ISLAMABAD, Sept 16: Due to the ever-increasing global warming, the level of oceans has increased about six to eight inches during the last century.

This was stated by the UNDP resident representative in Pakistan, Onder Yucer, at a seminar on “Save Our Sky; Protect Yourself; Protect the Ozone Layer”. The event was organized by the environment ministry in connection with the International Ozone Day, here on Monday.

He said it was a matter of concern for the entire world that earth’s average temperature would increase upto six degree Fahrenheit by the year 2100 if the depletion of Ozone layer continued with the same pace.

Mr Yucer said the scientist had found convincing evidences that global warming was increasing at an alarming rate. Concerted efforts are required on the part of both developed and developing countries to arrest this increase.

The rise in temperature has been attributed to melting glaciers and polar ice caps that, in turn, cause global warming. The large ice fields in Montana’s Glacier National Park are now approximately one third of the size they were in 1850, Mr Yucer quoted.

He said creating awareness and interacting with major stakeholders was one of the most important elements of enforcing environments regulations and the UNDP was sure that such seminars would help in creating better understanding of the issues involved.

Hamid Hussain Syed, vice-president of the World Bank, made a brief presentation on “Montreal Protocol” (MP) and status of the Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) projects in Pakistan.

Mr Syed, who was also coordinating ODS in the country, said MP was signed in 1987 by 186 countries including Pakistan with the objectives to assist the domestic industry in phasing out the use of ODS by financial and technical support.

He said, although, Pakistan, unlike India, didn’t produce Chlorofolrocarbon (CFC), it imported the substance used in refrigeration industry.

Pakistan, he said, was also a recipient of Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund and till this date 18 different projects in the foam and refrigeration sectors had been approved by the fund’s executive committee to phase out 1,1700 tonnes of ODS/CFC.

He maintained that due to certain reasons, four projects could not be carried on and, thereafter, closed, but the remaining 14 projects had been allocated $7.1 million to phase out 960 tonnes of CFC.

Mr Syed said the phase out efficiency percentage of two sectors responsible for the CFC in Pakistan — foam and refrigeration — had been recorded at 40 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively.

He attributed the low achievement in the refrigeration sector for the CFC phase out to the factors like unawareness, lack of knowledge of the industry about technology options, and reluctance in taking decision.

He maintained that projects under the Montreal Protocol fund were to be completed by the end of year 2002 in Pakistan, however, being extended.

He said three factors were responsible for delay in the completion of the projects — delayed submissions of documents for appraisal by the project enterprise, more than expected time taken in project appraisal, and lack of coordination in project enterprise and financial intermediary.

Mr Syed underlined the need for close cooperation among the miniseries of commerce, industry, environment and Central Board of Revenue so that required machinery to fight against CFC could easily be imported.

Mr Shakeel Ahmed, convener, Refrigerators and Airconditioners group, asked the government not to increase the input cost of the industry. However, he said, the government may fix the quantity of CFC imported for a particular year.

The environment minister, Barrister Shahida Jamil, in her speech, paid rich tribute to the authors of the Montreal Protocol.

She said it was due to MP that a country like Pakistan was seriously concentrating on Ozone protection and proactively campaigning for it.

However, she criticized some developed countries for their indifferent attitude towards the Ozone protection programmes.