The Pakistan Academy of Sciences has joined science leaders from around the globe to call on the Commonwealth Heads of Government to use the best available science to guide action on climate change.
The President, Pakistan Academy of Sciences Prof. Dr. M. Qasim Jan said, “The global warming is a phenomenon naturally occurring from millions of years. But this time, the most alarming thing is its anthropogenic (human-made) activities”.
“Among several global hazards the main threats are: global warming and environmental changes, scarcity of fresh water, energy crisis, and growing population”, he further added.
While emphasizing on release of greenhouse gases (GHG), Prof. Qasim Jan said, “The rising issue of global warming is mainly due to release of carbon dioxide. Humans throw about 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, 100 times as much as volcanoes do”.
The call is part of a Consensus Statement on Climate Change, launched today by all national academies and societies of science from around the Commonwealth, ahead of next month’s Commonwealth Summit in the United Kingdom.
Dr. Qasim Jan said that the greenhouse gases emission reduction commitments agreed to by 160 parties in the 2015 Paris Agreement are only the first step in a long journey. If all the country commitments from the Paris Agreement are met, the latest data shows that by the end of the century the global climate is likely to be 3 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Mitigative measures are needed to hold carbon dioxide by realizing in the air.
Sea-level rise is one of the most significant effects of climate change. High projected rates of future sea-level rise have captured the attention of the world. Particularly, countries which are located in low-lying areas as well as small islands are concerned that their land areas would be decreased due to inundation and coastal erosion and, at worst, a large proportion of their population may be forced to migrate to other countries. Therefore, this issue has resulted in heightened attention internationally, as the effects of climate change become apparent.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Aslam Baig, Secretary General, Pakistan Academy of Sciences was also present at the briefing. The Pakistan Academy of Sciences stands ready to assist the Pakistan Government, and indeed broader Commonwealth efforts, by providing sound scientific advice on issues relating to climate change.