Experts call for measures to ensure food security

ISLAMABAD: Experts at a seminar here stressed the need for taking adaptation measures to minimise negative impact of demographic growth coupled with climatic change in South Asian Region.

The South Asia, being the hot spot for the future increases of food demand due to demographic growth and changing lifestyles may face even severe consequences if no adaptation measures were taken, they said at the three-day international workshop.

The workshop was jointly organised by the Centre for Climate Research and Development (CCRD) COMSATS University Islamabad and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Germany. Scientists from the leading institutes from Europe (PIK, IIASA) and South Asian countries, INGOs, think tanks, research organisations in-depth deliberated on ensuring the food security in the region where already around 300 million people are undernourished, resulting in the largest numbers of food-insecure persons in the sub-continent.

Without concerted efforts by the entire region’s stakeholders it would not be possible to tackle already mounting regional food security issue, said German Ambassador to Pakistan Martin Kobler, while inaugurating the workshop. He emphasised that technology transfer by the developed countries and engagement of women in research was need of the hour to combat the problem.

Addressing on the occasion, Professor Dr. Raheel Qamar (TI), Rector COMSATS University stressed the need of building strong collaborations both at institutional and country level between the developed and developing world to lessen the adversaries of climate change in already food insecure South Asia.

Presenting FAO’s approach to Water-Energy-Food Security Nexus, Ms Minà Dowlatchahi, FAO Representative in Pakistan said understanding and managing the complex interactions between water, energy and food security is essential to cope with changing climate and for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. She said uptake of new technologies, changes in agricultural and water management practices by small holder farmers with concurrent actions to help conserve natural resources and protect our eco-systems would pave the way towards food security and the eradication of malnutrition in all its forms .

The experts recommended that research funding, on climate change monitoring and adaptation, should be enhanced to minimise the adversities of changing climate on agriculture.

Moreover, efficient climate smart alternate crops/ technologies must be introduced or fine-tuned, taking care of biodiversity, sustainability and profitability.