PESHAWAR: Speakers at a seminar here on Friday highlighted the importance of public awareness, especially among students, of growing climatic issues and warned deforestation could trigger climate change to adversely affect crops, productivity and livelihoods and cause water pollution and energy crisis.

The seminar titled ‘approaches for climate sensitive growth’ was organised by Individualland Pakistan, a nongovernmental organisation, and was attended by lawmakers from various political parties, including PTI, PPP, PML-N, ANP, National Party and JUI-F.

The speakers highlighted the impact of climate change on the people’s lives and livelihoods and fragile ecosystems.

They urged the government and NGOs to take proactive measures to create awareness among people to check deforestation and prevent disasters in future.

The speakers said melting of glaciers was one of the most challenging issues related to climate change in mountainous areas as the retreating glaciers could put people at a high risk.

They added that the flow of water in rivers and streams speedily increased due to the melting of glaciers.

The speakers said floods triggered by the melting of glaciers caused a massive loss to the people of upper district of Malakand, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

They said the people of the region were cutting down forest as they lacked alternative energy sources.

MPA Shaukat Ali Yousafzai of the PTI underscored the significance of anti-climate change policies and said they should be included in manifestos of political parties.

MPA Sardar Hussain of the PPP hailing from Chitral said there was an utmost need to realise the urgency of adaptation and risk management policies.

“Now we can see the drastic effects of climate change in form of increasing floods and other natural disasters,” he said.

The MPA said flooding adversely impacted on many families in Chitral by causing massive loss to public life and property.

Other participants said the provincial government was trying to take some effective measures against climate change but unfortunately, it didn’t ensure enforcement of existing laws for the purpose.

Amina Sardar of the PML-N, Nargis Bibi, Arbab Jandad, Shaukat and Fazle Elahi of the PTI, Sardar Hussain of the ANP, Mukhtar Bacha of National Party, civil society members and senior journalists also took part in the discussion.

They called for better investment in renewable energy, , they said, was becoming increasingly affordable and environment-friendly.

Sundas Syeda, who facilitated the session on behalf of Individualland Pakistan, said Pakistan was among the top 10 most climate change vulnerable countries.

Published in Dawn October 22nd, 2016