Climate week to seeawareness activitiesacross metropolis

Climate Action Centre calls for initiatives beyond 'patchwork solutions'

KARACHI:

The metropolitan city needs a comprehensive uplift programme with required budget instead of patchwork solutions that fail to improve the standard of life of the citizens, said Climate Action Center Director Yasir Hussain Darya.

He said that the organisation has been struggling for the past three years to improve the quality of life for Karachiites, which continues to deteriorate with each passing day.

Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, Hussain said the city's conditions are worsening rapidly, while only "patchwork solutions" are visible and no proper budget is being allocated for Karachi. He added that local government institutions and cantonment boards also share responsibility for the city's declining state.

Referring to last year's deadly heatwave, Hussain said climate change has intensified extreme temperatures and erratic rainfall. To raise awareness, the Climate Action Center is organising a week-long Climate Week featuring 40 events.

He said the activities will be held at public and private universities with active participation from civil society, serving as a platform for dialogue. Hussain stressed that meaningful public engagement, government involvement, and community participation are essential to improving the city's urban systems, adding that meetings with government departments are also planned.

Highlighting the impact of energy use on climate change, he welcomed the government's National Electric Vehicle Policy, noting that petrol-based engines are expected to be phased out over the next 25 years, helping improve urban air quality. "Air pollution is a major cause of disease," he said.