ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister of Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman emphasised the importance of starting work on improving drought preparedness and resilience.
In her message for World Desertification and Drought Day on Friday, the minister stated, “Droughts and desertification are critical issues worldwide.” Pakistan has been among the top 23 countries facing a major drought emergency for the past two years.”
Droughts, she predicted, could affect three-quarters of the world’s population by 2025. “Pakistan will undoubtedly be in its sights.” Desertification is a global phenomenon caused by environmental and climatic factors as well as human activities, but it has left Pakistan scarred by its multiple consequences, including environmental degradation, loss of soil fertility, biodiversity loss, and a reduction in land productivity, which has exacerbated and amplified the vulnerability of vulnerable local communities.”
“Droughts aren’t some new phenomenon that we aren’t familiar with; they have always been a part of nature and human experience,” Sherry Rehman said. “However, massive deforestation and anthropogenic activities have accelerated the fallout.”
“In Pakistan, we see water stress and dry rivers all over the country as a result of prolonged heat waves and delayed rains, as well as poor water distribution.” This is exacerbated by the fact that the country is predominantly arid.
