Islamabad:Pakistan Peoples Party Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman has sounded the alarm on climate change as a national threat and called for the urgent rollout of early warning systems across all districts to safeguard people's lives and livelihoods.
"Climate change is becoming the primary driver of glacier melt and extreme weather events. Its impacts are no longer confined to the mountains, the entire country is at risk. It is time we prioritise environmental protection, early warning systems and local community training at the national level,” she said in a statement.
The lawmaker, who is also a former federal climate change minister, noted that glacier melting, landslides and heavy rains are becoming increasingly common. She said every valley, every district and every village urgently needed alert systems, local response teams and environmental awareness programmes.
"Setting up early warning systems in every district is essential to deal with natural disasters," she said. Sherry praised the administration in Ghizer for swift action and the effective use of the early warning system, which, she said, helped save precious lives after a glacier burst triggered severe flooding. “The glacier burst in Ghizer led to an intense flood situation, but thanks to a timely and highly effective early warning system, no loss of life occurred,” she said.