ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday night joined 184 nations around the world to celebrate Earth Hour, a global moment of solidarity against climate change.

Landmarks switched off their lights for one hour – from 8:30pm to 9:30pm - and joined WWF-Pakistan’s call to stand with millions of people to connect to Earth to combat climate change and protect their biodiversity and nature.

The event in Islamabad, organised by WWF-Pakistan in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change in front of Parliament House, was attended by parliamentarians, government officials, personnel of the wildlife department and students from public schools.

The event was marked by lighting candles and screening WWF’s Earth Hour short documentary.

The landmarks in the capital that switched off their lights included Parliament House, Supreme Court, Shah Faisal Mosque, National Monument, Convention Centre, Pak-China Friendship Centre, Damn-i- Koh, Lakeview Park and 7th and 9th avenues.

But the stars were still not visible above Islamabad. “This means there is still significant light pollution. Hopefully, next time more people will switch off their lights so that the children at least can see more stars if not the Milky Way,” said Inspector General Forest Mehmood Nasir.

The government could only request the citizens to switch off their lights for 60 minutes, said Parliamentary Secretary Ministry of Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam. She expressed the hope that restaurants, wedding marquees and shopping malls would also switch off their lights next time.

According to WWF, students and educationists from across the country also vowed to Connect2Earth, the theme for Earth Hour this year. WWF said as a part of the Earth Hour, people, cities and businesses around the world switch off their lights for one hour to draw attention to the urgent need to step up the fight against climate change and protection of biodiversity.

WWF-Pakistan Director General Hammad Naqi Khan said: “We have come a long way since 2010 when WWF-Pakistan first celebrated the Earth Hour. The seed we sowed has taken roots and the citizens today are comparatively well aware of climatic changes around us.

“If we take a look into our past we would understand that movements have shaped our lives and the Earth Hour movement will shape our future.

“It is a constant reminder that we should lead towards the transformation of a more prosperous and renewable future.”

Minister of Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan said though Earth was facing serious climate change threats, including sea level rise, increase in temperature, melting of glaciers, heavy floods and widespread rainfalls, these can be addressed if industrialised countries take practical measures to reduce greenhouse gases and adopt environmentally sustainable practices.

He said there was also a need to make efforts for conservation of water and energy resources at the local level.

Senior director (programmes) WWF-Pakistan Rab Nawaz said: “Local efforts such as Earth Hour being celebrated in the National Assembly shows our united commitment to being good stewards of our environment.”

The year 2018 marks the 11th anniversary of Earth Hour, which started as a symbolic event in Sydney in 2007.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2018