Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: Federal Secretary Climate Change Division Arif Ahmed Khan, has reiterated government’s commitment to addressing various climate-change related issues, describing water as one requiring urgent attention.
He said this during a visit to IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, in Karachi, where a joint meeting was held to discuss various environment-focused initiatives that have been afoot in the province of Sindh. In this respect, he was briefed by IUCN Country Representative, Mr. Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, on various environmental issues, including coastal erosion and biodiversity conservation, Sindh faces today.
During the meeting Mr. Arif Ahmed Khan was informed of the dwindling numbers of numerous animal and plant species – such as green sea turtle and vultures – that were on the verge of extinction in Pakistan, and for which immediate and lasting measures were required for their conservation.
It was discussed that the vulture population had survived in Tharparkar district and a local NGO Baanhn Beli had initiated a project on the conservation of vultures. Besides, IUCN in collaboration with Government of Pakistan has submitted a five-year project proposal for a regional programme on the conservation of vultures.
Mr. Khan also felt the need for having a high-level think tank on water issues in the country. He suggested that such a think tank would provide collective wisdom to overcome the provincial, national and international level concerns, and aim at long-term planning for water sustainability in the country.