WWF-P stresses need for conserving freshwater bodies

Marking World Water Week, the organisation highlights climate change impacts

KARACHI, PAKISTAN:

As unprecedented monsoon rains wreak havoc in Karachi, World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) highlighted climate change and stressed the need for the conservation of freshwater bodies during online sessions held to mark World Water Week.

The sessions, themed 'Water and Climate' began on Monday and will continue till today (Friday).

Speaking on the occasion, WWF-P director Hammad Naqi Khan pointed out that in the past decade, Pakistan had witnessed record floods, widespread rains, heatwaves, droughts and rise in temperatures.

 "We should invest in nature-based solutions, which are cost-effective, [and] simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience," he said. Healthy freshwater ecosystems were key to efforts to adapt to the changing climate and a warming world, he added.

Noting that despite being critical for all living beings and for most economic activity, water remained relatively undervalued, Khan said that wetlands were vital for life support systems and central for efforts to adapt to climate change.

Meanwhile, WWF-P stressed the fact that the climate crisis had already begun impacting the planet's water resources. "Glaciers are melting atop the world's highest mountains, contributing to super floods, rising sea levels and changing river flows - affecting life in both high altitudes and downstream by the sea," said a statement.

Altering river flows by constructing dams and canals also impacted access to water, food production, green belts and economic activities along the river, underscored the organisation, giving the example of the Indus River, which has been adversely impacted due to water diversions.

Climate change was transforming high mountain ecosystems and threatening the survival of many freshwater species, it was stressed, while pointing out that many glaciers were expected to disappear by 2100 and Pakistan would be no exception.

Given this, WWF-Pakistan urged that the scale of the climate crisis and its impact on people be limited by significantly reducing carbon emissions.

During this week, WWF-Pakistan, in collaboration with Titans Autograph and Memorabilia, set up an ultra-filtration water plant in Khadiyon village, with around 650 households near Keenjhar Lake in Thatta.

Earlier in 2018, two water plants were set up for the local communities near the lake, and according to WWF-Pakistan, some 10,000 individuals were benefiting from the facility.

The organisation stressed that clean drinking water was a basic human right but unfortunately, a large number of people in Sindh did not have access to potable drinking water. It underlined the need for improved access to potable water as well as water efficiency.

As unprecedented monsoon rains wreak havoc in Karachi, World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) highlighted climate change and stressed the need for the conservation of freshwater bodies during online sessions held to mark World Water Week.

The sessions, themed 'Water and Climate' began on Monday and will continue till today (Friday).

Speaking on the occasion, WWF-P director Hammad Naqi Khan pointed out that in the past decade, Pakistan had witnessed record floods, widespread rains, heatwaves, droughts and rise in temperatures.

 "We should invest in nature-based solutions, which are cost-effective, [and] simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience," he said. Healthy freshwater ecosystems were key to efforts to adapt to the changing climate and a warming world, he added.

Noting that despite being critical for all living beings and for most economic activity, water remained relatively undervalued, Khan said that wetlands were vital for life support systems and central for efforts to adapt to climate change.

Meanwhile, WWF-P stressed the fact that the climate crisis had already begun impacting the planet's water resources. "Glaciers are melting atop the world's highest mountains, contributing to super floods, rising sea levels and changing river flows - affecting life in both high altitudes and downstream by the sea," said a statement.

Altering river flows by constructing dams and canals also impacted access to water, food production, green belts and economic activities along the river, underscored the organisation, giving the example of the Indus River, which has been adversely impacted due to water diversions.

Climate change was transforming high mountain ecosystems and threatening the survival of many freshwater species, it was stressed, while pointing out that many glaciers were expected to disappear by 2100 and Pakistan would be no exception.

Given this, WWF-Pakistan urged that the scale of the climate crisis and its impact on people be limited by significantly reducing carbon emissions.

During this week, WWF-Pakistan, in collaboration with Titans Autograph and Memorabilia, set up an ultra-filtration water plant in Khadiyon village, with around 650 households near Keenjhar Lake in Thatta.

Earlier in 2018, two water plants were set up for the local communities near the lake, and according to WWF-Pakistan, some 10,000 individuals were benefiting from the facility.

The organisation stressed that clean drinking water was a basic human right but unfortunately, a large number of people in Sindh did not have access to potable drinking water. It underlined the need for improved access to potable water as well as water efficiency.