July 02, 2015
News
Think-tank formed to devise climate protection policies
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Climate Change has formed a high level think-tank of experts, who would support the ministry to taking better and informed decisions in various areas of climate change and allied issues.
The think-tank, called the Consultative Group on Climate Change (CGCC), has been formed on the orders of the Climate Change Minister Mushahidullah Khan on Tuesday.
According to the ministry’s notification, the director general of the ministry would lead the group on climate change.
The 27-member think-tank comprising members of national and provincial assemblies, senators, renowned scientists, researchers, climatologists, glaciologists, weather scientists, agriculturists and academicians from government and non-governmental sectors.
Senator Dr Ayesha Raza Frooq, MNA Maryam Aurengzeb, MNA Romina Khurshid Alam, MPA Punjab Assembly Uzma Qadri, MPA Balochistan Assembly Raheela Durani, Director General of Pakistan Meteorological Department Dr Ghulam Rasul, Special Advisor to the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organisation’s Secretary General Dr Qamaruz Zaman, Former head of the Global Change Impact Study Centre (GCISC) Dr Arshad Khan, former chairman of Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resource Dr Akram Kahlown and Pakistan Business Council Chairman Khawaja Tanvir have been selected as members of the country’s first think-tank on climate change.
Mushahidullah Khan said, “The consultative group on climate change shall assist the ministry in taking better, viable and knowledgeable decisions in the fields of climate change, forestry, international climate change negotiations, boosting awareness about climate risks at all levels and possible remedies to strengthen country’s resilience against climate change-induced disasters, particularly floods, heat waves, shifting rainfall patterns, erratic summer and winter seasons.”
He said that the group should also advise policymakers on any climate change-related issues and help develop cost-effective policy solutions to cope with the natural disasters, caused by changing weather patterns, which are becoming frequent and more intense.
Highlighting the need for such national level consultative body, Mushahidullah said that such body was required to help the government design and implement polices and plans in different socio-economic sectors, particularly agriculture, water, energy, infrastructure, health and education, to mitigate country’s vulnerability to climate change risks.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk