ISLAMABAD: Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Senator Sherry Rehman presented the annual climate agenda before the Committee.
She also announced plans to summon the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in the next meeting of the Senate’s Committee to discuss preparations for the upcoming monsoon season. “There is a forecast for unusual monsoon rains in the country. We will receive briefings from the NDMA and the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on forecasts and government measures to manage the rains and potential damages,” she said.
The senator was chairing an internal committee meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination to discuss and devise the annual agenda for the proceedings of the committee. It was attended by Senators Bushra Anjum, Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, and Naseem Ehsan, while Senators Taj Haider, Quratulain Marri, and Zarqa Taimur participated virtually.
Welcoming the members, Chairperson Rehman said we aim to hold committee meetings twice a month and public hearings on climate change issues twice a year at the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services.” “In the next meeting, we will call for a briefing on the work and performance of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination,” she said. She emphasised the importance of collective action in addressing climate change and said the government alone cannot tackle crises like climate change; individuals must also play their part in saving the environment.
Sherry highlighted the committee’s focus on renewable energy, noting that Pakistan played a leading role in creating the Loss and Damage Fund for climate-vulnerable countries. “We must continue to advocate for the implementation of the promises made,” she added. She said due to constitutional constraints, the committee’s decisions are not binding on the provinces. “In the previous government, as a minister, I used the Prime Minister’s Task Force forum to enhance provincial capacities. I will continue to raise climate-related issues of the Islamabad Capital Territory in every committee meeting,” she said.
Addressing the water crisis, Senator Sherry Rehman said Pakistan faces water scarcity, potential droughts and desertification by 2025 and there is already a severe water crisis emerging in Balochistan and Sindh, while our glaciers are melting rapidly due to global warming. “We will invite the Ministry of Water Resources and other relevant institutions to discuss the water scarcity and the available solutions,” she said.
She said plastic pollution is another serious climate concern. “As a minister, I banned the dumping of plastic waste in Pakistan’s maritime boundaries,” she said. The committee, Sherry said will seriously address the issue of plastic pollution. “We must encourage and ensure a plastic-free world for future generations.”