‘Pakistan could lose 30% of its agriculture by 2050’

Environmentalists say Gilgit-Baltistan is rapidly losing forest reserves.

GILGIT:

Experts have warned that Pakistan could lose 30 per cent of its agriculture yield by 2050 if environmental degradation continues at the same pace as it is now.

Gilgit-Baltistan is losing its forest reserves at an alarming speed, participants of a conference organised by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) noted with concern. Speaking on the occasion director EPA, Shehzad Shirgi, said that Pakistan is losing Rs365 billion every year owing to environmental degradation. “We can save this money if we can protect our environment.”

More than a dozen environmentalists representing government and nongovernmental organisations participated in the workshop that sough input on refining the ‘National Climate Change Policy’ of Pakistan. Deputy secretary environment, Syed Mujtaba Hussain also attended the event.

The participants highlighted gaps in the draft policy that is supposed to provide environmental guidelines. Mujtaba Hussain said that Gilgit-Baltistan has a crucial ecological importance owing to its mountainous terrain. He said that the region’s location made it prone to be more adversely affected from climate change.

Other participants of the conference urged the government to pay more attention to biodiversity in the policy and said the minerals sector could be turned into the most profitable sector by devising a rational policy.

They said that better utilisation of water resources was required for the country to secure its future. The participants also urged the government to ensure proper implementation of the existing laws.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2011.