ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Climate Change on Friday called representatives of all provincial governments to its next meeting to discuss the establishment of the National Wetlands Authority. The committee met at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of MNA Dr Hafeezur Rehman Drishak. Committee members discussed measures taken to address climate change and recommendations given by a think tank. Ministry of Climate Change Secretary Syed Abu Ahmad Akif briefed the committee on measures taken to address climate change. He said that Pakistan’s recently got $37 million under the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). The amount will be spent to implement decisions taken at the 20th Session of the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Lima, Peru, he said. “It is a big achievement for Pakistan. The Foreign Office played a significant role in this regard. Despite Indian opposition, the country was able to get the grant,” he said. Akif said that the ministry was in process of consultation with provinces on a climate change act. “The ministry is raising awareness on environment through painting competitions, documentaries and other means,” he said. The official said that the ministry had opposed handing over a part of the Argentinean Park, Islamabad to Polyclinic for the extension of the hospital. “The city faces a shortage of public parks and the current building of the hospital could have been enlarged,” he said. Akif said that Global Change Impact Study Centre was currently working without a head after the previous one retired. “The search for a suitable candidate for the slot continues,” Akif said. The secretary said that the ministry had sent the draft of the National Forest Policy to the Council of Common Interests (CCI) for approval. Forests Inspector General Syed Mahmood Nasir informed the committee that wetlands could play an important role in storing floodwater. “They can be used at a very low cost as compared to dams,” he said. Nasir said that after the 2010 floods, the Manchar Lake in Sindh had become environmentally suitable. “Earlier, it had been polluted and its water was toxic. Local people had started migrating to other areas,” he said. He said that the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was an international treaty that provided the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and effective use of wetlands. He said that 19 Pakistani wetlands had been included in the convention. He informed the meeting that currently, there was no institution in Pakistan for the conservation of wetlands. “The ministry is in the process of formulating a new policy for creation of the National Wetlands Authority. If provinces object to a central authority, they can form their own separate authorities,” Nasir said. MNA Khalida Mansoor said that no major dam had been constructed in Pakistan for a long time. MNAs Imran Zafar Legahri and Tahira Aurangzeb demanded that the committee meet at least once a month. Kiran Dar proposed that climate change topics should be included in the curricula for raising awareness. The secretary said that education was a provincial subject and only provincial governments could take such a decision.