Pakistan’s first climate change policy draft approved

STAFF REPORT ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has formally approved its first draft of the climate change policy after a long delay after the devastating floods that hit the country las year.“Pakistan is among the few developing countries which has prepared such a comprehensive national policy on a subject which is on top of the global priority agenda may be after war on terror,” said Dr Qamaruzaman Chaudhary, former Director General of

Meteorological Department of Pakistan and leading author of the policy.“Particularly, during the last two decades, extreme weather events like heavy rains, heat and droughts have increased,” Chaudhary said.The main objective of the policy is to sustain economic growth by addressing the challenges of climate change.The sectors of water resources, agriculture, human health, forestry, biodiversity and others are also among the top priorities along with the areas of mountains, pastures, marine and coastal eco-systems. The policy is to also to be integrated by other related policies.“The policy is a multi-sector approach in which the long term project will come under the National Climate Change Action Plane – a road map for adaptation and mitigation of serious problems,” said Jawed Ali Khan, Director General (Environment) at the Ministry of Environment.The policy also stressed upon the importance of learning, training, technical, and capacity building approach. These targets are to be achieved by awareness, national and international cooperation, technology transfer and funding.Chaudhary has confirmed an action plan as the next step and hoped it will be ready within next few months.The policy also needs immediate implementation because the country faced extreme floods in 2010 in which 2,000 people died, 20 million were displaced and one-fifth of the country was under water.

http://www.technologytimes.pk/2011/06/04/pakistan%E2%80%99s-first-climate-change-policy-draft-approved/