LAHORE: Participants in a Climate Congress called to address Pakistan’s environmental crises and foster change through art, research, and public engagement.

Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in collaboration with the Lahore Biennale organised the congress on environmental challenges in Pakistan, including record air pollution levels. The event featured an art exhibition and panel discussions, inviting a collective response to climate challenges, especially in the Global South.

The art exhibition, titled ‘Lamenting the Beloved City or Pledging Devotion Afresh?’ showcased the works of 19 artists, encouraging viewers to unite in addressing environmental risks. Alongside the artwork, attendees could contribute to two interactive whiteboards, making personal climate pledges to raise awareness and inspire behavioral change.

Exhibition curator Dr Nadhra Shahbaz Naeem Khan shared an excerpt from her poem to express the event’s collaborative spirit: “I may be a single drop, together we become an ocean; I may be a solitary fighter, together we can advance as victors!”

Panel discussions, led by Climate Congress collaborators Maryam Ibrahim and Sana Khosa, focused on ‘Urban Ecologies’ and ‘Climate Narratives’. In ‘Urban Ecologies: Infrastructures and Lived Realities’, moderated by Maryam Ibrahim, experts examined how urban infrastructure interacts with environmental resilience.

LUMS Vice Chancellor Dr Ali Cheema underscored academia’s role in climate action.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2024