Feb 29 , 2016
News
Urbanisation blamed for climate change in Pakistan
APPISLAMABAD: Owing to the effects of climate change, agriculture sectors in different countries may become more vulnerable due to either excessive rainfall in some parts of the globe or droughts in others.
There are multiple reasons for climate change, one leading towards the other. Use of excessive energy, deforestation, rapid urbanisation and air pollution are leading factors of climate change across the globe.
Pakistan, mostly relying on agriculture, is no exemption as country’s ever-growing population’s food requirements are increasing day by day.
Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Deputy Director General Akram Anjum said country’s agriculture sector was already facing some major risks caused by climate change. “Rise in sea level, melting of glaciers and rise of temperature were contributing to this affect.”
He said country’s several areas were hit by drought and cultivable land was turning into barren. Deforestation and rapid urbanisation were prime factors contributing to Pakistan’s climate change as compared to the rest of the world.
“There were two phases of El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), one El Nino and the other La Nina. La.Nina was the cold phase while El Nino was the warm. These deviations from normal surface temperatures could have large scale impacts not only on ocean processes but also on global weather and climate,” said PMD Director Muhammad Hanif.
He said during La Nina year winter temperatures were warmer than normal in the southeast and cooler than normal in the northwest. “In Pakistan, this year the ratio of heat was increased from 1 to 2.5 degree Fahrenheit, increasing summer from 120 to 150 days, while shrinking winters from 110 to 98 days and spring from 45 to 25 days. The ratio was increasing one day every year while cold was decreasing half day per year,” he explained.
Hanif said scientists claim that in the mid of this century, that means by 2050, the cycle of global warming would change as there was no such thing like global warming some 325 years ago.
The climate change has devastating effects on different crops’ production volume. Bananas’ crops production has declined to 70 percent and that of vegetables to 80 percent in the areas of Sindh due to extreme weather conditions. The production of wheat is feared to be declined by 1-2.5 percent and rice by 2-4 percent by the end of 2020, said a report of State bank of Pakistan.
Rise in temperature is leading towards so many problems including increase in number of floods in the country.
“Warm days are increasing, as now the winter has become comparatively warmer, while summer is also having extreme weather due to climate change,” said Climate Change Ministry Deputy Director for Media and Communication Muhammad Saleem.
Saleem said all the developed countries were responsible for global warming as they had a competition of industrial advancement. To accommodate developing countries, he said UN had initiated a fund by the name of green climate fund, in which, the global body had asked all the developed countries to contribute money so that it could help developing countries to counter climate change. UN collected $ 10 billion till 2015 and now their next target is to collect $100 billion till 2020.
He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had also sanctioned a policy of forestation on war footing basis. Forests constitute 5 percent of the national land. The target was to increase that ratio to 10-12 percent till the end of current year while in the coming 40 years it should increase to 25 percent, he added.
To prevent crops, he said Rs 35 million were allocated for new projects which include introduction of new variety of seeds. Those seeds will be much reliable and would not be affected by floods as well, he said.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk