Seminar: Earth warming up dangerously, warn experts

ISLAMABAD:

The last three decades were the warmest in recorded history, and as greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, oceans will continue to melt the ice cape, thus increasing surface temperatures which lead to floods and droughts. 

These were the views of speakers at different technical sessions at the 6th meeting of South and Central Asia Man and Biosphere Network which concluded in Islamabad on Friday.

Speakers gave several presentations on climate change, repeating the oft-heard warnings of temperature changes and global warming.

Dr Iqbal, a speaker at the event, said the coldest temperatures were recorded a hundred years ago, explaining that greenhouse gases are turning the temperature warmer. He further said that wet and dry seasons are increasing, and with rise in temperature agriculture yield and quality of crops is also improving but global glaciers are melting and the rivers get water from glaciers.

He said due to the rise in ocean temperatures, seawater intruded 80 miles into Sindh and has made the agriculture land saline. Professor Umar Khattak from the Institute of Geographic Information Systems, Nust, said the emission of greenhouse gases in the US is higher as compared to that in Pakistan but the vulnerability here is much higher.

Forests Inspector General Syed Mahmood Nasir said the cutting of trees and use of forest land for other purposes is having a detrimental impact on the environment. Economic growth means more population, and more people will need renewable resources like water, food, timber and fisheries, he said.

Kashif Majeed Salik from the Sustainable Development Policy Institute also gave a presentation on pathways to resilience in semi-arid economies.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2014.