PESHAWAR: Speakers at a seminar here on Tuesday stressed the need for pragmatic steps to create awareness among stakeholders for addressing the issue of climate change and mitigating its negative impacts.
The seminar on climate change and disaster risk reduction was organised by Pakistan Red Crescent Society in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme, according to a statement.
The officials of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Environmental Protection Agency, representatives of United Nations, PRCS staff, volunteers and other stakeholders attended the seminar.
PRCS deputy secretary Wasif Jan said that the seminar meant was to highlight the importance of climate change keeping in view the vulnerabilities of the country to its impacts and raise awareness among the key stakeholders.
The seminar was also aimed at streamlining and transforming the existing knowledge on climate change for improved understanding, effectiveness and collaboration amongst stakeholders working in the field.
PRCS provincial chairman retired Gen Hamid Khan said that climate change needed to be addressed and concrete steps should be taken for adapting to the changes it was bringing in the lives of people.
He urged the forum to continue making such efforts in future as well for creating awareness among the communities.
Tajdar Khan, the assistant director of disaster risk reduction at PDMA, shed light on issues relating to climate change and disaster risk reduction. He said that those issues could be addressed though awareness. He added that all the stakeholders should come forward to work on climate change and its impacts.
PRCS secretary Syed ALi Hassain said that such awareness seminars would be arranged in future to give due importance to climate change and take action in climate change adaptation and mitigation. The speakers on the occasion stressed the need for formation of a technical working group on climate change to come up with concrete recommendations and action in future.
Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2018
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