ISLAMABAD, Oct 13: The planning commission set up on Monday a task force to suggest policy guidelines on minimising the adverse effect of climate change on agriculture and environment.

An official statement said the agricultural productivity in the country was being affected by changes in land and water regimes. “This is negatively affecting agriculture productivity by altering biophysical relationships, like changing growing periods of crops, altered scheduling of cropping seasons, increased crop stresses (thermal and moisture), changing irrigation water requirements, altering soil characteristics and increasing the risk of pests and diseases.”

The task force will be headed by Adviser on Science and Technology Dr Ishfaq Ahmad and former chairman of Water and Power Development Authority Shamsul Mulk will be its co-chairman.

Former deputy executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme Shafqat Kakakhel, LEAD Pakistan Director Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, Secretary Environment Khushnood Ahmed Lashari, Wapda Chairman Shakeel Ahmed Durrani and Pakistan Meteorological Department Director General Dr Qamar-uz-Zaman will be its members. Global Change Impact Study Centre’s Executive Director Dr Arshad M. Khan will be its member-secretary.

The task force will study the scope of the impact of climate change on economy, devise guidelines/measures for mitigation and adaptation to cope with the challenges, evaluate institutional weaknesses and suggest measures for strengthening capacity of relevant institutions.

It will be promoting programme for advocacy and awareness in order to mainstream climate change into national and sectoral policies and provide guidelines for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution.