STAFF REPORT IBD: Chairman Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad has said that the climate change is one of the governments top priorities and the Council in collaboration with its international partners has been working on climate change aspects since long to convenience the people in Pakistan. He urged the scientists to design this programme in such manner to change mind set of all people and community to improve agriculture and livestock sectors in the country.
He said this while speaking at recently a day-long Stakeholders Consultation Workshop held at the NARC.
He further said the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is one of the most dynamic, diverse, and complexmountain and associated flood plains system in the world containing the largest repository of inland cryosphere outside the Polar Regions.
Higher temperatures eventually reduce yields of desirable crops. He said there is a need for identifying the cycle of climate change, variations in glaciers water budget, variations in water supply and demand and impact on agro-livestock.
Dr. Philippus Wester, Chief Scientists (ICIMOD) Nepal, presented HI-AWARE overview. He also highlighted the role of ICIMOD in the region and Consortium of HI-AWARE which include PARC-Pakistan, ICIMOD-Nepal, TERI-India, BCAS-Bangladesh and Altera-WUR, The Netherlands. He also briefed ICIMOD other regional programs and new initiatives for the region.
Dr. Nadeem Amjad, Member (NRD) PARC in his welcome address said that the HKH region, containing the largest repositories, of inland cryosphere outside Polar Region, is the source of fresh water, for about 200 million mountain people, and over 1.3 billion people living in downstream floodplains including the Indus plain.