Pakistani official calls for concerted efforts to fight climate change

by IANS |

Islamabad, Dec 2 (IANS) Pakistani Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul said on Wednesday that concerted efforts are needed to counter the adverse impacts of climate change and impending disaster of environmental degradation.

Despite contributing to less than one per cent of global greenhouse gases emissions, Pakistan has been facing harmful impacts of climate change, Gul said while addressing a seminar on climate change at COMSATS University Islamabad, adding that the Pakistani government has been taking practical steps to conserve the environment and mitigate climate crisis.

Pakistan is suffering from a variety of natural calamities including drought, urban flooding, heatwave and glacier melting due to climate change, causing food insecurity, loss of life and severe negative impact on the country's national economy, she said.

The Pakistani government has launched a number of initiatives, including the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami programme, Clean Green Pakistan, the establishment of national parks and the restoration of wetlands and wildlife to protect the environment and counter climate change, the official said.

Gul also stressed the use of advanced technology in monitoring environmental shifts and predicting future changes to cope with emerging challenges of climate change.