MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has exhorted scientists and agriculturists to gear up research activities to find solutions tomitigate the negative impactof climate change and global warming on biodiversity, apart from creating awareness among people in this regard.

He was speaking at the opening session of the 6th international science conference on ‘Sustainable Agriculture in Changing Climate: Strategies and Management’ organised by the University of Poonch (UoP) Rawalakot on Wednesday.

The climatic change and environmental issues, noted the president, had affected agriculture, forests, food and livestock not only in Pakistan and AJK but almost in all regions and countries.

Says climatic change and environmental issues has affected agriculture, forests

He maintained that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations General Assembly included effective handling of climate change effects and agriculture development and added that the relevant government agencies needed guidelines from the scientists so as to frame comprehensive policies in this connection.

“Our scientists and agricultural experts will have to identify which technology can help overcome food shortage caused by climatic change,” he said, but warned that the use of any new technology must not affect the local ecosystem.

Mr Khan pointed out that majority of the AJK people relied on agriculture and forests to meet their own food requirements as well as the feed for their cattle.

“Therefore, we will have to adopt a strategy whereby the use of latest technologies enhances our per acre produce without casting any adverse impact on our forests and environment,” he said.

Apart from protection of natural forests in AJK, he suggested, cultivation and development of fruit trees intheir owned land should also be promoted and encouraged with a view to improving the economy of growers on the one hand and ensuring supply of fresh organic fruit in local markets on the other.

The president claimed that the AJK government had adopted a policy to use technology for mining and mineral exploration that was less harmful for the environment.

Referring to the serious problem of water scarcity in many areas, he said small dams should be built at local level and big reservoirs at the national level so as to ensure availability of abundant water for both drinking and irrigation purposes.

He expressed the hope that the three-day conference would come up with important recommendations for short-term, medium-term and long-term planning as well as guidelines to the government and the people for proper use of available resources.

The opening session of the conference was also addressed by UoP Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Rasool Bakhsh Jan, Dean Prof Dr Abdul Hameed and former director (technical) Pakistan Atomic Energy Agency (PAEC) Dr Shafqat Farooq.

The president was told that more than 600 scholars from Pakistan and abroad, including UK, Turkey and Nigeria, would present their papers on crop genetics and biotechnology, soil and water resource management, food security and safety, fruit and field crop production, integrated crop production and livestock production.

Later, the president inaugurated stalls of different agricultural products. He was also given a briefing on the occasion on modern agricultural technologies and the seeds of hybrid crops.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2019