The experts speaking at the webinar on Saturday opined that the provincial and federal governments have failed to protect habitats despite all policies, action plans and allocation of funds. The core reasons for the degradation of ecosystems they cited were the unchecked deforestation, use of land change and overexploitation of natural resources including subsurface water.
Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) organized the webinar on the subject “Ecosystem restoration for water and food security for all” on Saturday to boost the World Environment Day (June 5) theme.
The panel of experts included EvK2CNR Senior Scientist and Technical Advisor Ashiq Ahmed Khan, PFAN Country Director Saima Qadir, former Federal Planning Commission chief for water sector and Chair Development Finance Nasee Gillani, Water Security expert Dr. Zainab Ahmad, Food Security and Climate Change expert Aftab Alam Khan, Global Change Impact Study Centre expert Arif Goheer, environmental expert and activist Seema Taher (Karachi), adventure tourism expert Tahir Imran Khan (Lahore), Water and Climate Change expert Dr Zaigham Khan, Balochistan University professor Dr Zahoor Bazai, and Saaim Khan from Fauji Fertilizers Corporation (Lahore). Executive Director Devcom-Pakistan Munir Ahmed hosted and conducted the webinar.
The participants said over 4.7 million hectare of forest lost annually from the global map. Ecosystem loss is destroying natural habits and biodiversity, and carbon sinks found in forests and peatland, at a critical tipping point for climate change. In addition to mitigating Greenhouse Gases, maintaining biodiversity through restoring ecosystems is equally important for sustaining life on earth. Covid-19 has been disastrous for ecosystem loss and its restoration means repairing billions of hectares of land so people could have access to food, clean water, and jobs. They said water is integrally significant for communities and states. But a country like Pakistan with around 207 million people where 90 percent of water utilization is for agriculture, which eventually contributes 20 percent to GDP, water security remains the impending issue. Over the last two decades water in Pakistan is not just one of the foremost challenges in managing the federation yet is one of the leading issues in foreign policy and national security. Water availability in Pakistan is dependent on a single Indus river system, which also is the source of maintaining ground water level.
Per capita water availability was 5,650 cubic meters in 1951 which has reduced to 908 cubic meters in 2021.
This availability may soon fall to 860 cubic meters and if effective strategy is not followed it may fall up to 500 cubic meters by 2040. Currently Pakistan is on 23rd number among 167 water scarce countries and among top ten being affected by climate change.
