Experts at a panel discussion on Monday urged government to develop a curriculum on climate literacy at school level in order to educate the young generation and prepare meticulous plans at district level to fight climate change.

They were expressing these views during a panel discussion titled "Why they March: Global Movement for Climate Action", organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Monday, said a press release.

Speaking on the occasion, Environmental Journalist, Rina Saeed Khan while quoting the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C, said we were already witnessing the consequences of 1 degree Celsius of global warming in the shape of more extreme weather, floods, rising sea levels and diminishing Arctic sea ice.

"Beyond 2 degree Celsius the world will be very different, where people might fights over food, riots may erupt over climate migrations, and may adversely impact the ecosystems", she warned adding that the government should take measures to make its people climate proof through better adaptation policies and plans at the district level.

She also urged the youth to take part in climate strike on 20th September to express solidarity with the global movement called Climate March to realize the governments and world leaders that the future of our coming generations was on stake.

SDPI Head, Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Imran Khalid said that regular episodes of severe floods, heat-waves, threat of glacial lake outburst floods, changing monsoons and droughts were making Pakistan one of the most vulnerable countries to the vagaries of climate change. "Most of the affected people to the impacts of climate change are poor and the vulnerable, who live in insecure communities with uncertain access to food supplies and regular incomes", he said. In order to ensure a just and equitable climate future for our future generations, the government needs to take into account the ground realities and prepare its policies and plans accordingly, he added.

Anam Rathor, Climate and Social Justice Organizer said that around 100 large corporates and companies around the world are responsible for 70 per cent of the global emissions. "Unless rich people and large corporates do not get affected and realize the dire consequences of climate change, the issue of tackling climate change will remain on the back burner", she lamented. However, it is encouraging that the young generation is increasingly taking parts on issue related to climate change and raising their voices, as they realized that their future may compromise if they remained silent, she observed.

Source: https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/experts-urge-govt-to-raise-climate-literacy-713086.html