PM address at Intl Climate Change Summit inclusive, foresighted: Experts
PESHAWAR (APP): Diplomatic and environmentalists here Thursday termed the address of caretaker Prime Minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar at International Climate Change Summit 2023 at the sidelines of UN General Assembly was highly inclusive, and foresighted by reflecting aspirations of the nation.
Former Ambassador, Manzoorul Haq told APP on Thursday that the Prime Minister has boldly highlighted the adverse impact of climate change in devoloping countries including Pakistan during his landmark address at the international summit.
He said the cooperation of international countries were inevitable to mitigate negative effects of climate change, otherwise it would continued to rise in frequency and intensity with very negative effects on economy, agriculture and food security in low income countries in future.
Manzoor said Pakistan was among 10 countries highly vulnerable to climate change due to global hazardous gas emissions, high rate of deforestation and fast melting of glaciers mostly at Hamalya region owing to global warming.
He said that 2010 and 2022 devastated floods, Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GOLF) formed Atabad lake in Gilgit Baltistan and Murree 2021 snowfall tragedy besides Biporjoy Cyclone this year had testfied Pakistan’s succepitabilty to climate change that caused negative impact on agriculture, livestock, food security, fisheries, hotels, energy and environment.
“The average annual temperature of Pakistan was about 24.6 °C in years after 1980 and about 25.6 °C in the last years before 2022. So in less than 43 years, it has increased by 1 °C. This trend only applies to the selected four weather stations in the country besides signifying climate changes’ negative effects in the south asian region,” he said.
Manzoor said the entire nation and the world community had seen the massive destruction of the hotels and buildings in Swat besides agriculture crops that was washed away by the last year flash floods,” he said.
Inspite of contributing less than one percent to global warming, he said Pakistan’s economy that was largely dependent on agriculture and taxtile sectors, was badly affected by the climate change-induced-weather patterns.
He said the Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has urged the world community to extend financial and technical support to developing countries such as Pakistan to help them achieve all ambitions in fight against climate change.
“Climate change is a global issue with no border and geography and great responsibilities rest on the devoloped countries and UNO to support devoloping states including Pakistan in its fight against climate change and controlling of global warming,” he said.
Due to global warming and rise of temperature, he said the glaciers were melting fast in Hamalya region with more chances of floods in Pakistan and neighboring countries in future and urged all nations to raise their climate ambitions, regardless of their statuses and geographical locations and financially support Pakistan.
Tauheed Khan, former Conservator KP Forest Department termed the address of caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar in the international climate change summit was very comprehensive and wideranging.
He said the climate change-induced weather conditions including the rise of temperature, heatwaves, floods and sea cyclones are posing serious threats to human beings and whopping plantation was imperative to offset the negative effects of global warming.
He said desertification has been emerged as a major challenge to developing countries including Pakistan due to climate change-induced weather patterns and unlawful cutting of forests.
Due to desertification, he said that fertile land was being deserted due to change in weather patterns, prolonged drought and land degradation.
As per National Forest Policy 2018, Pakistan was losing about 27,000 hectares of forests per year mostly in community and private lands in Khyber Pakthunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan.
He said the first-ever National Adaptation Plan has been adopted by Pakistan to build climate resilience and combat drought and desertification.
Tauheed while lauding the Prime Minister for highlighting “Living Indus Initiative” of Pakistan said that it would help restoring the ecological health of Indus basin.
Ibrahim Khan, Deputy Project Director, 10 billion trees project said the address of Prime Minister has sensitized global community against climate change volunerabilities.
Taking cognizance of increasing incidents of climate change and high rate of deforestation, he said the first phase of billion trees afforestation project (BTAP) was launched in 2014 in KP under the green growth initiative (GGI).
Under GGI, he said focus on six sectors namely forestry, protected areas, national parks, clean energy, climate resilience, sanitation and water management were made.
About 1.208 billion saplings were planted under BTAP’s first phase with an estimated cost of Rs14.364 billion, registering six percent increase in KP’s forest cover areas i.e. 26.6percent in 2018 from 20.6 percent in 2013-14 by surpassing international standard of 25 percent forest cover.
The project was later extended to the entire country including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan in 2018 with a plantation target of 10 billion trees including additional one billion saplings set for KP by June 2023 under the 10 billion trees afforestation project (10BTAP).
Later, 10 BTAP was launched by the Government of Pakistan with the total cost of 125.1843 billion on September 2, 2018 during Plant for Pakistan Day.
“The project is being implemented across Pakistan by the Ministry of Climate Change along with Provincial and territorial Forest departments, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.”
Ibrahim said the first phase of 10 billion trees afforestration project (10BTAP 2019-23) had been extended upto July 2024 by the government in order to achieve the set plantation target of 10 billion saplings in the country.
He said approximately 700 million saplings against a set plantation target of one billion were planted during the last four years under the 10 billion trees afforestration project in Khyber Pakthunkhwa. He said that remaining 300 million saplings would be planted in the extended year.
He said that 500 million saplings would be achieved through forest enclosures and 500 million through farm forestry and the general public under 10 BTAP.
He said Plant for Pakistan was a key intiative of the government to bring maximum areas under afforestration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where about 1.5 million saplings would be planted during monsoon season.
Besides national building departments, the students also actively participated in the monson afforestration campaign in the province.
That monsoon plantation was underway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where 180,000 saplings would be sown through farm forestry, mass plantation and rehabilitation of the existing forests resources.
The experts said that Prime Minister address was being widely appreciated at global and international circles with workable solutions to combat climate change’s challenges.
