By Naseem Sheikh
AS STATED, Pakistan is one of the lowest contributors to this global problem but, nevertheless, it has played a leading role in an attempt to formulate global consensus in addressing this issue demanding collective cooperation. Also, the country is cognizant of its development priorities and is actively seeking both, financial and technological support, to place its undeniable future growth on to a low carbon trajectory.
Global deforestation and degradation had a negative role towards climate change for which initiatives such as Reduced Emission from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) was important as an alleviation response to climate change. The United Nation Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCC) was adopted in 1992 and Pakistan was the signatory along with 194 other nations.
The study, by researchers at the University of California, Merced, concluded that rising temperatures associated with climate change could result in many more severe forest fires in the coming decades. Professor Anthony Westerling and his team found that by 2050, forest fires “would likely cause a major shift in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem” and “affect the region’s wildlife, hydrology, carbon storage and aesthetics.”
It is apparent that there is still much to be discussed on both the international and local community level on climatic and environmental issues. From man-made and natural disasters to global environmental policies, people worldwide are made aware of environmental concerns. But the efforts being made to resolve or at least improve them rarely make it to the headlines. Today, environmental awareness is widespread. Sensible persons are learning more about the global climate change and their culpability in this degradation and are making changes in their everyday lives, but still concerned authorities do not took proper and wise practicable steps, these little bit efforts would be useless, good hopes for the ongoing year 2012, because alls well that ends well.
We are beginning a new year, and the silence of countries, all over the world by concerned authorities is still deafening. Will there ever be a debate about what should be done to deal with the climate change?
The year of 2012 is of a lot of things. It is the UN Year of Sustainable Energy for All. This year, Nostradamus predicts, the world will end, again. It could also prove to be a crunch year for climate change action.
Throughout 2011 we are likely to see some of the effects of climate change stinging. Global warming means killer storms more worse than Katrina and Gustav, Unexpected flooding in Asia, drought in Eastern Europe, unseasonal heavy rains in western Africa, have also reduced crop yields, further hampering the chances of relief. The year 2012 will also be the first year in which the world has had 7 billion mouths to feed throughout all 12 months. But drought in Eastern Europe this winter has affected the grain harvest raising prices and lowering hopes for famine relief in Africa.
Global warming is causing the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas. In the short term, this means increased risk of flooding, erosion, mudslides and GLOF in Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and north India during the wet season. Because the melting of snow coincides with the summer monsoon season, any intensification of the monsoon and/or increase in melting is likely to contribute to flood disasters in Himalayan catchments.
The United Nations has rated the floods in Pakistan as the greatest humanitarian crisis in the recent history. In an unprecedented move, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has come forward to formally blamed the flooding in Pakistan on “global warming,” angering some denialists (CNSNews.com). “Indeed, the Islamic world is paying a heavy price resulting from the negative repercussions of climate change,” said OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu at an emergency meeting in Saudi Arabia.
Research reports indicate that 62,000 square miles of land have been affected – about one-fifth of the entire country. Of the 15 million people seriously affected, about 50 per cent are children in 2010 flood.
More than five million Pakistanis are now estimated to require humanitarian assistance as a result of the last years floods, are mainly in Sindh and Balochistan provinces, with 25 per cent of them women and 50 per cent children United Nations aid agencies reported on November 25, 2011. Almost 800,000 homes were destroyed or badly damaged in the floods, which began in August, and nearly 750,000 people were still displaced at the end of October.
After such drastic flood almost 5.3 million – number of people affected by this year’s rains, which began falling in late August.
370,000 people estimated to still be living in camps in Sindh.
200,000 people made homeless.
1.7 million acres of arable land affected.
300 – estimated killed in three months
As climate-related risks intensify, there will be a need to respond proactively to build resilience through preclusion and attentiveness rather than through relief and response. Cities can minimize the risk of destructive floods by improving drainage and sanitation systems and imposing a solid waste management scheme that promotes efficient garbage collection and reduces the use of plastics. Governments need to develop integrated urban plans that address urgent issues on water supply, flooding, transportation, and solid waste, a climate change.
Although environmental awareness is wide spreading, sensible persons are learning more about global climate change and their culpability in this degradation and are making changes in their everyday life, yet concerned authorities do not took proper and wise practicable steps. These little bit efforts would be useless. Good hopes for the year ongoing year as alls well that ends well.