The minister meeting the UN delegation. PHOTO: APP
ISLAMABAD:
The Ministry of Climate Change and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have agreed to work together to address climate risks to the agriculture sector to ensure food security and end malnutrition in the country.
“Pakistan’s agriculture and water sectors are reeling under negative impacts of global warming with increasing floods, desertification and aridity, sea intrusion, erratic weather patterns and declining rainfall and depleting groundwater resources. These impacts are badly affecting country’s efforts for increasing the overall agriculture production,” Federal Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan said while talking to an FAO delegation led by Patrick T Evans, the FAO’s country representative for Pakistan.
Evans told the minister that protecting agriculture and water sectors from harmful impacts of climate change was indispensable for the country to boost productivity to meet escalating food and water needs of the population.
He said food and water security could not be achieved as long as these sectors remain vulnerable to climate risks and climate-induced disasters such as floods, heavy rains, hailstorms and shifting weather patterns.
“We are ready to support Pakistan in dealing with the negative impacts of climate change on these very sectors, which are vital to country’s sustained economic growth. We would like to bring in proven experiences of improved agriculture and irrigation practices and introduce climate-resilient crop varieties, which can sustain heat waves, floods, salinity and drought conditions, which are becoming frequent in Pakistan,” Evans told the minister.
The minister welcomed the offer and assured him of full cooperation in this regard.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 7th, 2015.
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