COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) in collaboration with Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) arranged a round table discussion on ‘Climate Resilient Development; Challenges and Way Forward’. The participants of roundtable mentioned that a loss of 30 billion dollars is experienced by the state in the post-flooding scenario. They pinpointed that improving the quality of life and focusing on finding a way to live with climate change is important.

Opting for climate-resilient technologies to enhance productivity, focusing on greener agro technologies such as drip irrigation, recycling of wastewater through bioremediation, conservation of the ecosystem by providing legal rights, focus on adaptation rather than mitigation, exploring the reasons for the crisis, lack of awareness of our strengths and expertise, development of national level expertise, development of a proper water storage system, efficient disaster warning system to minimize damages, proper accountability and communication at all levels, bridging the gap between different state institutes, providing a nexus of collaboration between R&D, government.

NGO and the public to overcome this climate crisis, working on sector-specific climate hazards during different seasons, raising awareness, behaviour change and preparedness were suggestions that can lead to a viable solution and can help get the state out of a crisis. Conclusively participants said that for the resolution of climate crisis, issues must be identified and for awareness purposes geography should be introduced as a subject on an elementary level. Climate should be added to the election agenda of political parties and cooperation at all levels of state should be ensured. Most importantly the academia-industry linkages and action-oriented research at universities was emphasized.

The roundtable was moderated by Dr. Tahir Mumtaz Awan, Head of China Study Centre and Dr. Jabir Hussain Syed, Assistant Professor at the Department of Meteorology, CUI. Dr. Aneel Salman Chair, Economic Security, IPRI delivered the welcome speech and emphasized on the role of this roundtable. Prof. Dr. Sajjad Ahmed Madani, Registrar CUI and Prof. Dr. Shams-ul-Qamar, Incharge Academics, CUI were also present at the roundtable and showed their interest toward a much-needed topic.

Discussants at the roundtable included Dr. Kalim Ullah, Chairman, Department of Meteorology, CUI, Dr. Farhad Zulfiqar, Assistant Professor, School of Sustainability, Asian Institute of Thailand, Mr. Fakhar Iman, Head of Research and Publications Unit, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited, Dr. Abid Ahmed, Senior Advisor Adaptation to Climate Change • Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Dr. Imran Shahzad, Head, department of meteorology, CUI, Sara Fatima, Senior Environmental Consultant, Envirostewards Company (Pvt.) Ltd., Dr. Hameed Jamali, specialist in climate change adaptation, water management and governance and disaster risk reduction, Profe.

Dr. Muhammad Fahim Khokar, Head, Institute of Environmental Sciences & Engineering (SCEE-IESE), National University of Science and Technology, Dr. Bashir Ahmad, Director, National Agricultural Research Council, Dr. Muhammad Azam, Head, Department of structure and environment engineering, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Ameera Adil, Assistant Director Sustainability, National University of Sciences and Technology, Dr. Ashiq Muhammad, Ex-lead, Ecotoxicology Group, Mr. Ammar Jaffri, Chairman, SDGs Academy & Ex-Director General, Federal Investigations Agency.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP