Global warming: Hindu Kush regions the hot spot of global warming, says Bosan

Food security minister says govt working to reduce carbon emissions.

ISLAMABAD: Seasonal variations and rising temperatures are adversely affecting the agriculture sector of the country. This was stated by Federal Minister for National Food Security Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan on Thursday while speaking at programme titled “Pakistan Partners’ Day” coinciding with the 45th board of governors meeting of the International Centre for Integrated Mountains Development (ICIMOD).

The event was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Food Security and Research.

The minister said the Hindu Kush region has become the hotspot of global warming and the vulnerable mountain communities were facing glaciers lakes outburst floods (GLOF) and trans-boundary issues.



He added that Pakistan was working on a series of polices to deal with climate change issues particularly focusing on the mountain communities.

“Pakistan has also been working on carbon reduction since 2010 by reducing deforestation,” he said.

“The government of Pakistan has formulated a policy to address climate change issues and a national food security policy is also in process of formation,” he said adding that committees have been formed to implement these policies at federal and provincial levels.

After the 18th Amendment, the powers of formation and policy implementation have been delegated to provinces, he said, adding that “I am pleased to know that the ICIMOD was persuading the governments of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan to formulate policies for their rangeland resources.”

Pakistan Agriculture Research Council Chairman Dr Iftikhar Ahmed stressed the need for an integrated area development approach and key interventions in terms of research, technology transfer, genes pool preservation and development.

Earlier, ICIMOD Director General Dr David Moden spoke on issues and challenges being faced by the mountain communities of Hindu Kush and Himalayan regions in the wake of global warming and climate change.

Food Secretary Seerat Asghar also spoke on food security and livelihood prospective in the Hindu Kush region of Pakistan.

At the end of the programme, ICIMOD Strategic Cooperation Director Basanta Shrestha distributed certificates among participants of the youth forum that was held in connection with the four-day workshop. Students from across the country attended lectures on climate change.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2014.