Karachi: Pakistan Red Crescent (PRC) Sindh Branch organized a ceremony at a local hotel on Thursday to sign a joint declaration on climate change adaptation with various stakeholders, including reputable and prominent educational institutions, religious, welfare and relevant government organizations.
The joint declaration signing ceremony was attended by religious scholars from different sects, researchers, and representatives of various organizations, including Al Mustafa Welfare Trust, Jamia Suffa, Jamaat-e-Islami Jamia Tul Ikhwan, Jama-e-Masjid Thanvi, Saylani Welfare International Trust, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, JDC Foundation Pakistan, Institute of Quranic Studies, Jamia Sattaria Islamia, Rotary International District 3271, University of Karachi, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan Meteorological Department, Karachi Urban Lab, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA-Sindh), Bahria University, Dawat-e-Islami and Zahra (SA) Academy Pakistan.
Presiding the ceremony, PRC-Sindh Chairperson Shahnaz S. Hamid lauded the cooperation of all member organizations and stated that following a series of meetings with stakeholders and extensive effort by the Pakistan Red Crescent, a joint declaration on Climate Change was successfully drafted. She emphasized that Climate Change is now Pakistan’s most emerging and significant issue, and each of us has a responsibility to do our part to mitigate the effects of climate change for our future generations. She said according to the German Watch, Pakistan has been ranked globally in the top ten countries most affected by climate change in the past 20 years due to its geographical location.
Climate change is predicted to have a broad range of consequences in Pakistan, including decreased agricultural productivity, increased unpredictability in water supply, increased coastal erosion and seawater intrusion, and an increased frequency of extreme climatic events. “According to this joint declaration, all member organizations will collaborate to disseminate as much information as possible and to motivate the general public to adopt good practices for mitigating the negative effects of climate change through schools, colleges, universities, madrasas, communities, khutbahs (use Islamic quotations such as relevant Ahadees and Quranic verses), and media discussions,” the Chairperson stated. Additionally, all organizations will strive toward mass tree planting and bolster the government and its relevant departments’ efforts, she added.
The ceremony was attended by PRC-Sindh Provincial Secretary Kanwar Waseem, Haji Muhammad Hanif Tayyab, Mufti Muhammad Zubair, Sardar Sarfraz, Maulana Abdul Waheed, Syed Zafar Abbas, and others. All member organizations appreciated the initiative of the Pakistan Red Crescent and pledged to work together on climate change in Pakistan.