Ministry of Climate Change intends to utilise local resources through community-led projects, specially those introducing new technology to avert the impacts of climatic change in Pakistan. In this regard, the ministry is looking possibilities to promote ecotourism in the potential areas, introduce energy-efficient housing models and open water management schemes.
Secretary to Ministry of Climate Change Rukhsana Saleem said this while visiting different initiatives taken by UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) with local organisations in Thatta, Hyderabad and Jamshoro districts. She saw the outcomes and the community ownership in the smaller grants projects, while she talked to community women beneficiaries there. "I was very much inspired that so many innovations have been done in low-carbon housing and cooking projects, launched by different organisation with the support of UNDP-GEF SGP. We want to take up similar actions in Sindh and other provinces. I assure you to implement these energy-efficient and environment-friendly housing and cooking technologies to other areas of the country," she said.
"Energy-efficient houses in Thatta were innovative and I saw the community people were looking happy there," she said, adding "this technology should be replicated to other areas to benefit the village people." Masood Lohar, National Co-ordinator UNDP-GEF Small Grants Progranmme, MPA Faqirdad Khoso, Chatro Mal Khatri and others also accompanied her.
The secretary said her department is working closely with the leading organisations of the country to promote eco-tourism, water management projects and energy-efficient house models and smoke-free stoves to minimise the impacts of carbon emissions. During her visit to Keenjhar Lake, she said there needs more work for promoting ecotourism. There are other potential sites too where ecotourism may be introduced through installing better facilities for picnickers. This initiative must not be polluting the water body.
"I have visited three sites, which are inspiring for me to replicate these innovative ideas through potential non-governmental organisations," she said. Earlier, Masood Lohar introduced her with different initiatives UNDP-GEF SGP taken with the community participation. About the innovative brick kiln technology, he said "it will change the face of housing in the world." The secretary also attended distribution ceremony of promoting energy-efficient eco-friendly insulated metallic stoves for better environment at Jamshoro by Universal Social Development Organisation (USDO), which is working with remote village communities to help them. Women beneficiaries got the gifts at the gathering.
She also visited the brick manufacturing yard near Kotri town to see the new housing technology with 'Compressed Earth Blocks'. It was the site of demonstration and promotion of low-cost material having technology and energy efficient properties launched by Indus Rural Development Organisation (IRDO). Shaukat Memon of IRDO said they bring trash from stone crushing plants from different areas to use the same for block manufacturing, which have been approved from the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) for its strength and quality to use in the house building.