Advisor to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam, on Monday has pledged to boost Pakistan’s climate vulnerability by increasing the country’s tree cover, water conservation and storage and climate-resilient food security measures. Highlighting the unprecedented role of forests in overall environmental development and climate resilience against disasters, he also vowed to expand billion tree programme of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government to all provinces and administrative regions. He expressed these views at the Climate Change Ministry while chairing the briefing on climate change ministry, its role and functions. Ministry of Climate Change Secretary Khizar Hayat Khan gave a detailed briefing to the prime minister’s advisor. Malik Amin Aslam said that growing air pollution is a major issue of the country and tackling of it requires strong policy measures. Malik Amin also said that he would take all-out measures to strengthen technical capacity and increase human power of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency and help it scale up its institutional role for air pollution control and overall environmental improvement of the capital city of Islamabad and surrounding areas. The advisor to PM also highlighted that the newly-appointed PM Imran Khan is highly committed to tackling environmental issues, air pollution, climate change and increasing the country’s water conservation and storage, biodiversity loss and unlawful wildlife hunting. “However, the role of climate change ministry in actualising the commitment of the prime minister to environmental protection and conservation is of unprecedented importance and I would leave no stone unturned to play my part in this regard,” he stressed. Earlier, during the briefing, the climate change secretary told the PM’s advisor that primary roles of the ministry include formation of national policies, plans, strategies and programmes with regard to environmental protection, preservation, pollution, ecology, forestry, wildlife, biodiversity, climate change and desertification. Coordination, monitoring and implementation of multilateral environmental agreements with other countries, international agencies and forums are also integral part of the functions of the ministry, representing Pakistan at international forums with respect to the signed conventions and protocols, he added. The climate change secretary also shared details of the development and non-devopment budget for the ongoing fiscal year. He told the advisor that Rs 802.699 million have been allocated for the development projects whereas Rs 175.212 million have been earmarked for non-development budgetary head. The secretary also briefed Malik Amin about various development projects being implemented by the ministry in collaboration with international and national partners. Spelling out the details of the projects, the Climate Change Secretary Khizar Hayat Khan said that the ministry’s development projects include: green Pakistan programme – revival of forestry and wildlife resources in Pakistan, sustainable Land Management project to combat desertification of Pakistan SLMP-II, construction of Boundary Wall of Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden, strengthening Zoological Survey of Pakistan undertaking immediate inventory of endangered wildlife species and habitats across Pakistan, establishment of Geomantic Centre for Climate Change. The briefing was attended by all senior officers of the ministry and its attached departments. Published in Daily Times, August 21st 2018.