Experts Call For Collective Efforts To Combat Challenges Of Climate Change

Describing the climate change a serious issue confronted by Pakistan at present, speakers including the experts at a seminar here o Friday emphasized the need for devising an integrated strategy to avert the impending threats to the country might be emerged following climate changes

MIRPUR (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Apr, 2019 ) :Describing the climate change a serious issue confronted by Pakistan at present, speakers including the experts at a seminar here o Friday emphasized the need for devising an integrated strategy to avert the impending threats to the country might be emerged following climate changes.

The seminar, titled "Climate Change and Its Impacts On Economy and Environment", was hosted by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Azad Jammu Kashmir government with the coordination of the state-run Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST) and a Mangla, Mirpur-based private-sector power production unit M/s Laraib Energy (Pvt) Ltd.

Vice Chancellor Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST), Prof. Dr Habib ur Rehman was the chief guest of the moot, chaired by Raja Muhammad Razaq Khan, Secretary Population Welfare and Director General Environmental Protection Agency of AJK.

Besides the chief guest and the chair, leading experts including Ziaul islam from federal ministry of Climate Change from Islamabad, Dr Maqsood Ahmed, Head of the Department of Arts, MUST, Kamran Kamal CEO Laraib Engery (Pvt) Ltd, Dr Muhamad Saim Hashmi from Department of Economics, MUST, Prof Khalil Ahmed from the MUST business school addressed the seminar by moving proposals to combat the challenges being faced by the nation through the climate change causing the effects in diverse forms.

Leading scholars including Registrar Mirpur University of Science & Technology (MUST) Mirpur Prof. Engr. Muhammad Waris Jiraal, Chairman Power Engineering Prof. Muhammad Shabir Mirza, Divisional Director Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mirpur division Sardar Idrees Mahmood, Director Students Affairs MUST Prof. Dr. Muhammad Asghar, Director Planning & Development MUST Prof. Engineer Muhammad Iqbal, Project Director MUST Engineer Syed Zishan Ashiq, Prof. Engr. Anzar Ahmed of the Electrical Engineering department MUST and others besides the students of the varsity attended the ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest Vice Chancellor of the MUST Prof. Dr Habib ur Rehman said that the climate change has emerged as a very serious issue at present following the impending water scarcity, Pakistan might suffer by 2025 as the experts had opined in the backdrop of the rapid climate change the country was suffering with.

Dr Rehman emphasized the need for addressing this serious issue scientifically through focusing full attention for preservation of water through small reservoirs and ponds in nook and corner of the country to maintain the existing and future needs for this basic necessity of human life and the livestock instead of striving to construct the dams.

The vice chancellor also called for avoiding to disturb the natural journey to avert loss to the climate change.

Prof. Dr. Habib ur Rehman expressed gratitude of the EPA, AJK, Federal ministry of Climate Change and others for hosting the seminar in his varsity to apprise the existing and future generations of their due national responsibilities to successfully combat the impending negative impacts of the climate change in the socio-economic and environmental sectors, the nation and the country might suffer as feared and predicted by the experts.

Speaking on the Climate Change and environmental challenges the country was facing with, Director General Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Secretary Population Welfare of AJK Government Raja Muhammad Razaq Khan said that holding of such seminars on climate change and challenges to the environment were imperative for the future generations to keep them prepared for successfully performing their duties to successfully meet the challenges.

He said that the government was determined to address environmental threats and climate change challenges, through mitigation and adaptation by taking all stakeholders on board.

Pakistan, Raja Razaq said, was one of the top ten most vulnerable countries to the impacts of Climate Change, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir being part of it, is rather one of the most fragile and sensitive territories of the country.

The EPA chief said AJK was most vulnerable to Climate Change, owing to its geographical location, elevation as well as demographics, water resources, forests, fisheries and associated biodiversity, glacial melt, glacial lakes outbursts and the anticipated increase in frequency and magnitude of these effects.