Islamabad : The summer season in Pakistan has been expanding with an increase of ‘one day in one year’ that can adversely affect key sectors especially forest and agriculture.
According to the official data prepared by the climate change ministry, the deforestation in the past has resulted in expanding summer season that is now causing urban flooding in many areas of the country.
“The cities have become ‘concrete jungles’ as huge numbers of trees were removed in the past to carry out development projects. The average temperature in Pakistan has increased by one degree that is quite an alarming situation,” it said.
The data alleged that the past government removed almost seventy percent of tree cover from Lahore in the name of development due to which smog and other problems have surfaced in the recent years.
“Seasonal to inter-annual climate fluctuations strongly affect the success of agriculture, the abundance of water resources, and the demand for energy, while long-term climate change may alter agricultural productivity, land and marine ecosystems,” it said.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said the change in the pattern of the summer season has caused twenty percent variability in rainfalls across the country.
“Major cities like Lahore and Karachi have become concrete jungles due to which the residents are now facing ‘heat island’ effects in the summer season. The government is trying its best to cope with this alarming situation through its ambitious programmes initiated on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan,” he said.
He said the present government has launched various mega projects like Ten Billion Tree Tsunami programme and Clean Green Pakistan and, hopefully, they would show positive impacts on the natural climate in the coming years.