National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said on Monday the formulation of national discourse on climate change was the obligation of intelligentsia and academia.

Pakistan was vulnerable to climate change even though it contributed less than one percent of global greenhouse gases which warm the planet, he said while speaking at the inaugural session of the First International Conference on “Climate Resilient Agriculture for Sustainable Development & Food Security" organized by the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU).

Highlighting the loss of lives and properties in the country due to devastating torrential rains and floods, he said the agricultural lands had been submerged by water and all major crops and livestock wiped off. He said the National Assembly was effectively highlighting challenges due to climate change through vibrant parliamentary democracy.

The Parliamentary Task Force on SDGs oversees progress on the climate-related goal of SDGs while standing committee on climate change also actively scrutinizes government climate action and environmental response, he added.

Ashraf also called on the global community to take action to tackle the climate crisis and come forward to help Pakistan. He said the National Assembly in collaboration with the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) was hosting a regional seminar which would focus on the ongoing climate catastrophe and draw the world’s attention to the losses faced by our people, for which we are not even responsible. 

Appreciating the efforts of the organizers for taking the initiative to hold a dialogue on the importance of introducing climate resilient agriculture in the country, the speaker expressed hope that this conference would be fruitful for the formulation of a national discourse on agriculture and food security.

Prof Dr. Sher Muhammad, Chairman Department of Agriculture Sciences, AIOU, thanked the speaker for inaugurating the seminar. He said the common people in the country were suffering owing to torrential rains and flash floods and it was the obligation of the international community to come forward and save the country.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk