KARACHI: An international climate change expert on Wednesday suggested that environmental degradation in Pakistan’s most populous city Karachi had increased in such a way that it was not able to reside new residents in the metropolitan. In order to lower population pressure from the port city, five to six new cities should be established as country’s coastal line. Dr Pervaiz Amir, senior adviser and board director Pakistan Water Partnership said this during a seminar on “Environmental Degradation and Climate Change – with special focus on Karachi”. The event was organized by environmental monthly magazine ‘Farozaan’ and GEMS. Dr Pervaiz who is also member of Regional Panel of experts Global Water Partnership South Asia said as per recent census results the population of Karachi has reached up to 14.9 million in 2017. Karachi, Pakistan’s most populous city and world’s one of the biggest city, was facing serious threats due to environmental degradation. Due to rapid increase in population, city’s pollution, noise pollution has reached up to alarming stage. Due to climatic change these conditions are worsening with everyday passing, he said. “Current infrastructure is not capable to meet the needs of such a big population. It was the need of the hour emergency measures should be taken to tackle the all types of environmental issues in the city,” he said. “And that includes that around five to six new cities should be crated at Pakistan’s costal belt so that Karachi should be relieved from growing population,” expert added. He said climate change and environmental degradation has direct impact on human health including respiratory problems, blood pressure and diabetes. Another speaker Baqaullah Unnar, Sindh environment secretary said it was collective responsibility to combat the climate change challenges we are facing today. He said 84 percent of Karachi’s water was contaminated but industrialists were not ready to install water treatment plant at their respective industrial units. He said if steps were not taken to mitigate the climate change affects; there would be direct impact on agriculture. “Decreased agriculture output is already impact in the form of mass-level migration from rural areas to urban areas like Karachi. He suggested that a law should be created in which lease of lands should be cancelled of such lands which were once forest-lands,” Unnar added. Mehmood Alam Khalid, Editor ‘Farozaan’ said environmental issue is bigger than terrorism. But there is dearth of mass-level awareness regarding Karachi’s environmental issues. Published in Daily Times, November 9th 2017.