On 26th February, 2013, students of Department of Environmental Sciences MSc. 4th semester, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad along with Dr. Muhammad Amtiaz Nadeem and Dr. Sheikh Zeshan attended the launching ceremony of “National Climate Change Policy†arranged at Hotel Marriott, Islamabad.
The programme began at 11a.m. after the arrival of the chief guest, Rana M. Farooq Saeed Khan, Federal Minister for Climate Change, Government of Pakistan. Mr. Muhammad Ali Gardezi, the Federal Secretary at the Ministry of Climate Change, Government of Pakistan gave his welcome remarks after which various presentations on the National Climate Change Policy, its objectives and on the implementation procedures of this policy were given.
The formulation process of National Climate Change Policy of Pakistan began under the leadership of Dr. Ishfaq Ahmed, Advisor Science & Technology in 2008. Pakistan witnessed some of the severe consequences of climate change through the floods in 2010, which displaced twenty million people from their homes in just one stroke. It prompted the Government of Pakistan to mobilize all its resources and develop and implement a policy, that would help Pakistan to mitigate and response to the negative impacts of climate change. The year 2012 was a landmark for the Government of Pakistan, as The National Climate Change Policy was approved along with the establishment of the World’s first full-fledged National Ministry of Climate Change.
In the launching ceremony, a GIS & remote sensing web based programme for the detection and monitoring of the climate change and its impacts on the country was inaugurated too. Some of the most honoured international personalities like Mr. Jan Willem Cools, First Secretary for Environment & Water, Embassy of Kingdom of Netherlands and Mr. Mark-André Frenche, Country Director, UNDP Pakistan also gave their remarks.
After this, a Panel discussion was conducted in which panellists including, Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad (Former Advisor on Climate Change & Development, Planning Commission), Mr. Shams-ul-Mulk (Former Chairman WAPDA), Dr. Qamar-uz-Zaman (Lead Author NCCP) and Dr. Arshad M. Khan (Executive Director GCISC) participated. A question/answer session began afterwards, in which the audiences asked many interesting questions to the panellists and also raised their concerns on the policy and gave suggestions. At the end, the chief guest, Rana M. Farooq Saeed Khan, Federal Minister for Climate Change, Government of Pakistan, gave his remarks.
The National Climate Change Policy comprehensively Addresses all the possible challenges of Climate Change adaptation and mitigation in the future and ensures to provide a strong foundation and framework for the implementation of Climate Change Action Plans, Programs and Projects.