News & Events

February 7, 2011

Call of measures to counter the disasters and natural calamities

Karachi Feb 7: Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Ms. Christiana Figueres has said that post flood crisis is still continuing in Sindh as millions of people are displaced. She was talking at WWF Wetland Centre at Sandspit after visiting flood hit areas including Dadu and Sehwan. She said that people are still in camps and they have not been able to go back. She said that unfortunately attention of media has been turned from post flood situation, which still required attention of global community. She said that global community has to come forward and go beyond from relief and recovery phase and engage in reconstruction phase more meaningfully. She said that due to climate change, more floods are possible in future and it is imperative that reconstruction phase is undertaken on sustainable basis. She commended WWF, IUCN and Government of Sindh’s efforts for protection of coastal areas through mangrove plantation. She pointed out that coastal areas are more vulnerable to climate change. Figueres said mangrove forests prevent the damages of cyclones and sea intrusion and underlined the need of adopting appropriate measures to counter the disasters and natural calamities. She visited various parts of wetlands center, planted sapling of mangroves and released turtle in sea. Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister on Planning & Development Department Qaiser Bengali, Secretary Forest and Wildlife Mushtaque Ali Memon, Syed Mujtaba Hussain Deputy Secretary (Climate Change) Ministry of Environment, Deputy Director General WWF Dr. Ejaz Ahmed, Regional Director WWF Rab Nawaz, Country Representative IUCN Shah Murad Aliani, Nasir Ali Panhwar, Umeed Khalid and Marriyum Aurangzeb from WWF were also present at the occasion.

For further Information:

Muhammad Zafar Khan
Manager Communications and Environmental Education
Contact: 0300-3495901
email: zafar.hilbi@gmail.com