Altaf Hamid Rao,
Experts call for concerted collective efforts by all the stake holders to combat for the Climate Change:
MIRPUR (AJK): Describing the climate change a serious issue confronted by Pakistan at present, speakers including the experts at a seminar here o Friday emphasized the need of devising an integrated strategy to avert the impending threats to the country might be emerged following both gradual and swift climate changes.
The seminar, titled “Climate Change and Its Impacts On Economy and Environment”, was hosted by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Azad Jammu Kashmir government with the coordination of the state-run Mirpur University of Science & Technology (MUST) and a Mangla, Mirpur-based private-sector power production unit M/s. Laraib Energy (Pvt) Ltd.
Vice Chancellor Mirpur University of Science & Technology (MUST), Prof. Dr. Habib ur Rehman (Sitara e Imtiaz) was the chief guest on this august moot, chaired by Raja Muhammad Razaq Khan, Secretary Population Welfare and Director General Environmental Protection Agency of AJK.
Besides the Chief guest and the chair, leading experts including Zia ul Islam from federal ministry of Climate Change from Islamabad, Dr. Maqsood Ahmed, Head of the Department of Arts, MUST, Kamran Kamal CEO Laraib Engery (Pvt) Ltd, Dr. Muhamad Saim Hashmi from Department of Economics, MUST, Prof. Khalil Ahmed from the MUST Business School addressed the seminar by moving proposals to combat the challenges being or to be faced by the nation and the country through the climate change causing the effects in diverse forms.
Leading scholars and academics including Registrar Mirpur University of Science & Technology (MUST) Mirpur Prof. Engr. Muhammad Waris Jiraal, President Environmental Journalist Forum and Member Environmental Protection Council of AJK government Altaf Hamid Rao Chairman Power Engineering Prof. Muhammad Shabir Mirza, Divisional Director Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mirpur division Sardar Idrees Mahmood, Director Students Affairs MUST Prof. Dr. Muhammad Asghar, Director Planning & Development MUST Prof. Engineer Muhammad Iqbal, Project Director MUST Engineer Syed Zishan Ashiq, Prof. Engr. Anzar Ahmed of the Electrical Engineering department MUST and others besides the students of the varsity attended the ceremony.
Speaking on this occasion, the Chief Guest Vice Chancellor of the MUST Prof. Dr. Habib ur Rehman observed that the climate change has emerged as a very serious issue at present following the impending water scarcity Pakistan might suffer by 2025 as the experts had opined in the backdrop of the rapid climate change the country was suffering with.
Dr. Rehman emphasized the need of addressing this serious issue scientifically through focusing full attention for preservation of water through small reservoirs and ponds in nook and corner of the country to maintain the existing and future needs of this basic necessity of human life and the live stock instead of striving to construct the dams.
The Vice Chancellor also called for avoiding to disturb the natural journey to avert loss to the climate change. He said that it was enjoined upon all the stake holders – most particularly the state, to focus for addressing the prevailing and impending `challenges faced to the climate change in Pakistan.
Prof. Dr. Habib ur Rehman expressed gratitude of the EPA, AJK, Federal ministry of Climate Change and other hosts for hosting the grand seminar in his varsity to apprise the existing and future generations of their due national responsibilities to successfully combat the impending negative impacts of the climate change in the socio-economic and environmental sectors, the nation and the country might suffer as feared and predicted by the experts.
Speaking on the Climate Change and environmental challenges the country was facing with, Director General Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Secretary Population Welfare of AJK Government Raja Muhammad Razaq Khan said that holding of such seminars on climate change and challenges to the environment were imperative for the future generations to keep them alert and prepared for successfully performing their duties to successfully meet the challenges.
He said that the government was determined to address Environmental threats and climate change challenges— through mitigation and adaptation by taking all stakeholders on board.
Pakistan, Raja Razaq said, was one of the top ten- most vulnerable countries to the impacts of Climate Change — and Azad Jammu and Kashmir being part of it— is rather one of the most fragile and sensitive territories of the country.
The EPA Chief said AJK was most vulnerable to Climate Change— owing to its geographical location, elevation as well as demographics, water resources, forests, fisheries and associated biodiversity, glacial melt, glacial lakes outbursts and the anticipated increase in frequency and magnitude of these effects.
Raja Razaq, also Secretary Population Welfare of AJK, underlined that following un-controlled population growth Pakistan was one of biggest single factor contributing to climate change.
The DG EPA said that Climate change has environmental, social, political, and economic repercussions. Extreme and unpredictable weather conditions, floods, droughts, rapid snowmelt, and rising sea levels are among the major climate change challenges for business operations, and have direct implications for commerce, globally