RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) held a ceremony to mark Earth Hour 2017 on Friday.

Lights were switched off for one hour to mark the world earth hour at the chamber premises. Members of the chamber and staff attended the ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, the RCCI acting president, Rashid Waien, said the purpose of celebrating Earth Hour was to raise awareness of global issues caused by environmental pollution.

He said Pakistan ranked number five among top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change, according Global Climate Risk Index 2016, a Germany-based watchdog.

Floods, droughts, energy crisis, food shortages, endemic diseases, mass migration, economic deterioration and ecosystem degradation were some of the major threats of climate change, he added.

He said that increasing temperature was not only alarming but has also turned into a serious issue. He said that Earth Hour has done much to raise awareness about the importance of individual contribution towards environmental sustainability.

He said the world was experiencing diverse impacts of climate change and it is important to empower people to become part of climate change initiatives.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2017