Entire nation should brace itself to counter the effects of climate change: President Alvi

ISLAMABAD, Nov 08 (SABAH): President Dr. Arif Alvi has said that Pakistan contributes less than 1% to global warming but it is amongst the top 10 most affected countries by climate change and global warming. He said that by 2050, Pakistan would become one of the most vulnerable countries to face the brunt of climate change and called upon the entire nation and relevant organizations to brace themselves with the help of the international community to minimize the negative impacts of climate change.

President Dr. Arif Alvi expressed these views while addressing the ‘Pakistan- International and National Donors Conference’ for Relief and Rehabilitation, organized by the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), in Islamabad on Tuesday. The Conference was attended by the Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, Abdul Qadir Patel, Chairman PRCS, Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari, representatives of International and National Organizations, NDMA, diplomats and others. While highlighting the importance of first-aid training, the President urged the Pakistan Red Crescent Society and other such organizations to launch comprehensive training and skill-imparting programs to train the youth in first-aid techniques and expertise with the aim to provide immediate relief to the affected population during manmade or natural calamities. He said that in order to counter the negative fallouts of climate change, the Government had taken and was taking multiple steps in different directions at the international, regional and local levels which were, however, hampered periodically by events and shocks taking place in some other parts of the world.

President Dr. Arif Alvi further said that the world had become a small place and any negative development like war and natural or manmade disasters taking place in one part of the world affected countries all around the globe. He said that now the world should move from the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction towards the concept of Total Peace. This, he said, would save trillions of dollars spent on producing weapons of mass destruction and could be diverted towards saving humanity from hunger, disease and poverty and improving and rejuvenating the environment to save the endangered flora and fauna from extinction. “The people of the country possess an outstanding philanthropic spirit and they always come forward to donate generously in cash and kind and volunteer themselves for rescue and relief efforts to alleviate the suffering of the population affected by manmade and natural calamities”, the President said. He added that concerted and cogent efforts by all the national and international stakeholders were needed to employ all available resources for rehabilitating the floods-affected population. He said that all people of the world should be treated on the basis of equality dignity, respect and honour, without any discrimination on the basis of colour, creed religion, language or race and the world resources should proportionally be allocated to enable all the people to realize their full potential.

President Dr. Airf Alvi also expressed gratitude to the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, the US Congressional delegation led by Ms Sheila Jackson Lee, ambassadors of different countries and representatives of International Organizations who personally visited flood-affected areas and interacted with the flood victims, assessed the damage done by the climate change-induced super floods and took steps to alleviate the suffering of the flood victims. While addressing the gathering, Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, Mr Abdul Qadir Patel, said that Pakistan was undergoing the worst phase of climate change. He said that Pakistan required approximately $30-40 billion for the rehabilitation and rebuilding of flood-hit areas.

Chairman Pakistan Red Crescent Society, Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari, said that millions of people were in need of medical help in the flood-affected areas. He said that Red Crescent was working in all districts in the flood-affected areas which were declared calamity-hit-areas.