Country Can Face Drought, Flooding If Vegetation Cover Not Increased: Experts

LAHORE, Feb 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Feb, 2020 ) :Environmental experts on Sunday said that Pakistan could face worst drought and flooding, if maximum area would not be brought under the vegetation cover.

Talking to APP, noted environmentalist Kashif Mehmood Salik said that recent years, the largest city of the country, Karachi, was had been facing worst heat wave impact, due to which more than 60 people had died.

"Following the heat wave, many people had died or affected due to heat related illnesses across the country," he added.

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

To a query, he said that in middle East and South Asian countries, due to its geographic location, Pakistan was witnessing increase in temperature at a alarming level.

Pakistan Meteorological Department sources confirmed that due to massive tree cutting, climate change pattern were affecting the demography of the country, adding in Southern city, 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 deforestationin the country is 27,000 hectares per year, while the total area under forest cover was4.4 million hectares.