KARACHI, Oct 09 (DNA): Experts from various fields had stressed upon the
need for inclusive and coordinated climate action at all policy levels
at a two-day inter-disciplinary conference held here on Saturday.
The hybrid conference on the topic of “Climate Change: Threats, Risks
and Vulnerabilities” was organized by the Center for Business and
Economic Research (CBER) at the Institute of Business and Administration
Karachi (IBA) in collaboration with Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF)
Pakistan.
Executive Director IBA, Dr. S Akbar Zaidi welcomed the initiative saying
that the conference, organized by the students of the Social Sciences
and Liberal Arts Department at the IBA, would help apprise the
participants about the climate crisis.
Addressing the impacts of climate change and the needs of a sustainable
future was a complex issue which needed innovative solutions.
Dean of the School of Economics and Social Sciences at IBA Dr. Asma
Hyder said climate change was the biggest threat and challenge for
sustainable development. This youth-led conference provided a platform
to understand and create awareness for this complex crisis.
Director CBER Dr. Laila Farooq said they were grateful to HSF for
recognizing climate change as a non-traditional security threat. Climate
change was not isolated from issues around gender, class, race and so
much more, he commented.
Resident representative of HSF Pakistan Dr. Steffen Kudella on the
occasion said Pakistan and Germany were both seriously threatened and
vulnerable to Climate Change.
The temperature changed Pakistan’s ecosystem and affected economic and
agricultural sectors including water supply and soil. Likewise, Climate
Change was also changing Germany’s environment and future.
In fact, the effects of Climate Change – on people’s lives, on economies
and ecosystems – could be seen everywhere in the world. For instance,
NASA data showed that Greenland lost an average of 279 billion tons of
ice per year between 1993 and 2019, while Antarctica lost about 148
billion tons of ice per year, he said.
Climate Change was due to factors including rise of the average
temperature of the Earth’s climate system and large-scale shifts in
terms of weather. These large-scale weather shifts were of great
significance for peace and stability worldwide.
He said that the consequences of climate change would strongly influence
our standards of living, food and water supply besides resource
availability along with many other non-traditional security challenges.
Consul and Deputy Head of Mission at the German Consulate General
Karachi, Brigit Kuhlmann, while sharing her views stressed for the need
to have more such activities to raise awareness about the protection of
the natural environment.
The two-day event brought together academics, artists, filmmakers and
students from diverse fields to discuss multifaceted aspects of climate
change including multi-species collaborative survival, urban planning
and sustainable entrepreneurship.
It featured panel discussions, documentary screenings, exhibits and
study circles.
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