Country can face drought, flooding: experts

LAHORE: The environmental experts on Sunday said that Pakistan could face worst drought and flooding, if maximum area of land in the country is not brought under vegetation cover.

Talking to APP, noted environmentalist Kashif Mehmood Salik said the largest city of the country, Karachi, had been facing worst heat wave impact in the recent years due to which more than 60 people had died. Following the heat wave, many people died and were affected by heat-related illnesses across the country, he added.

According to the Global Climate Risk-Index report released by the public policy group, German Watch, Pakistan is the most vulnerable country to climate change and is among the top 10 countries in the world.

To a query, he said Pakistan was witnessing increase in temperature at an alarming level due to its geographic location. Pakistan Meteorological Department sources confirmed that due to massive tree felling, climate change pattern was affecting the demography of the country, adding in Southern cities, Turbat witnessed a sizzling level during summer 2017, when the temperature hit a record 53.5 Celsius.

Another expert, Mehmood Khalid Qamar, said that deforestation and eco-degradation were occurring at a fast pace, and glacial melt, riverine and flash floods were occurring with irregular patterns.

Qamar said the most of climate change related disasters were affecting the natural water resources, agriculture, irrigation, health and other sectors. According to Punjab Forest Department official data, the current rate of deforestation in the country is 27,000 hectares per year, while the total area under forest cover is 4.4 million hectares.