KARACHI, March 23: Speakers at a seminar on world climatic changes on Saturday highlighted the causes and consequences of global weather changes.
The programme was organized by the Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics (IMG) in connection with the World Meteorological Day at the Met Complex.
The meeting was informed that the majority of deaths around the world during the last decade were caused directly or indirectly due to weather extremes and Pakistan had also witnessed strange weather phenomena like cloud-burst in Islamabad, extensive fog in central Punjab and drought due to northward movement of monsoon.
Since rise in global temperature is the main reason of changing weather and climate phenomenon, speakers suggested to control heat and chemical emission causing damage to the atmosphere and restrict deforestation apart from exerting more efforts for tree plantation.
As for declining fresh water resources in Pakistan, it was suggested to conduct more experiments with artificial rains and melting of glaciers which would be done by expert glaciologists.
Former director of the meteorological department H. U. Qidwai, said reason for changes in weather patern, besides deforestation, was emission of harmful gases, including carbon dioxide, which had increased about 30 per cent since industrial revolution and other light gases which damage the ozone layer.
K. M. Shamshad stressed the need for upgrading the Met. department in Pakistan so that its findings could be utilised by various departments for the betterment of masses.—PPI
