Climate change mitigation: Sherry to establish Climate Change Council within 100 days

 Our Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman said on Wednesday: “Climate Change is a very important and serious issue, particularly in developing countries such as Pakistan. So far approximately 80 per cent of the urban population-lack access to clean drinking water. Pakistani cities rank highly on the air pollution score in the world and one in 10 deaths amongst children under five are caused by air pollution and 128,000 people die from airborne particulate matter annually in Pakistan.

Pakistan is one of the countries consistently ranked amongst the most vulnerable to the harmful effects of climate change.

“What we have seen so far are headless climate change ministries that fail to blip on the federal government’s own policy radar. We need to rethink our policies and coordinate priorities quickly”, Sherry said. She continued, “First and foremost, a policy roadmap beyond planting trees is needed. At the same time public awareness and community buy-in is crucial if we are to combat climate change as a nation,” she further said.

I will be presenting a climate change policy to the cabinet and advocating strongly for instituting a climate change council within 100 days: Minister of Climate Change Sherry Rehman

“We need the ministries’ priorities and policies to be up and running to focus on all key challenges, particularly the terrible damage caused by waste and pollution of all resources; behaviour change needs messaging in a language that should also be easily accessible by the common citizen, “the new climate minister explained.

The PPP central leader further said: “Our population needs to be made aware of the ever-increasing danger we face at the hands of climate change. We as a society don’t really understand that Pakistan will be threatened by even deeper social instability than it faces today without a public plan that focuses on action.”

We are not abandoning the tree plantation project; however, our policies need to be more than that: The climate change minister

Talking about measures taken by the former government, Sherry said climate action is not just about planting trees, but much more. Pollution of our water, air, and temperature rise has caused incalculable costs to the country, its soil, and its people and exposed us to disease and vulnerability. Whilst the potential cost of climate inaction is varied, the estimated consensus is a shocking $3.8 billion annually. It is painful irony of climate change that those least responsible for the problem are often the ones most exposed to its ravages.

One in 10 deaths amongst children are caused by air pollution while 128,000 people die from airborne particulate matter annually in Pakistan: Sherry Rehman

“Global climate change has been partly caused by greenhouse gas emissions by industrialist countries. Pakistan contributes only 6 per cent of the world’s emissions, yet is one of the countries consistently ranked amongst the most vulnerable to the harmful effects of climate change. Environmental pollution, air pollution, smog eradication, water scarcity, public awareness, and a number of other key issues are among our policy priorities.”

The water crisis: Speaking about the water crises the climate change minister stated, “Pakistan is primarily dependent on the Indus River system as it supports 90 per cent of our agricultural industry. It is immensely affected by climate change, resulting in frequent flooding. We rank third in the number of countries facing severe water shortages. Our four major crops i.e. cotton, wheat, sugarcane and rice are all water-dependent,” Sherry added.

The UN predicts Pakistan will be water-scarce by 2025.

A number of challenges await the ministry in this regard and our focus will be not only on policy reform but also on increasing awareness so that the general public is aware of steps that they can take. Pakistan has been water-stressed since 1981 and the UN predicts we will be water-scarce by 2025, the new climate change minister maintained.

The water crisis is an issue that affects everyone. We must make the positive large scale and small scale changes that will eventually lead to a more positive impact on the environment,” she further explained.

The dragon of Air pollution: On the topic of pollution, Climate change minister Sherry said, “Air pollution has been one of the more prominent fallouts of overall climate degradation, particularly in Pakistan, where city centers become routinely choked with smog and thick layers of visible smoke. These consist of greenhouse gasses such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), and particulate matter that combine in a lethal mix.”

In Pakistan, one in 10 deaths in children under the age of five is caused by air pollution.

The adverse implications for health cannot be emphasized enough. An AQ-I of between 100 and 150 poses a potential risk to children and people with heart and lung disease; Islamabad is currently at 104.

In Pakistan, one in 10 deaths in children under the age of five is caused by air pollution. Approximately 128,000 Pakistanis die annually from air pollution-related illnesses. The eradication of these threats needs to be of utmost importance,” Sherry went on to say.

The energy conservation: Speaking about energy conservation the federal minister said: “The effects of our negligent energy conservation methods are clear when we look at the current energy crisis Pakistan is facing. We derive 64 per cent of our energy from fossil fuels and only 4 per cent from renewable sources. A number of efficient initiatives need to be taken.”

We derive 64% of our energy from fossil fuels & only 4% from renewable sources: Sherry Rehman

“We must consider the extreme potential of social destabilization that compounding vulnerabilities pose to the future, both immediate and medium-term. It is unfortunate that for 3.5 years our former government only focused on the Billion Tree Project. We are not abandoning the tree plantation project; however, our policies need to be more than that if we are to improve the quality of life, climate minister Sherry clarified.

“I will be presenting a climate change policy to the cabinet and advocating strongly for instituting a climate change council within 100 days which will maximize policy communication, input, and coordination amongst the provinces on this existential risk to our country and its future,” informed media persons in Islamabad after assuming charge on the Ministry of Climate Change.