Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan is one of the worst affected countries from climate change. The Economic Survey of Pakistan released by the federal government states that the three biggest challenges pertaining to climate change faced by the country in coming years will be related to water, food and energy security.

“Pakistan is continuously suffering with extreme weather events due to changing climate that include seasonal prolonged droughts, heavy monsoon rains, devastating floods, monsoonal storms, cyclones, unusual fogs, melting of glaciers, landslides and avalanches.”

Despite all these challenges, according to the survey, the good news is that the existing and proposed measures being taken by the government would help the country to address issues effectively.

“Despite having high vulnerability to climatic changes in future, Pakistan is still among very low green house gas (GHG) emiting countries, however, being a responsible state and part of the international community, Pakistan is planning to take serious steps for playing an effective role in lowering global GHG emissions,” the survey notes.

The biggest challenge for Pakistan is the provision of drinking water supply and sanitation services in rural areas and to cope with this challenge, with the help of the provincial governments, strategy is planned to provide clean drinking water and improved sanitation at grassroots level, the survey says further.

Since Pakistan is declared as a water-scare country, waste water treatment is vital for adequate supply of water for agriculture and to treat and recycle industrial effluents. The survey maintains that a wastewater treatment programme would soon be initiated in the country in collaboration with provincial governments.

To enhance sustainability of natural resources, a plan has been made to increase forest cover along with conservation and restoration of natural resources of the country, the survey notes, adding that a strategy will also be designed to prepare locals to manage forest areas and wild lands around their residences.

“Under the Green Pakistan Programme, 100 million trees will be planted across the country in the next five years to mitigate the impact of climate change,” it says.

The Green Pakistan Programme is the initiative of the government to revive Forestry and Wildlife resources across the country. The objective of the programme is to facilitate transition towards environmental resilience by mainstreaming notions of adaptation and mitigation through ecologically targeted initiatives covering biodiversity conservation and enabling policy environment.

Published in Daily Times, May 7^th 2018.