PRCS, Devcom to explore climate literacy for communities

Islamabad : The COVID-19 and climate change are the realities of the day where all stakeholders especially youth need to be engaged. The civil society organizations, corporate sector and think tanks shall play their role in helping government initiatives and the organizations lead the nation from front in the emergencies. Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) chairman Abrar ul Haq made these remarks in a meeting with the Executive Director Devcom-Pakistan (Development Communications Network) Munir Ahmed.

The latter one called on the PRCS chairman to explore the possibility of collaboration on climate literacy and justice on the Earth Day (April 22).

Abrar ul Haq said engaging well-aware youth about climate impact on their local conditions would help improve the community-based disaster management. We need to mobilize our indigenous resources through corporate and development sectors, individual philanthropic contribution and in-kind community participation and partnerships. The PRCS has a comprehensive youth program that could help in boosting climate literacy among the communities.

Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed said the Earth Day is commemorated every year on April 22 to highlight climate impact on the communities worldwide, and environmental issues such as loss of biodiversity, environmental degradation increasing pollution among others. Several one-time activities are organized as a symbolic gesture to engage all walks of life in planting trees, picking-up roadside trash, conducting various programs to motivate people to adopt ways for sustainable living. But we need to have consistent action plans for regular engagement of all citizens.

Ahmed said this is the second consecutive year that we have no on-ground action activities but mostly the online events marked the Earth Day because of the Covid-19 testing times. With every passing day, the challenge of sustainable development and climate change is getting more focus of the governments, expert practitioners and communities.

They are well-aware of the need to have a common action agenda based on the research and knowledge to safeguard the lives and livelihood. Being a think tank and a development organization, Devcom-Pakistan can help PRCS to engage youth and other stakeholders across the country on a variety of initiatives, Ahmed said.