Capital territory exposed to climate change impacts

Islamabad: Ministry of Climate Change would take all possible measures to ensure the capital city gets well prepared to avoid adverse impacts of the climate change such as erratic behaviour and marked changes in the intensity, frequency and variability of temperature , precipitation, floods, droughts and cyclones.

An official said the recent study conducted by the Ministry of Climate Change in collaboration with the UN Habitat, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration showed that this region has been exposed to a host of factors accelerating climate change impacts.

According to the report prepared by the ministry of climate change, the extreme weather events recorded so far in Islamabad included highest maximum temperature of 46.6° C on 24th June 2005 and lowest at – 4.3° C on 25th December 1984. In 2001 heaviest rainfall of 621mm was recorded in 10 hours.

The official said "Our focus will be on preparing a well-thought out plan to make Islamabad a climate resilient city. It is one of the green capitals of the world so all out measures would be taken to protect and preserve its natural character," he said.

The spokesman said the ministry of climate change has already provided guidelines to the provinces to cope with the adverse effects of the climate change, adding "A research study has been conducted and now the plans are being chalked out to protect Islamabad from ill effects of the climate change.