Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the relevant authorities to devise a national plan for the construction of houses and other infrastructure that can withstand the effects of climate change.

Chairing the first meeting of the Pakistan Climate Change Council (PCCC), he issued directives for the rehabilitation of flood-affected people. The decision regarding the national plan is meant to avoid environmental dangers in the future.

According to a statement received by WealthPK, the prime minister also directed the relevant officials to propose measures for adopting the housing and construction styles as per climate changes and formulating a strategy in coordination with the federal and provincial governments to tackle the environmental issues timely and on permanent bases.

Pakistan Climate Change Council has been set up on the pattern of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) with all the federal and provincial stakeholders on board.

The prime minister, besides directing to make PCCC a fully functional institution, also called for formulating a comprehensive national plan to identify the climate changer dangers in the future. He ordered the formation of a committee of experts for the preparation of the plan.

Referring to the recent devastation caused by climate change-induced floods in Sindh and Balochistan, he said that despite less than one percent share in carbon emissions, Pakistan was among the top 10 climate change-affected countries.

The prime minister said that without forgetting the devastation, they had to prepare for the future and rehabilitation of the flood-affected people. He said that the Climate Change Council had a vital role in that respect.

He said that the focus should be on the identification of dangers, provision of resources and improvement in the capacity of damage assessment. He added that work should also be done on how to avoid dangers, get the people prepared and train the administration.

The prime minister said with the area of Sindh delta dried due to climate change and the need to protect Pakistan from the danger of severe drought, measures should be proposed as per the opinion of experts. He also called for proposals to check the incidents of wildfire. Proposals should also be presented for protection from severe monsoon rains and three times the melting of glaciers, he said according to the statement.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk