36 percent of Pakistan’s glaciers will disappear by 2100: experts

In Pakistan, condition of climate change is very dangerous. Worldwide Pakistan is the 7th most vulnerable country to climate change and 3rd in South Asia. According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT, USA, 36 percent of Pakistan’s glaciers will disappear by 2100. Our glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates due to climate change.

Experts made these observations at an interactive public awareness seminar organised by the Department of Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, Ziauddin University, and themed “Global Warming to Global Warning – A Social Justice Seminar on Climate Change” at Ziauddin University, according to a press release issued on Thursday.

The purpose of the event was to create awareness about climate change and the challenges thrown up by environmental pollution. Through a combination of presentations, powerful talks, motivational speeches and awareness sessions by renowned experts, including social activist and journalist Afia Salam, Coordinator for Climate Change Pledge for University of York Law School UK, Stephen Levitt, advocate Ali Lakhani, and lecturer Ziauddin University Eric Sharoon Shahzar addressed the audience about climate change and said it was one of the most pressing environmental matters that had come to head and beyond for the globe that they lived in today.

“By 2050, we shall expect droughts. As half of Balochistan is already gripped by drought and Pakistan’s population is already expected to be the 4th largest by 2030, food insecurity would also be at its peak. By now six out of 10 people are already food insecure In Pakistan.

“In Sindh 90 percent of water is already arsenic, whereas in Punjab ground water is declining at startling rates. Biggest signs of acceleration to climate are rising above sea levels, heat waves, wildfires, floods and disappearing of glaciers,” said experts.

“World leaders have declared climate change as the most dangerous threat to humanity. In early 1900, burning fossil fuels produced about two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) and today the number is nearly 20 times greater, which is frightening, stressing and alarming for us. As populations and economies grow, carbon emissions grow too. Unluckily, the future generations will remember us by the age of “climate crisis” carried out by the speakers.

“Environment pollution, plastic pollution and air pollution is making the situation even worse. Annually, worldwide 60,000 people die due to air pollution. Pakistan quickly needs to stop deforestation. As per UN’s standards, countries must have a forest cover of at least 25 percent. but Pakistan is a country with extreme low forest cover which is only 1.9 percent.”

While providing solutions to this major climate change issue, speakers said that we need to work on solar plants and wind energy as Pakistan is blessed with a 994km coast line and we can also work on water desalination. We also need to create awareness in civil society to protect earth.