ISLAMABAD: “Climate change will be a major threat to the country in future, adversely impacting food security. There will either be excessive rain or no rain due to which we will face both floods and droughts. Immediate steps are required to deal with the consequences of climate change,” said Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Major-General Aleem Saeed.

He was speaking at a seminar titled ‘Climate Change, Adaptability and Food Security’ organised by Human Resource Development Network (HRDN) at Pak-China Friendship Centre on Friday.

The seminar was part of the two-day International HRD Congress and Pakistan Development Expo.

The NDMA chairman said according to National Nutrition Survey, 58 per cent of the population was facing food insecurity. A vast majority of people earn livelihood from agriculture and livestock which are affected by climate change, he said.

“Because of climate change, temperatures will increase. We will have floods in Punjab and droughts in Sindh. Moreover rising sea level will invade the land,” he added.

“Unfortunately a large number of people who live below the poverty line will suffer,” he said.

While presenting recommendations General Aleem Saeed said reforestation had to be carried out. Moreover, water harvesting should be introduced.

“We waste water by using old methods of irrigation. New technology has to be introduced to save water. Dubai has less water than Cholistan Desert but they have changed their lifestyles accordingly,” he said.

He said that there is food insecurity in Pakistan mainly because we waste most of the food that we grow on our own. He suggested that young people should come forward and register themselves as volunteers on NDMA’s website so that they can be contacted during disasters.

Former ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel said that in the 1950s Pakistan was not producing enough wheat and rice so these commodities had to be imported. But after 1960s green revolution food production increased.

“In 1947 the population of the country was 32 million and now it has reached 180 million. We are growing by three to four million people every year so food insecurity is increasing. The population growth rate is unacceptable. We have to store river and flood water and use it for irrigation. Those crops should be cultivated which need less water,” he said.

Sustainable Development Policy Istitute (SDPI) Executive Director Dr Abid Sulehri said climate change was a result of human activities.

“If we emit more carbon, climate will be worse affected. Some projects are economically beneficial but they are not good for the climate. For example, New Murree Project was started during the tenure of Pervez Musharraf but if it would have been completed it would have been a disaster for the environment,” he said.

In a session titled ‘Governance and Accountability – Freedom of Information Standards in Pakistan’ Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Law and Parliamentary Affairs Barrister Zafarullah Khan said that a new law on Right to Information will soon be tabled before the parliament.

He said right to information is the basic right of every citizen and all available records should be published for public.

Earlier while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the two-day Congress Punjab Minister on Labour and Human Resource Raja Ashfaq Sarwar said that the provincial government has been using over Rs10 billion endowment fund for education.

He said currently over 45,000 students are being educated under the system.

The Congress is taking up the major issues like human resource development, energy and food security, a huge infrastructure deficit, issues pertaining to climate change, and leveraging world trade and markets.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2014