The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty, ratified by some 191 countries, which binds industrialised countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases.
The government needs to conduct scientific studies to determine the country’s infrastructural vulnerabilities to climate change, experts said at a discussion on Wednesday.
At the roundtable discussion on “Climate Change: Challenge and Response,” senior climate change expert, Dr Qamaruz Zaman Chaudhry, said he has recently sent a proposal to the Climate Change Division to conduct a study to determine how vulnerable Pakistan’s infrastructure is to climate change.
Infrastructure such as communications and road networks are hit hardest whenever Pakistan experiences floods during the Monsoon season, he stated. “Understanding the extent of vulnerabilities could help the authorities develop climate-resilient infrastructure.”
During the discussion, Chaudhry, who is also the lead author of Pakistan’s National Climate Change Policy, gave a presentation on its salient features. The policy was launched in February 2013, but there has been little work on its implementation since.
Chaudhry said even though Pakistan has very low greenhouse gas emissions, it is one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to the negative impact of climate change. The national policy addresses steps Pakistan can take in terms of both adaptation to and mitigation from climate change effects, he added. The policy focuses on issues like water resources, agriculture and disaster preparedness.
The policy calls for additional water storage facilities, energy-efficient farming mechanisms, enforcement of floodplains regulations as some of the actions that could prepare Pakistan for extreme weather events, Chaudhry said. “There are international financing facilities available to help developing countries fund adaptation and mitigation projects, but the capacity to apply for those funds needs to be developed.”
Mirza Hamid Hassan, former water and power secretary, said it was unfortunate that climate change had also become a victim of geopolitics. “The countries with the most greenhouse gas emissions are not willing to take responsibility for the impact of these emissions,” he added. “America is an example: it contributes around 30 per cent of all emissions but has not signed the Kyoto Protocol.”
The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty, ratified by some 191 countries, which binds industrialised countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases.
Participants said as the people are vulnerable to climate change, the available literature should be translated into local languages to ensure greater accessibility.
Munir Sheikh, head of Climatology section of the Global Change Impact Studies Centre (GCISC), said the global assessment reports prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are supported by local analyses done by Pakistani researchers. He claimed the GCISC studies have shown that Pakistan is witnessing twice the average global warming elsewhere. “The frequency of extreme weather incidents has increased since 1991.”
Chaudhry said people should also play their part in protecting the environment and reducing the carbon footprint. Recycling, planting trees and using public transport are some ways people can help, he said. “Conservation of energy by switching off extra lights can also bring down greenhouse emissions.”
The event was organised by the Institute of Policy Studies and the Riphah Institute of Public Policy.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 16th, 2014.
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