World Forest Day: Conserve water, trees to mitigate climate change impact

MoCC secretary says govt setting up two bodies on climate

There is an urgent need to review the way natural resources such as water and forests are used so that impacts of climate change can be mitigated.

This was stated by speakers at a seminar on World Forests Day at the Pir Mehar Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. The seminar had been jointly organised by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) Office in the Ministry of Climate Change and the Arid University.

Syed Abu Akif, the secretary for Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC), said that Pakistan was among the few countries in the world which had passed legislation to respond to challenges posed by climate change.

He added that in this regard, two new bodies would be constituted at the federal level shortly, including the Climate Change Council and the Climate Change Authority.

Akif further said that under the Green Pakistan initiative, the MoCC would plant around 100 million plants across the country with the help of all provincial governments.

Akif emphasised that conserving water and forests was an obligation for every individual.

We must find ways how we draw benefit from the sustainable use of water, he said.

Former Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) chairman Eng. Shamasul Malik said that, as a nation, we need to ask why we were draining the bulk of our water supply into the sea without drawing benefits from it.

Unfortunately, he said, we were using our natural assets such as water and forests while remaining oblivious to the challenges which further generations would face.

Forests Inspector General Syed Mehmood Nasir stressed the need for introducing new technology and research for the efficient use of natural resources.

He said that technology could help benefit from forests without chopping down a single tree.

Earlier, Arid University’s Vice Chancellor Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad presented an overview of the water and forest landscape in Pakistan. He said that by enhancing forests, the country could also respond to its water scarcity in the country.

SDPI’s Executive Director Abid Qaiyum Suleri said that keeping in view new challenges posed by climate change, we need to pay attention to water conservation in a way which not only responds to water shortage but also protects vulnerable communities from disasters such as floods.

He added that with the right planning, climate change can be stopped from turning into a human disaster.

In addition to a large number of the students from different departments of the university, senior academicians, faculty members and representatives from civil society organisations attended the seminar.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2017.