Sharmila asks federal bodies to save Sindh coast from sea intrusion

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Sharmila Farooqui said on Sunday that climate change was affecting socioeconomic development of Pakistan as the mean annual temperature in the country had increased.

She claimed that the Sindh government had adopted effective policies to tackle the environmental issue. Due to the rise in temperature, the sea level has increased in Pakistan, she said, adding that the Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology had already predicted that the coastal areas of Badin and Thatta would sink in 30 years and Karachi in 60 years. In a statement issued on Sunday, Sharmila called on the relevant federal government institutions, including the water and power ministry, to carry out research studies and save the coastal areas of Sindh from sea intrusion.

She said on April 30, 2018, temperature in Nawabshah surged to 50.2 degrees Celsius and it was the hottest day on earth ever recorded in April. According to the PPP MPA, climate change could disrupt food availability as it was likely to reduce access to food and affect food quality. She said the projected increase in temperature and changes in precipitation would also affect water availability. Sharmila also raised concern over decreasing forest areas. The contribution of forests in our GDP is 0.4 per cent, she said, adding that under the Millennium Development Goals, Pakistan committed to increase its forest cover to 6 per cent which could not be achieved mainly due to financial constraints of the federal and provincial governments.

She said Pakistan was also facing loss of biological diversity in various region, particularly the Indus Delta, which had dried up. Sharmila said like many other countries, Pakistan was facing environmental challenges as it was located in a warm climate region and was more vulnerable to expected climate changes due to its diverse topographic and demographic settings.

The temperature changes under current circumstances were expected to be higher in Pakistan in the long run than global averages, the PPP MPA said, adding that the country was affected by drastic effects of climate change due to its geographical location and socioeconomic situation. The recurring extreme events that Pakistan faced in the recent years carried significant climate change footprints, she said, adding that the extreme events included flash floods, cyclones, heatwaves, droughts, glacial lake outburst and floods. Pakistan suffered economic losses of more than $15 billion during the floods of 2010-2012, she stated. The unprecedented floods of 2010 were described by the United Nations secretary general as a slow moving tsunami, she added.