Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Nadeem Ahmad Khan Thursday said that climate change is posing a serious threat to Pakistan. He said that there is a dire need to create awareness among the rural as well as urban masses about the devastating effects of climate change, adding women could play a vital role in protecting the environment.
He said while address a conference titled 'women as change agents for coping with climate change' organised by the NDMA in collaboration with Ministry of Environment and National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW). The chairman said that boom in population, industrialisation, deforestation and others are the causes of the climatic destruction, global warming or climate change, adding that women can play a vital role at least in three areas,ie deforestation, population and environment.
He said that the disasters in Pakistan turned into its worst form due to gender disparity and alienating women role in decision-making process. The losses worth billions in rupees and destruction of houses in thousands would not have occurred if women had some role in decision-making in floods, he added. He said that women have knowledge of their surroundings and localities.
On the occasion NCSW Chairperson Anis Haroon said, "We need to cope with environmental destruction and to meet this end women participation is must at all levels in the process." She said that disparity in genders not only is harmful to environment but also to the country and society as it adds to poverty.
Experts and representatives from embassies, environment department and various organisations also spoke on this occasion. They shed light on future possible calamities due to climate change and said that Pakistan's agriculture and population especially in coastal areas may be affected.
They said that being vulnerable entity women would be the worst victims if they were not empowered with resources. At the end of the programme women from different rural areas presented their environment-friendly projects that were introduced with the help of different NGOs. Ambassadors, officials from various departments, representatives of NGOs and media participated in the conference.