Youth forum: ‘Changing climate has added new challenges for Pakistan’

Glaciers’ status assessment, water availability, land-productivity and emergency relief are topics gaining importance.

ISLAMABAD:

The changing climate has added new complexities to Pakistan’s quest for sustainable and equitable development. This was said by Abdul Qadir Rafique, Assistant Country Director, United Nations Development Programme in his opening speech at a youth forum on climate change here on Thursday. The four-day forum is being held at the Institute of Space Technology (IST).

He said glaciers’ status assessment, water availability, land-productivity and emergency relief are topics that are gaining importance and researchers should focus on them.

He added that Earth Observation System (EOS) and geo-information technologies are very useful and helpful and should be a basic tool for exploring these interlinked disciplines.

The EOS is a “coordinated series of polar-orbiting and low inclination satellites for long-term global observations of the land surface, biosphere, solid Earth, atmosphere, and oceans”, according to NASA’s website.

IST Dean Dr Abdul Aziz Mazhar said that EOS is proving to be a vital tool in expanding scientists’ understanding of changing climates across the globe. He said that EOS combined with geographic information systems provides a powerful platform and a visual and interactive aid to help educate people on various issues related to environmental change.

The aim of this youth forum is to educate and raise awareness among young people about climate change in the Himalayan region and highlight the importance of earth observation.

The forum is being organised under the framework of SERVIR Himalaya by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, SUPARCO and Lead Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2011.