The heavy downpour throughout Pakistan may trigger floods in different parts of the country, however, Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Wazir has dismissed any possibility of flooding in near future. "There is no flood forecasting in near future. Still, we are fully ready to deal with any situation that may arise out of heavy downpour," she said while briefing the fifth meeting of the Standing Committee on Climate Change at the Parliament House on Monday under the chair of Member National Assembly (MNA) Munaza Hassan.
The minister said it is not the sole responsibility of the government machinery to take preventive measures against flood threat but the parliamentarians also need to play a proactive role in creating awareness among the masses regarding monsoon rains and the challenges that may surface in their aftermath. "I believe this is the issue that requires an active response from us, the parliamentarians. We have a very important role to play by reaching out to our constituents in the respective areas and equip them through proper education, guidance and material support to deal with the devastation triggered by the monsoon rains," Wazir said.
In this regard, instructions have been issued to the district government machinery in Punjab led by the respective district coordination officers (DCOs) to coordinate with the parliamentarians in the related districts in terms of flood and disaster management (if required) and for public awareness, she said.
Secretary Ministry of Climate Change Hassan Nasir Jamy briefed the committee over the action plan and proposals for enhancing community resilience and adaptation against climate change and environment with a particular focus on farmers.
He informed that Global Change Impact Studies Centre (GCISC), a dedicated research institute for climate change studies, has been engaged with federal and provincial agricultural research and extension institutions to develop research and outreach programme to build resilience in the farming sector.
The secretary claimed that the Ministry of Climate Change has developed a media communication strategy in coordination with the Ministry of Information and has also started working on establishment of food, energy, water security, early warning system in the Indus Basin and establishment of permanent roundtable on climate change, agriculture and food security for raising public awareness.
Jamy cited the findings of GCISC suggesting 6-16 percent decrease in agricultural sector growth between 2030 and 2040.
The committee decided that the provincial forest secretaries and officials of Capital Development Authority's (CDA) Environment Wing be invited in the next meeting to brief the committee over the tree plantation in the country. The committee also decided to invite different agricultural universities to share the research papers regarding agriculture sector.
The meeting was attended by committee members including MNAs Dr Haider Ali Khan, Khial Zaman, Andleeb Abbas, Dr Seemi Bokhari, Sabir Hussain Kaim Khani, Tahira Aurangzeb, Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Shahida Rehmani and Afreen Khan as well as senior officers from the Ministry of Climate Change and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency.
Earlier on July 16, the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change, in its scheduled meeting, had expressed grave concern over fire incidents in the forests of Islamabad, Murree and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while slamming the absence of Advisor to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam from the committee meeting.
The committee was informed that 200 hectares of forest area has been affected this year by fire, which the official termed a 'very rare occurrence.' This took the committee members by shock, who raised questions over the performance of KP Forest Department. It was revealed that most affected area was private forest land that was being cut down to store wood for the winters.
The Senate committee, which had met under the chair of Senator Sitara Ayaz from Awami National Party (ANP), had observed that planting more trees and saplings is a futile exercise unless adequate measures are taken to ensure the safety and protection of forests and related plantation sites.
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