Speakers call for mitigating effects of global warming

Islamabad

Speakers at a day-long seminar held here on Saturday called for taking effective measures to mitigate the hazardous effects of global warming and to create environment-friendly Pakistan.

The seminar was arranged by the Institution of Engineers, Pakistan Rawalpindi-Islamabad Centre (IEP-RI), in collaboration with City University of Science and Information Technology (CUSII) and Pakistan Institute of ICTS for development (PIID). Director General, Pakistan Environment Agency Farzana Altaf Shah was the chief guest on the occasion who urged the people to change their life-style that helps to make environment clean and safe, for ensuring a better future of the coming generation.

The speakers included Engineer Hafiz Ehan-ul-Haq Qazi, Chairman IEP-RI, Dr. Attaullah Shah, Vice Chancellor City University, Peshawar and Ammar Jaffri Director General Centre of Information Technology (CIT). The seminar was largely attended by the young engineers and the members of IEP. It was part of the activities being arranged by the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Center on regular basis for professional development of the engineering community.  

The seminar was aimed at capacity-building of the engineering community to understand the effects of climate change, especially on construction industry and the common man in Pakistan.

The speakers called for proper use of ICT, like internet and social media to create awareness at the gross-root level about the effects of global warming. In this connection, they underlined role of the government’s agencies, NGOs and the Universities.

The resource person Ammar Jaffari gave a detailed presentation on ‘ICTs for climate change-disaster and risk management’. He warned that the climate change was going to affect every person in the country, particularly the poor segment of the society. The nation he emphasized must prepare itself to reduce its negative impact to ensure a safer future.

Dr. Attaullah Shah, Vice Chancellor City University in his presentation said the climate change is an emerging threat to Pakistan. Around two hundreds glaciers have started melting and how to protect the people from its dangerous effects is a big challenge today. He hoped that seminar will be an ice-breaking to prepare the nation for timely taking preventive measures to face the risk of global warming.     

He advocating for clean energy solutions, by taking steps to reduce carbon emissions. Preventing emission of greenhouse gases is also imperative, besides properly using new technologies and renewable energies. The City University has set up climate-change’s Chair as part of its awareness campaign on the issue, he added.

Hafiz Ehsan-ul-Haq Qazi also spoke on the issue of climate-change and mitigation of global warming.  He also highlighted the objectives of IEP, stating that they have focus on updating technical and general knowledge of persons engaged in engineering and to provide them coaching facility through internship, scholarships, rewards and grant of certification of competency.

They also actively engaged in promoting transparency and efficiency in the engineering practices and profession, besides promoting professional interest and social welfare of its members, he added.

According to Secretary IPE-RI Engineer Shafiqur Rehman the Center has prepared an activities’ plan for the year 2017 for professional development of engineering community.