Published Date: Apr 17, 2015
A sustainable, resilient world needed in climate change scenario: IPCC vice-chairman
ISLAMABAD,April 17, 2015: Prof. Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, the Vice-Chairman of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has said that climate change affects livelihood, water resources, food security besides causing poverty, migration and coastal flooding.
He was delivering a special lecture on ‘Challenges and Opportunities of Climate Change’, here under the auspices of Sustainable development Policy Institute on Friday.
Prof Jean-Pascal said change in climate can be observed through the warming of hot days and heat waves, and intensity of the precipitation. “A small amount of warming is observed, however, its impacts are immense, which shows that if warming increases, the impact will be more severe.
He said more rainfall is likely over northern parts of South Asia, especially Bangladesh and Sri Lanka with a weak decrease over Pakistan.
He maintained that there are many opportunities to integration, mitigation, and adaptation, and through these approaches, we can limit climate change and build more sustainable and resilient world.
He further said together with lifestyle and behavior changes, known technologies and policies, including more efficient use of energy and greater use of low carbon can reduce GHG emissions at reasonable costs.
Mitigation can result in benefiting human health, he said, adding that humanity has to make two choices to create different outcomes with substantial mitigation and adaptation measures.
Malik Amin Aslam Khan, Global Vice President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), said Pakistan is contributing only 0.5% of global GHGs. “We are one of the most vulnerable countries being affected by climate change,” he said. Discussing the country’s geography and topography, he said glacier melting zone are affecting the country both in terms of more and less water. Anything that happens in the north affects the south.
“Glaciers in Pakistan are shrinking, store house is reducing. Potentially dangerous lakes like Hunza are at serious risk of natural disasters, because our infrastructure is sensitive.
Highlighting that monson showers in the last week were unprecedented, he stressed the need for a National Adaptation Action Plan to overcome the whole situation.
He said it is opportune time to change our thinking pattern. “60 % of our cost is linked to infrastructure therefore, there is a need to think about climate compatible development.
Earlier, SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Q. Suleri, in his introductory remarks, said that SDPI is working on the climate change issue since its inception and contributed a lot on the subject. In 2006, Climate Change Centre was established, which is now serving as the center of excellence. Its key areas are adaptation and mitigation. Now, we are working on COP21, he added.
SDPI BoG Chairman and former ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel also spoke on the occasion. He thanked Belgium Embassy for their support and trust on SDPI for organizing this event. He concluded with the remarks that Pakistan has to act to combat climate. He referred to statement by Secretary of State USA, that there is no Plan B as there is no planet B.