Speakers said that in order to prevent climate change and protect the environment, a framework should be formed which could be capable to dealt with natural disasters.
“To deal with natural disasters coming from climate change, co-ordination between all related departments should be established; to prevent climate change and to protect the environment, awareness should be made in the public interest, natural flow of rivers should be maintained, forest protection should be ensured and restriction on de-forestation should be implemented until the desired extent of afforestation is reached.”, speakers added.
Speakers said that in order to cope with climate change in Azad Kashmir, it should be necessary to form a disaster management policy on the state level and to provide financial resources according to the needs of relevant institutions to implement this policy.
Disaster Management Monitoring System in Azad Kashmir should be enabled and established and civil society including relevant institutions should also be included in policy making and measures.
The workshop was attended by Secretary Disaster Management Authority Zaheer ud Din Qureshi, Director General of Environment Raja Razzaq Khan, Director General Public Relations Raja Azhar Iqbal, Director General Climate Change Aurangzeb Khan and other department’s officials.
