At least 200 environmental campaigners and protectors — 40 percent from indigenous

tribes — were murdered around the world in 2016, the deadliest year on record, the

watchdog organisation Global Witness said on 13 July 2017. The grim tally,
double the number slain two years earlier, is the largest since the NGO began tracking such
violence in 2002, it reported. The real number is probably higher as some killings go
undocumented.

1. DrQamaruzZamanChaudhry, author of the National Climate Change Policy and an

expert on climate change, DRCB Hint
“We need to link all our development activities like dams, roads, canals and bridges
with climate change; otherwise all the development may go waste,”
2. DrPervaiz Amir, an environmental expert and member of the Prime Minister’s Task
Force on Climate Change, says
Pakistan falls in the most vulnerable categories of climate change but “we are
doing nothing to cope with the challenge.”
The Norwegian Refugee Council,e report said that 22 million people were
displaced in 2013
3. Pakistan launched its first National Climate Change Policy in February in 2013
this year to cope with the threats of climate change through adaptation and mitigation
measures but has not achieved even a single target so far. After the 18th Amendment,
the environment ministry has been devolved to the provinces.
4. Corruption doth appear on land and sea because of (the evil) which men’s hands have
done, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that
they may return. (Quran 30:41)
5. Bahuguna coined the Chipko slogan: 'ecology is permanent economy'.
6. Gore says, "I've been trying to tell this story for a long time and I feel as if I've failed
to get the message across."
7. The government allocated a total of Rs58.8 million to combat climate change in the
Public Sector Development Program for 2013-14 as compared to Rs168.1 million
 allocated to the climate change ministry in 2012-13. The ministry has now been
transformed into a division.

Outline:
1. Introduction.
2. Scientific Background.
3. Climate Change and Islam.
4. Major Causes of Climate Change.
1. Greenhouse effect.
2. Anthropogenic activities.
3. Air Pollution.
4. Depletion of Ozone Layer.
5. Aerosol emission from volcanic eruption.
6. Melting of Glaciers.
7. Deforestation.
8. Industrial advancement.
9. Use of Chemical fertilizers.
10. Burning of fossil fuels.
5. Most Common effects of Global Warming.
1. Rising of the sea levels.
2. Heat waves.
3. Killer storms.
4. Droughts.
5. Extinction of species.
6. Health Hazards of Global Warming.
7. Melting of Glaciers
8. Wars
9. Economic instability
10. Ecosystem Failure
6. Precedents set by Successful International Climatic Movements
 Chipko Movement India
 Green Belt Movement Africa and role of Mama MutaWaangariMaathai
 An Inconvenient Truth Movie and Algore contribution
 7. Climate Change and Pakistan
 First National Climate change policy 2013
 Meagre allocation of resources
8. Unawareness about Global Warming
9. Solutions to Global Warming
1) Boosting energy efficiency:
2) Greening transportation:
3) Reviving up renewables:
4) Phasing out fossil fuel electricity
5) Planting trees in backyard:
6) Managing forests and agriculture:
7) Exploring nuclear
8) Developing and deploying new low-carbon and zero-carbon technologies
9) Ensuring sustainable development
10)Consider if driving is essential:
11)Reduce the usage of appliances
12)Avoid use of plastic bags:
13)Choose energy efficient bulbs:
14)Reduce the usage of fertilizers:
15)Consider recycling if possible:
16)Safe disposal of industrial waste:
17)Educate children:
18)Adapting to changes already underway:

10. Conclusion

Introduction
Global warming and climate change have becomeparts of both the popular lexicon and

the public discourse. Global warming often evokes passionate

responses and fierce debate between adherents to different

views of the threat posed. Perhaps there are many nuances regarding global warming,
climate change, and the threats they represent that are not well understood by the
public. The public’s conceptual understanding hinges largely on images and paradigms

withinthe popular culture that are often little more than caricatures of the actual,
underlying scientific concepts.

Global warming is the rise in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and
oceans since the late 19th century and its projected continuation. Since the early 20th
century, Earth's mean surface temperature has increased by about 0.8 °C (1.4 °F), with
about two-thirds of the increase occurring since 1980. Warming of the climate system is
unequivocal(leaving no doubt), and scientists are 95-100% certain that it is primarily
caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human
activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. These findings are
recognized by the national science academies of all major industrialized nations.
The conceptis related to the more general phenomenon of climate change, which
refersto changes in the totality of attributes that define climate—not only surface
temperatures, but also precipitation patterns, winds, ocean currents,and other measures
of the Earth’s climate.

Climate Change and Islam

The reality of climate change calls for a re-evaluation of our actions and a redirection of
our energies towards the reduction or possible reversal of the
looming(threatening,alarming)environmental crisis. To begin with, the Quran calls on us
to recognise our own contribution to the crisis:

Corruption doth appear on land and sea because of (the evil) which men’s hands
have done, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in
order that they may return. (Quran 30:41)

If we are to reverse the deterioration of our environment then we have to make some
hard choices and change our practices. In other words, ecological change calls for
personal change.

Top 10 Main Causes of Global Warming

Global warming is one of the major problems which is not divided by the boundaries of
various countries. The major cause of global warming is the developing number of
industries in developing countries. But its better not to play the blame game rather join
hands together and work together as one and fight against it so that we can save our
planet from further damage.

1. Greenhouse Effect:
Greenhouse effect is the process in which the atmosphere of the Earth trap some of the
heat coming from the sun, making the Earth warm but due to burning fuels, cutting
trees, the concentration of heat on Earth is increased to abnormal levels making
greenhouse effect as one of the major causes of global warming. Carbon Dioxide,
methane, nitrous oxide are the greenhouse gases which helps to keep the Earth warm.

2. Human Activities
It has been said that human activities are primarily responsible for global warming.
These activities are destroying the Earth at a faster rate. The emission of carbon dioxide
from the vehicles, the burning of the fuels, cutting down of trees and forest to build
buildings and malls, the dumping of trash everywhere and not recycling it, excessive
use of plastics, smoke from the factories, etc. All these activities performed by human
beings are major factors which destroys the ecological balance of the nature
leading to global warming.

3. Air Pollution

The harmful gases emitted from the vehicles and factories and the greenhouse gases
cause pollution in the air and these gases get captured in the atmosphere. The smoke,
gather up in the atmosphere forming clouds full of harmful gases which later on fall as
acid rain which destroys the buildings and also lead to many dangerous diseases like
cancer, skin burns and the death of plants

4. Depletion of Ozone Layer

The ozone layer is the layer outside atmosphere which protects the surface of the Earth
from the harmful Ultra-violet and infrared radiations causing dangerous diseases like
skin cancer. Ozone layer depletion is also one of the causes of global warming. Mostly
the CFCs (chlorofluorocarbon) damages the ozone layer.

5. Volcanic Eruptions Volcanic eruptions is also one of the major reason of

global warming. These eruptions contain dust particles and gases like sulphur
dioxide which stay in the atmosphere for years and block the sunlight from reaching
the surface of the Earth making it cool. These dust particles affects the balance of
the atmosphere and becomes a contributing factor of global warming. Though
volcanic eruptions cannot be controlled but efforts can be made to decrease the
sulphur dioxide levels.

6. Melting of the Glaciers

Large mountains of ice melt due to warmer temperature of the Earth so that new ice can
accumulate. These ice mountains helps to equalize the temperature by beating up the
heat.

7 Deforestation
8 . Industrial Advancement

More and more industries and factories are set up in this modern world to meet the
needs of human beings. These big factories need large amount of fuels like coal,
petroleum for power and electricity required by the machines to work.Burning of these
fuels releases large amount of carbon dioxide which absorbs the harmful radiations
from the sun making it warm

9 Use of Chemical Fertilizers

The use of artificial chemicals for the crops has become one of the reason for global
warming. These chemicals are very dangerous not only for Earth but also for human
beings too. These fertilizers are rich in nitrogen oxide which is even more
dangerous than carbon dioxide. These oxides of nitrogen destroys the ozone layer even
more faster than any other greenhouse gas.

10 Burning of Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels are burnt on a day-to-day basis and they contain high
percentage of carbon, So carbon dioxide being the greenhouse
gas is provided in excess in the atmosphere which again leads to
global warming.

Most Common Effects of Global Warming

Global warming has far-reaching consequences for our entire planet.

1. Rising of the Sea Levels

When the surface temperature warms up, it causes a significant melting of ice from the
glaciers, sea ice as well as the polar ice shelf leads to sea levels rising dramatically,
threatening numerous population centers which are positioned in the low-lying coast
areas. Scientists have speculated that the melting of ice from Antarctica & Greenland
could raise sea levels by over 20 feet till we reach 2100!

2. Heat Waves
 Severe heat waves have become more common and the reason is that the greenhouse
gases have been trapped inside the atmosphere. Studies state that these heat waves
will keep on increasing over the years & become 100 times worse.

3. Killer Storms

When the
One of the deadliest effects of global warming are killer storms.
temperature of the oceans becomes warmer, it fuels
storms that are more intense.we have seen that in the last 30 years, the
severity & number of cyclones, hurricanes and storms have increased and they have
nearly doubled. All this leads to floods, damage of property as well as loss of life.

4. Drought

Droughts are on the opposite pole of this spectrum & they are
already creating havoc on various parts planet earth.The climate
is warming up & in turn dwindling the supply of water, leading to
poor agricultural conditions.
5. Species becoming Extinct

Desertification, warming up of the ocean temperatures, as well as deforestation is all

contributing to disastrous & irreversible changes that are occurring in
the habitat (plants & animals) & threatening to endanger several species that might
soon become extinct.Polar bear happens to be the prime example and their numbers
are continuously falling as they struggle to acclimatize to loss in ice in regions in arctic.
One thing that is crucial for human success is biodiversity & the loss of precious flora &
fauna because of mass extinction will threaten our entire planet.

6. Diseases

When there is a change in the habitat, it automatically translates to a rise in diseases all
across the globe. Warmer temperatures, floods & droughts all combine & create a
condition where rats, mosquitoes, as well as other pests that are disease-carrying not
only thrive, but also adapt. Diseases such as cholera, West Nile virus, Lyme disease,
dengue fever, etc. are ever increasing & are no longer limited to the tropical climates. It
is seen that asthma is on a rise because of the increasing smog.

7. Disappearing Glaciers

All across the globe we are seeing that glaciers are shrinking &
that too at a very alarming rate.
8. Wars

Worldwide conflicts & hostilities are on a rise as the numerous nations are competing
for the resources that are dwindling. the genocide that happened in Darfur region in
Sudan was the consequence of ecological crisis that had roots in reduction of the
natural resources that were brought about due to climatic changes. The wars in Somalia
started under very similar circumstances..

9. Economic Instability

A nation’s economy is directly correlated to the consequences of climatic changes.

Natural disasters like floods as well as hurricanes are costly, there’s loss of tourism
dollars & industrial profits.

10. Ecosystem Failure

The increase in the greenhouse gases is not only causing drastic changesin the
higher atmosphere but it is causing havoc across our entire planet, thereby affecting
water supply, clean air for agriculture output as well as energy resources. Plants &
animals either die or they move to other habitats (non-native) when the ecosystems on
which they depend to survive (like coral reefs) are threatened by the warming
temperature of the sea & more acidic water. As the change in climate affects the way of
life, even humans shall migrate – resulting in increased competition and war over the
small quantity of resources.

Precedent set by Successful International movements

The chipko Movement
The first Chipko action took place spontaneously in April 1973 and over the next five
years spread to many districts of the Himalaya in Uttar Pradesh. The name of the
movement comes from a word meaning 'embrace': the villagers hug the trees, saving
them by interposing their bodies between them and the contractors' axes. The Chipko
protests in Uttar Pradesh achieved a major victory in 1980 with a 15-year ban on green
felling in the Himalayan forests of that state by order of India's then Prime Minister,
Indira Gandhi. Its leaders and activists are primarily village women, acting to save their
means of subsistence and their communitiesProminent Chipko figures include:
SunderlalBahuguna, whose appeal to Mrs. Gandhi results in the green-felling ban and
whose 5,000 kilometre trans-Himalaya footmarch in 1981-83 was crucial in spreading
the Chipko message. Bahuguna coined the Chipko slogan:

'ecology is permanent economy'.

UN climate chief Christiana Figueres said of the IEA report in a statement from Bonn.
On 24 may 2012

“Once again we are reminded that there is a gap between current efforts and the
engagement necessary to keep the world below a 2C temperature rise,”
Green Belt Movement and Waangari Mama MutaMaathai

In 2004, WangariMaathai received the Nobel Peace Prize – becoming the first African
woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize – for her work with the Green Belt Movement. Her
book, The Green Belt Movementastutely analyzed the plight of her Kenyan home area,
mainly Kukuyan women. Two issues repeatedly surfaced and intertwined. The
deteriorating environment was an integral part of their plight. Clear streams and rivers
turned brown with topsoil loss from deforestation. Nutritious native crops were replaced
by the mono-cultured, cash crops of tea and coffee. The polluted water and lack of
nutritious food were contributing to unhealthy children. Women also needed income.
She Founded, the Green Belt Movement (GBM) in 1977 which has planted over 51
million trees in Kenya.GBM
works at the grassroots, national, and
international levels to promote environmental conservation;
to build climate resilience and empowercommunities, especially
women and girls; to foster democratic space and sustainable livelihoods.

An inconvenient truth
An Inconvenient Truth is a 2006 documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about
former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate citizens about
global warming via a comprehensive slide show. An Inconvenient Truth focuses on Al
Gore and on his travels in support of his efforts to educate the public about the severity
of the climate crisis. Gore says,

"I've been trying to tell this story for a long time and I feel as if I've failed to get
the message across."

Climate Changes in Pakistan

Global warming and Pakistan

At a time when developing and developed countries across the globe are
investing heavily in adaptation to and countering climate change, Pakistan has
not only dissolved it’s climate change ministry but also slashed its
development budget by more than 60 percent.

The government allocated a total of Rs58.8 million to combat climate change

in the Public Sector Development Program for 2013-14 as compared to
Rs168.1 million allocated to the climate change ministry in 2012-13. The
ministry has now been transformed into a division.

Environmentalists and officials say the move may have serious repercussions
agriculture, water and
on different fields in the country including
forestation besides losing representation at
international forums. International donors and organisations
working on climate change are also unlikely to support Pakistan in dealing with
the relatively recent, but highly dangerous threat.

Dr Qamaruz Zaman Chaudhry, author of the National Climate Change

Policy and an expert on climate change, says Pakistan may face isolation in
the international community if it doesn't take effective measures to cope with
changing weather patterns.DRCB Hint
“We need to link all our development activities like dams, roads, canals and
bridges with climate change; otherwise all the development may go waste,”

he observes.

According to the 2006 Pakistan Strategic Country Environmental Assessment

Report, the annual cost of environmental degradation in Pakistan has been
estimated at Rs365 billion($4.2 billion).
Environmental experts believe the annual cost of environmental degradation
has now reached around Rs450 billion ($5.2 billion) in financial losses.

the annual rate of deforestation ranges from 4-6 percent while carbon dioxide
emissions are increasing annually at the rate of 8-10 percent.

Moreover, an estimated 250 million gallons of untreated water out of Karachi

is dumped into the Arabian Sea every day, causing great harm to both
humans and the ecosystem.
Recent data indicates that over one million acres of fertile, arable land in the
Indus delta has become saline and unusable, largely due to the retention of
freshwater flows by large dams across the Indus River.

DrPervaiz Amir, an environmental expert and member of the Prime

Minister’s Task Force on Climate Change, says Pakistan falls in the most
vulnerable categories of climate change but “we are doing nothing to cope with
the challenge.”

He says that India and Bangladesh have been spending a lot on addressing
evolving weather patterns, and are also receiving millions of dollars from
developed countries in climate change aid. India is spending over 2.6 percent
of its GDP to cope with such challenges. Pakistan’s allocation for climate
change, meanwhile, is stuck at just 0.02 percent of the total Rs295.5 billion of
development funds.

Dr Amir laments that Pakistan is also losing its representation at international

forums for addressing this issue, mainly because of official apathy:
“Representatives from India and Bangladesh effectively fought their case in
the Bonn conference to seek international funding but there was no official
representative from Pakistan to present a case. It is unfortunate.”

He says the international community takes Pakistan as a ‘non serious country’

and this may lead to the country’s isolation at an international level.

Pakistan launched its first National Climate Change Policy in February in

2013 this year to cope with the threats of climate change through
adaptation and mitigation measures but has not achieved
even a single target so far.After the 18th Amendment, the environment
ministry has been devolved to the provinces. Now there is no cooperation
between the centre and the provinces to deal with the menace.

Unawareness about Global Warming

In 2007-08 Gallup polls surveyed 127 countries.over a third of the world’s

population was unaware of the global warming.

The international community is full aware of the magnitude and intensity of the
global warming.So various platforms such as UNDP and other
intergovernmental organizations and NGO’s are surfacing to the global
warming.The major efforts made so far in this regard include the signing of
certain treaties such as Kyoto Protocol of 1997, UNFCCC 1992, Earth Summit
1992,Washington declaration 2007,G8 summit on carbon emission, Vienna
Climate Change Talk 2007,Copenhagen talk 2009. Among all the
aforementioned conferences and protocols,which strive to control global
The major
warming,Kyoto protocol was a landmark agreement.
hindrances which Kyoto protocol or
aforementioned protocol of same nature face is the
stubborn and defiant attitude of industrial giants
like the US,UKamd Japan

Solutions to Global Warming

There is no single solution to global warming, which is primarily a problem of too much
heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere The
technologies and approaches outlined below are all needed to bring down the
emissions of these gases by at least 80 percent by mid-century. To see how they are
best deployed in each region of the world, use the menu at left.

 Boosting energy efficiency: The energy used to power, heat, and cool our
homes, businesses, and industries is the single largest contributor to global
warming. Energy efficiency technologies allow us to use less energy to get the
same—or higher—level of production, service, and comfort. This approach has
vast potential to save both energy and money, and can be deployed quickly.
 Greening transportation: The transportation sector's emissions have increased
at a faster rate than any other energy-using sector over the past decade. A
variety of solutions are at hand, including improving efficiency (miles per gallon)
in all modes of transport, switching to low-carbon fuels, and reducing vehicle
miles traveled through smart growth and more efficient mass transportation
systems.
 Revving up renewables: Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind,
geothermal and bio-energy are available around the world. Multiple studies have
shown that renewable energy has the technical potential to meet the vast
majority of our energy needs. Renewable technologies can be deployed quickly,
are increasingly cost-effective, and create jobs while reducing pollution.
 Phasing out fossil fuel electricity: Dramatically reducing our use of fossil fuels
—especially carbon-intensive coal—is essential to tackle climate
change. There are many ways to begin this process. Key action steps include:
 not building any new coal-burning power plants, initiating a phased shutdown of
coal plants
 Plant trees in your backyard: Increased demand for land to live and cultivation
is forcing to cut down forests. Thus, reduction in the number of plants is
increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increasing the
temperature of the environment. Areas with less number of trees have at least
five to ten degrees of more temperature than those with plenty of trees. If the
temperature is less then use of electronic appliances such as air conditioners
also reduces. This in turn saves power, reduces emission of carbon compounds
and on the whole saves your pocket.
 Managing forests and agriculture: Taken together, tropical deforestation and
emissions from agriculture represent nearly 30 percent of the world's heat-
trapping emissions. We can fight global warming by reducing emissions from
deforestation and forest degradation and by making our food production
practices more sustainable.
 Exploring nuclear: Because nuclear power results in few global warming
emissions, an increased share of nuclear power in the energy mix could help
reduce global warming—but nuclear technology poses serious threats to our
security and, as the accident at the Fukushima issue and France example.
 Developing and deploying new low-carbon and zero-carbon technologies:
Research into and development of the next generation of low-carbon
technologies will be critical to deep mid-century reductions in global emissions.
Current research on battery technology, new materials for solar cells,
harnessing energy from novel sources like
bacteria and algae, and other innovative
areas could provide important
breakthroughs.
Ensuring sustainable development: The countries of the world—from the most to the
least developed—vary dramatically in their contributions to the problem of climate
change and in their responsibilities and capacities to confront it. A successful global
compact on climate change must include financial assistance from richer countries to
poorer countries to help make the transition to low-carbon development pathways and
to help adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Consider if driving is essential: Reducing the extent of driving a car. One must
Prefer to go by walk for shorter distances or if possible consider using public
transportation. Avoid the habit of using one car per person in a family. Following these
measures will not only reduce the amount of fuel burnt but also saves money. Walking
keeps one healthy. To save valuable treasure of nature choose car models that give
more mileage. Purchasing such energy efficient vehicles might be expensive initially but
you will save more in later years.
Reduce the usage of appliances: Increased use of appliances such as refrigerator, air
conditioner, freezers and water heaters liberates carbon containing compounds in to the
atmosphere.. To save on power choose energy efficient appliances. If you are using the
refrigerator turn off the freezer to save power as well as to reduce the carbon emission.
To save natural gas reserves consider using biogas for cooking purposes.

Avoid use of plastic bags: In the past decade there has been tremendous
raise inuse . These plastic bags do not
of plastic bags
degrade for a long time and clog the water lines. In view
of global warming few governments are taking stringent
measuresto reduce the usage of plastic bag
Choose energy efficient bulbs: One efficient solution to save power is use of energy
efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. Inefficient bulbs consume more power raising your
energy bills. In attempt to save to electricity, few countries are promoting the sale of
CFL bulbs and are even banning the making of inefficient bulbs. Another way to save
electricity is by using solar energy to run appliances, cooking and even to run your
vehicle.

Reduce the usage of fertilizers: Increased use of fertilizers may increase the crop
yield but in the long run it would only make the soil less fertile. They are also very
expensive to purchase. Hence, avoid using fertilizers and pesticides. Instead use
natural fertilizers such as compost made of household waste and cow dung to increase
crop yield. Consider using natural products such as Neem tree oil as pesticides.

Consider recycling if possible: Another efficient global warming solution is recycling.

Items such as newspapers, glass and aluminum cans can be recycled efficiently. To
reduce wastage all governments across the globe are encouraging recycling. Even
electronic gadgets such as mobile phones, laptops etc can also be recycled efficiently.

Safe disposal of industrial waste: Disposal of industrial waste is polluting the

environment with harmful chemicals such as mercury and poisonous gases such as
sulfurdioxide. Presence of high concentration of sulfur gas in the environment results in
acid rains which is harmful to the life on earth. Disposal of hot water also increases the
surrounding temperature. Hence, industrial waste should be treated appropriately to
make it free of harmful chemicals and then liberated into the environment. Hot water
should be passed through the coolants before releasing them out. Government should

take stringent measures to prevent disposal of harmful industrial waste in to the

environment. Only those industries showing concern towards environment should be
allowed to run.

Educate children: It is the responsibility of every parent, teacher and school to

enlighten younger generation about the hazardous effects of global warming. They
should be encouraged to practice effective global warming solutions right from
childhood.

Adapting to changes already underway: As the Climate Hot Map demonstrates, the
impacts of a warming world are already being felt by people around the globe. If climate
change continues unchecked, these impacts are almost certain to get worse. From sea
level rise to heat waves, from extreme weather to disease outbreaks, each unique
challenge requires locally-suitable solutions to prepare for and
respond to the impacts of global warming. Unfortunately, those
who will be hit hardest and first by the impacts of a changing
climate are likely to be the poor and vulnerable, especially those
in the least developed countries. Developed countries must take a leadership
role in providing financial and technical help for adaptation.

Coclusion

The erroneous activities of human beings have finally started to take a toll on the
earth‟senvironment, leading to the formation of a volatile and
capricious( inconstant,,fickle) atmosphere, which is liable to be detrimental for the
humanity itself in the form of unpredictable catalytic climatic events. The example of
such recent events include the destructive Hurricane Katrina of 2005 in the U.S, the
ravaging droughts of 2006 in Australia and China, and of 2011 in Texas, the floods of
2010 and 2011 in Pakistan, and of 2012 in Spain, and the 2010 Northern Hemisphere
summer, which killed over 2000 people. Pakistan, which is an already resource stressed
country, has been crippled by the process of global warming, as the blatant floods and
droughts continue to wreck the country’s economy. More than 10 million people have
been displaced over the last two years, the agricultural land lies barren and financial
losses have been estimated at $2 billion. These climatic catastrophes will not die down.
Research studies have concluded that changing weather patterns will be the foundation
for more intense and prolonged droughts and heat waves. Meanwhile, tremendous
precipitation events will become more frequent and future tropical cyclones will become
more strong. Therefore there is a growing consensus that steps will have to be taken to
uproot the cause of these events. In addition to the formation of well thought flood
and drought prevention policies, steps to reduce the overall emission of green house
gases have to be taken so that the planet Earth and its inhabitants can survive.
6 Natural Disasters of 2013 That Left Us More Unprepared Than Ever
6 Natural Disasters of 2013 That Left Us More Unprepared Than Ever

UNITED NATIONS: Disasters last year displaced three times more people than
violent conflicts, showing the urgent need to improve resilience for vulnerable
people when fighting climate change, according to.The Norwegian Refugee
Council, an independent group that focuses on emergency aid, released the findings
ahead of a United Nations summit on Tuesday aimed at building momentum for a global
agreement on climate change.

4th November
Time to reach temperature target running out:
UN panel
| 11/3/2014 12:00:00 AM

IPCC chief RajendraPachauri

`

UN panel adopts landmark climate report

| 11/2/2014 12:00:00 AM
NEW study has drawn attention to the accelerating rate of glacial melt in Pakistan`s
mountainous north. The problem is grave and has far-reaching ramifications(a
complex or unwelcome consequence of an action or event.) for the country, yet it is as
remote from the public mind as the glaciers are from the cities.

1. Authorities opened the sluice(lock - penstock - floodgate) gates of four major

hydroelectricity reservoirs in central Sri Lanka
2. Gusty(Characterized by or blowing in gusts) monsoon kills 23 in Sri Lanka
3. The pre-monsoon showers are expected to raise river flows and may inundate low-lying
areas in cities. River Kabul and its tributaries which are already in medium to low flood,
are expected to further swell after the rain.Scattered rain of moderate intensity is expected
in Kalat
4. Heavy rains pounded(Strike or hit heavily and repeatedly, beat - grind - knock - crush -
throb - thump) parts of north India on Monday, resulting in the deaths of at least 26 people
leading to traffic snarls(Entangle or impede something: "snarled up in traffic) in parts of the
city
5. authorities on Monday warned people living along the coast that a brewing cyclone(There
is going to be a cyclone) was gathering strength and could barrel into their homes later
this week.

Waste Managements

. Shockingly, as revealed by the director-general of the Pakistan Environmental

Protection Agency, some 300 medical facilities in Islamabad do not incinerate their
waste properly.
April 2015
NEW study released by WWF-Pakistan has found that agriculture here could face a
loss of up to 10pc of its output by 2040 due to climate change. This is a huge
percentage, but fortunately the authors of the study also have some suggestions on
what can be done to mitigate this impact. Specifically, they point to improved farm
management practices such as better utilisation of water in irrigation, tillage and
agro-chemical input use.

Chitral floods: Why melting glaciers may not be the cause

“Glacial Lake Outburst Floods” or GLOFs.

GLOFs are floods caused by valley glaciers melting because of warmer temperatures in the
summer months, and forming lakes – hidden or visible – which then break out of the moraine
and ice that dams them. The water gushes below into the valleys at great speeds, destroying

In Nathiagali, solar water heaters help move away from wood

And, crucially, the heating systems help conserve the trees in Nathiagali and three other towns
surrounding Ayubia National Park, an area that is home to 4,000 families, most of whom rely on the
local forests of oak, cedar and coniferous pine for fuel.

Saving trees

The solar water heating technology first arrived to the towns around the park in 2009, as part of a
$48,000 WWF-Pakistan Climate-Resilient Watershed Management Programme funded by the Coca Cola
Foundation.

The aim of the project was to curtail deforestation in the area, where over 1,100 mature trees are cut
down each year, local forest officials say.

"For the project team, it was highly stunning result and a strong reason to up scale the initiative."

According to Waseem, the 83 solar units now installed are together saving around 500 tons of fuel wood
annually.

If all of the households in the area around Ayubia National Park install solar water heaters about 23,000
tons of wood could be saved annually,

Carbon emissions tax

EDITORIAL — PUBLISHED ABOUT 18 HOURS AGO

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AN intriguing idea has just been floated by Mr Sartaj Aziz, two-time former finance minister, to implement a
carbon tax in Pakistan of the sort that more and more countries are turning towards to help curtail emissions
and generate revenue for mitigation measures required for a changing climate.

with power producers since they are by far the largest contributors to the country’s total carbon emissions.

A carbon tax has been implemented in many countries — Canada, Chile, Ireland and South Africa to name a
few. In almost all cases, the tax aims to incentivise consumers of hydrocarbon fuels to be more efficient in its

Decline of bees threatens crop output, says UN

Greenland ice melting faster than thought

| 9/23/2016 12:00:00 AM

Albania bans cutting down trees for 10 years

TIRANA: Albania has ordered a 10-year ban on cutting down trees for industrial purposes to avert an
“ecological disaster” in the impoverished Balkan country

Environment behind nearly quarter of global deaths: WHO

GENEVA: One in four deaths worldwide are due to environmental factors like air, water and soil pollution, as
well as unsafe roads and workplace stress, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday.

An estimated 12.6 million people died in 2012 as a result of living and working in unhealthy environments, 23
per cent of all deaths reported globally, according to the new study. “If countries do not take actions to make
environments where people live and work healthy, millions will continue to become ill and die too young”,
warned WHO chief Margaret Chan in a statement.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2016

OVER the last three years, we have repeatedly been told by the government that
infrastructure is the key to development. Infrastructure will drive growth, it has been
argued, and growth will address all the objectives that development is supposed to
pursue from reducing poverty, unemployment, hunger and malnutrition, to putting
children back in schools and raising women`s awareness about prenatal health.
Infrastructure has been presented to us as the silver bullet with which to solve all our
problems. Along with this argument, we have seen massive government investments
in projects ranging from power plants and airports to highways and ports. Few have
wanted to argue against infrastructure getting better and better; if somebody has
called this a case of misplaced priorities, and said that more was required to be done,
a barrage of epithets, instead of a reasoned debate, has followed. Today, the
consequences of the misplaced emphasis on this development model are evident to
all. Lahore airport was shut down due to smog despite the installation of an
instrument landing system last year. Load-shedding is back as the power system is
subjected to repeated episodes of tripping due to smog, despite a generation surplus
available as of this month. Hospitals are seeing more cases of people with respiratory
ailments, and nebuliser sales are rising. The highways wear a deserted look as driving
is almost impossible.

In fact, the debilitating smog that has enveloped our cities has rendered much of the
infrastructure investment of the past three years ineffective. Each year the smog
returns with renewed vengeance, and if the trend is not checked soon, we may not
be too far off from a time when one of our major cities would have to be evacuated.

Already across the border in Delhi they have declared an emergency, although the
next step is not very clear. Last year, the authorities in Lahore had to forcibly shut
down steel smelters in the city`s outskirts to reduce emissions. And smog is not the
only problem now. The finances required to pay for the operation of this
infrastructure as well as the necessary reforms to operate it efficiently are far from
robust. The development model advanced by this government is now in serious
contention here. The smog will lift at some point, but the wrath of nature and the
countervailing pressures of the market will exact a heavy toll from this model in the
days to come.
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