The First International Conference on Climate Change organised by the Institute of Agro-Industry and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, has started at the Baghdad-ul-Jadeed Campus.
Vice Chancellor of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur Engr. Prof. Dr Athar Mahboob, Vice Chancellor, University of Sahiwal Prof. Dr Javed Akhtar, Vice Chancellor Sindh Madrasah ut Islam Karachi Prof. Dr Mujeebuddin Sehrai Memon, Vice Chancellor University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prof. Dr Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi, Dean Faculty of Agriculture and Environment Prof Dr Moazzam Jamil and Director Institute of Agro-Industry and Environment Dr Ghulam Hasan Abbasi spoke in the inaugural session. Engr. Prof. Dr Athar Mahboob said in his address that climate change was a global issue and to deal with it and find its long-term solution, “it has to be part of our values”.
Under the Green Campus campaign, making university campuses environment-friendly and minimizing the use of water, food, and other consumables, and preventing wastage were being ensured and a large team of university faculty members was trying to implement it, he mentioned.
Dr Athar shared that the university had promoted renewable energy through a 2.5 MW solar plant, which will soon be expanded to 1 MW. A center was set up with the support of the South Punjab Secretariat to observe and monitor the Air Quality Index of Bahawalpur.
Similarly, the university had introduced a compulsory course in Agriculture and Environment at the BS level to make students aware of this important challenge and research had been encouraged at MS and Ph.D. levels, he added.
He said that the temperature of Bahawalpur had increased by 1 degree centigrade in the last 40 years and it was expected to increase by another 1 degree, which has affected the climate cycle, adding the production of crops was also likely to be affected.
Vice-Chancellor University of Sahiwal Prof. Dr Javed Akhtar said in his speech that the problem of climate change had created food insecurity, drought, and other terrible problems. “3.3 billion people in the world have been affected by it and $ 350 billion dollars in economic losses have been incurred.” He stressed that Pakistan was one of the most affected by climate change in Asia and suggested that to deal with this challenge, “we have to minimize gas emissions and plant more trees”.
Vice-Chancellor Sindh Madrasah-ut-Islam Karachi Prof. Dr Mujibuddin Sehrai said that developed countries were responsible for climate change and they should “compensate for the loss of developing countries”.
Vice-Chancellor University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Prof. Dr Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi said that the recent monsoon rains had dealt a huge loss of lives and property in Pakistan, besides an economic loss of $30 billion. “Agriculture is the main component of our economy which is most affected by climate change.”
