Chairman Water Environment Forum Nisar A. Memon visited the OICCI to give a talk on the climate change challenges. He was welcomed by President OICCI Atif Bajwa, Vice President Shahab Rizvi and Secretary General M Abdul Aleem. Memon highlighted that climate change is already happening in the form of rising temperatures, atmospheric carbon dioxide level, frequency of tropical storms and sea levels.
Its impact are already being felt by Pakistan in the form of recurring floods leading to widespread damage to infrastructure, livelihoods and settlements, increasing heat-related mortality and drought related water and food shortages causing malnutrition. He said climate change is on the present government's agenda, as for the first time a separate Ministry has been formulated on Climate Change. However, national climate change strategy must be formulated through research and provincial integration, and public-private partnerships must start to conserve, protect, develop, fund infrastructure projects like early warning systems for Glacial Lake Outburst Flood and small and large reservoirs to store water and produce electricity.
OICCI President, Atif Bajwa agreed with Nisar Memon that this is a most important subject for everyone as floods cause losses of billions of rupees due to water being lost to sea which could have otherwise been used to enhance agricultural production and produce electricity.
The participants agreed that all stakeholders, including the corporate sector should have more understanding of the issues of Climate Change to help them in formulating a response at their respective level and through the Chambers like the OICCI. Nisar Memon, who requested all participants to keep in touch with him for any help required to address issues related to the Climate change.-PR