Speakers at a seminar held in Islamabad on February 25, 2017 have called for effective measures to mitigate the hazardous effects of global warming and to create environment-friendly Pakistan. They have also urged the people to change their lifestyle that helps to make environment clean and safe for ensuring a better future of the coming generations. The seminar was aimed at the engineering community to help them understand the effects of climate change, especially on the construction industry and the common citizens in Pakistan. The speakers warned that climate change was going to affect every person in the country, particularly the poor segment of the society. Climate change is an emerging threat to the country. Around two hundreds glaciers have started melting and to protect the people from its dangerous effects is a big challenge today. The nation must, therefore, prepare itself to reduce its negative impact to ensure a safer future.
Also, a clean energy solution is needed by taking steps to reduce carbon emissions. Preventing emission of greenhouse gases is also imperative, besides properly using new technologies and renewable energies. In a bid to mitigate the ill effects of global warming and to ensure clean environment for the population of the country, the climate change ministry has evolved a multi-dimensional strategy to implement the Green Pakistan Programme aiming at increasing tree cover in the country. The strategy will focus on tree plantation along road and canal sides, rehabilitation and re-stocking of historical plantations. The strategy will also focus on watershed and soil conservation in hilly and river catchment areas, the rehabilitation of ‘Guzara’ and protected areas, the protection and the augmentation of dry temperate forests, and the promotion of forestry through utilising corporate social responsibility resources.
Khan Faraz
Peshawar