LAHORE: The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Pakistan and the Punjab Irrigation Department on Wednesday marked the World Water Week with tree planting activity.

Addressing the participants on the occasion at the Babakwal Field Research Station, Sheikupura, WWF-Pakistan Freshwater Programme head Sohail Ali Naqvi said Pakistan ranked amongst the top 10 most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, even though it was not a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, he said, the threats of water scarcity, food insecurity, biodiversity loss and variable monsoon patterns were very real and impending caveats.

To meet these challenges, he stressed the need to build adaptation and resilience against climate change through nature-based solutions.

The event’s chief guest, Chaudhry Shahid Saleem, Chief Engineer of irrigation department, said the country trees were an integral part of maintaining a healthy water cycle. Planting trees would not only help absorb the existing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but would also help in offsetting the current emissions as well, he added.

This was echoed by Ghulam Zakir Hassan Sial, Director of Irrigation Research Institute, who appreciated WWF-Pakistan’s efforts for combating climate change and hoped that synergies between the two organisations would pave the way for preserving the country’s natural resources via innovation and impact creation.

It is reported that the effects of climate change will primarily manifest through water. With the latest Intergovernmental Programme on Climate Change (IPCC) report warning that global temperatures will rise a decade earlier than projected, it is imperative that climate change mitigation and adaptation measures are taken on warfooting.

WWF-Pakistan, under its Freshwater Programme, is striving to revive rivers and wetlands, reduce water pollution and increase access to safe drinking water by promoting water stewardship, security and conservation.

In this regard, nature-based solutions such as range land management, watershed management, floating treatment wetlands, retention ponds and check dams are being utilised across the country to deliver measurable positive benefits for its depleting water resources.

The programme is also building the capacity of the private and public sector in improving environmental sustainability and livelihoods in Pakistan by supporting sustainable economic growth and development. These interventions aim to create and increase climate ambition and ecosystem functionality in Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2021