KARACHI: Professional consultation on climate change policy of Sindh is in the final stages after which the policy implementation structure led by the environment department will be established.

This was stated by environment, climate change and coastal development department secretary Mohammad Aslam Ghauri while speaking at a training workshop on ‘Climate Change Reporting in Digital Age’.

The programme was organised by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) simultaneously at Karachi and Islamabad via a video link.

Highlighting the climate change challenges Pakistan faces, the secretary said that while Pakistan’s carbon footprint was insignificant, it was placed on the fifth spot on the list of countries most vulnerable to climate change.

“Realising the gravity of the challenge, timely steps are being taken in Pakistan especially in Sindh. But there is also a pressing need to inform the public through the media about the gravity of the problem.

“We need to make sure that our per capita carbon emissions are kept to a minimum level and the impact of climate change does not exceed tolerable levels,” he noted.

On provincial steps to tackle climate change, he said that soon the climate change policy would be announced once the consultation process was over.

“The policy will help accelerate the systematic and coordinated efforts to address important issues related to climate change through mutual cooperation.”

He emphasised the need for concerted efforts to draw public attention to climate change and environmental pollution so that serious environmental violations could be prevented and people could be persuaded to change their attitudes and practices for a better environment.

Referring to eco journalism on the subject of climate change, Aslam Ghauri said the subject was not as popular as other public issues, but it was slowly gaining ground due to the digital media, which was a welcome development for overall environmental improvement.

Appreciating the training workshop, Mr Aslam said it would help journalists in harnessing their skills and lead to better understanding of environmental issues in public.

“There must be a consensus among people on the perception of the problem. Therefore, in order to address the climate change challenge, we must first acknowledge its sensitivity and seriousness, and in this regard, we should raise public awareness about climate change. I think the media can play a key role in this regard,” he remarked.

From Islamabad, FNF-Pakistan director Birgit Lamm, environmental columnist Aafia Salam and Amir Amjad also addressed the gathering.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2020