By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi Sunday said that the adverse impacts of Climate Change needed to be reversed by adopting sustainable consumption practices, protecting natural water resources, ensuring fertile soil and taking collective transformative action on a global scale by developing partnerships with all concerned authorities to save our planet Earth.
The president expressed these views while offering his greetings to all Pakistanis and environment-loving people around the world on the occasion of World Environment Day.
The 2022 World Environment Day campaign ‘#OnlyOneEarth’ calls for collective, transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect and restore the planet Earth.
The president said that Pakistan was among the worst-hit countries in terms of climate change due to fast melting glaciers, unpredictable rain patterns, dry spells and drying up of our water sources which posed serious challenges to the government and to the people of Pakistan.
Highlighting the need for environment-friendly practices, he said that it was achievable by educating our youth about dealing with this challenge and adapting the methods of the green environment today for a better future.
“I am proud to state that in Pakistan our Presidency is world’s first in becoming ISO certified green, energy-efficient Presidency. With our 1MW solar power project, we not only cater to our power needs to zero net billing but also contribute to national grid”, he said
He also invited all the institutions to learn from the Green Presidency Initiative and save energy so as to serve the public in an effective manner.
The president further regretted that Pakistan’s forests, biodiversity and wildlife resources had suffered from the adverse effects of climate change, change of land use, and habitat destruction due to population increase.
He urged the need to make continuous efforts through a number of initiatives under long-term planning and programmes to deal with the challenge of climate change.
“Existing meager forest resources are crucial to environmental stability and needed serious interventions to improve and enhance the overall forestry, wildlife and biodiversity sectors”, he said. The president noted that the United Nations’ World Environment Day (WED) was dedicated to focusing attention and taking positive action on issues related to the environment.
“This year’s theme is meant to encourage people around the world to think about their connection to nature—including food and agriculture”, he added.
He said that a healthy environment played a key role in meeting many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
“With 8 years left to meet the target date of 2030, the world will need to pick up the pace and put greater efforts in finding better solutions to pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss in order to truly transform societies and economies”, he emphasized.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman in her message on ‘World Environment Day’ on Sunday said the effects of climate change will be detrimental to the future of the country and coming generations without taking necessary mitigation measures. The Federal Minister in her message said the purpose of celebrating the ‘Environment Day’ was to spread awareness among the people regarding climate change.
Senator Sherry said not only Pakistan and South Asia but the whole world was being affected by the extraordinary effects of climate change.
“Climate change is the biggest challenge of the 21st century. We stand at the forefront of the global meteorological emergency as a Pakistani,” Sherry Rehman said.
Pakistan, she said was one of the few countries in the world to face the severe effects and threats of climate change.
“We are facing extreme temperatures and severe drought. Our forests are burning, glaciers are melting and rivers are drying up. We have to be careful in using water,” Senator Sherry Rehman said.
She said that the humans were doing a lot of injustice to the land and natural environment, adding, “We should not pollute the sea, air and our land”.
The Minister suggested that there was need to adopt climate culture to deal with climate crisis.
