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Pakistan Prime Minister’s Climate Change Coordinator Romina Khurshid Alam on Wednesday said land degradation due to the increasing impact of climate change poses a serious threat to Pakistan’s food and water security amid India’s violation of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
She spoke at the South Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development (COMSATS) high-level panel discussion on the United Nations World Environment Day on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience.
Romina said the country is facing the worst impacts of climate change, raising interconnected challenges such as food security, water scarcity and land degradation.
“Land degradation destroys millions of hectares of land every year and displaces millions of people around the world. Agriculture is the lifeblood of Pakistan and land degradation will have severe impacts, which, coupled with forest degradation, will further aggravate the problem,” she said. The Prime Minister’s Coordinator mentioned that India’s construction of dams on rivers that supply water to Pakistan is also a cause of concern for the low-riparian country. She added that soil depletion and salinization directly lead to reduced crop yields, thereby exacerbating poverty and leading to rural-urban migration.
Romina noted that sustainable development can only be achieved through comprehensive policy measures to address land degradation, and that pooling technical resources and strengthening farmers’ capacity to use modern technological solutions are essential to improving crop resilience.
She urged partners to work with the Ministry of Climate Change to provide a platform for scientists to share knowledge.
She highlighted the ministry’s various projects aimed at enhancing climate resilience, mitigating land degradation and forest degradation to jointly address community and biodiversity resilience.
She said local communities and indigenous peoples have a wealth of knowledge that can be used to develop strategies to address land degradation.
She asked everyone to commit to empowering local communities, promoting greener collaboration and supporting each other to tackle land degradation, deforestation and mitigate drought.
In his welcome address, Ambassador Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, Executive Director of COMSATS, said that World Environment Day is an important event and the dialogue reflects the government’s sincere commitment to the cause of environmental protection.
He said that economic growth and surging supply and demand in countries around the world have led to land degradation, but its serious consequences have been ignored, resulting in insufficient response measures.
“Awareness is crucial to guide high-level policy making, which will set the pace for sustainable and eco-friendly economic growth.
Climate change, poverty and hunger are inherently interconnected issues, and the way forward lies in technology-based solutions and improved knowledge,” said Ambassador Zakaria.
He added that big land datasets can be used for better utilization of land as it is important for countries to develop capabilities and improve technology in the current competitive environment. He informed that COMSATS is an intergovernmental organization of 28 countries founded by Professor Abdus Salam to bridge the technological gap between developing and developed countries in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
He said COMSATS works on green hydrogen, remote sensing modelling and simulation, fuel cell technology, etc. while the committee maintains active working relationships with leading international platforms such as the Commonwealth and renowned scientific and environmental forums around the world.
“Military exercises and warfare have had a devastating impact on the environment and have led to land degradation, and we need to look into this to hold the accused accountable,” he said.
Professor Seyed Komail Tayebi, president of the Ecological Sciences Foundation, said protecting the environment is not a matter of choice but a matter of survival.
“Climate change is the most pressing challenge facing the region, with erratic rainfall and climate disasters threatening food security and overall well-being in the region. A healthy environment is the foundation of a strong society. This year’s theme is appropriate as the region is facing challenges that require multi-pronged solutions, including building technology, business efficiency and environmental best practices in other industries to help address the crisis,” said Tayebi.
He added that the region needed to build resource efficiency, regional cooperation, partnerships to mitigate land desertification and related crises to address the problem.
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