MINGORA: Climate change experts have said that water sector is more vulnerable of all to climate change in terms surface runoff, potable water availability, severe events, glaciations and dryness of lakes and springs in Swat and the surrounding regions.

Speaking during a consultation of stakeholders on disaster risk reduction and climate change issues, they also said that climate change science should be introduced in educational institutions.

The meeting was organised by Lasoona and Welthungerhilfe here, and attended by stakeholders, climate change and agriculture experts and local elders.

Experts say water sector more vulnerable than other sectors to climate change effects

Presenting a study conducted in Swat, Shangla and Kohistan districts, Dr Saifullah Khan, a climate change expert, said that the annual as well as seasonal trends of water flow decreased throughout the series and the situation could worsen in the future.

“The annual flow of the Swat River shows a decline of -0.03 cubic metre per sec (2003 to 2013); and Indus River of -2.1 million acre feet, and the Ghurband River -0.2 cubic metre per second (2001-10),” he shared a finding.

He said that during the last 50 years 58 per cent of forests in Swat, 78 per cent in Shangla and 61 per cent in Kohistan decreased, while in the same period 16 per cent water in Swat and 20 per cent each in Shangla and Kohistan decreased, which was an alarming situation. He said that earthquakes, floods, landslides, snow avalanches, hailstorms, fire and epidemics (dengue, diarrhea etc), were the common hazards in the area.

“Majority of the people, especially women, children and the elderly, are vulnerable to the identified hazards. The people are mostly vulnerable to water-borne diseases like dengue and diarrhea,” he said, adding that mostly such diseases were caused by poor water systems, sanitation and water logging,” he said.

He said that economy and food security of the study area was primarily based on agriculture, which was threatened due to the high probability of the risks associated with hazards.

He recommended that there was a strong need of establishing early warning systems for the identified hazards and establishing mechanism of community-based disaster risk reduction considering the elements of preparedness, mitigation and response.

Pakistan Meteorological Department’s Dr Mohammad Hanif said that Pakistan was in the top 10 most vulnerable countries of the world while Swat district was among the top 10 worst affected districts in the country.

“The upper parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have 30 per cent forests and are the most important part in the country, but rapid deforestation has caused high threats of climate change in the region,” he said.

Dr Inamullah of Agriculture University, Peshawar, said that decrease in water ultimately resulted in decrease in yield of different crops. “The government should introduce climate change adaptation approaches in agriculture sector and the meteorologist stations should get accurate data and new crops and seeds should be introduced.” Executive director Lasoona Azam Khan, earlier, called for raising awareness of climate change at the community level. Welthungerhilfe representative Zulfiqar Ahmad said that there was a need for collective efforts on climate change issues. On this occasion, Shangla district nazim Niaz Ahmad Khan assured his council’s cooperation in efforts to tackle climate change effects in the area.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2016