ISLAMABAD, Apr 03 (APP): Federal Minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman on Monday said the country’s share globally due to coal-based pollution and consumption for industrial purposes was below 0.08% making the sector the least contributor to air pollution crisis.
Responding to the query of MNA Sikandar Ali Rahoupoto pertaining to the power production of coal causing air pollution in the country, she said Pakistan being a responsible state was well abiding by its national determined contributions submitted in the UNFCCC to reduce coal consumption.
Senator Rehman said, “As compared to the other countries, Pakistan has very low coal consumption, whereas the coal used here also contains less sulphur.”
She added that major emissions causing air pollution were mostly added by the transport sector as poor quality fuel and vehicular emissions were generating more particulate matter and other air contaminants causing serious air pollution.
The Ministry of Climate Change, she said as per its mandate had rolled out the National Clean Air Policy (NCAP) after proper consultations and input from the provinces.
She underlined that there was lack of education among the masses adding more burden to the existing problem and burning of agricultural waste and solid waste in the rural areas was also a serious risk causing air pollution.
She mentioned that the NCAP set five priority goals with the single aim to reduce air pollution including implementation of efficient quality fuel standards of Euro-5 and Euro-6, enforcement of industrial emissions standards, prevention of agro residual burning, open municipal waste burning and promotion of low emission cooking techs.
While in response to a supplementary query of MNA, Dr Darshan, the minister informed that in implementing NCAP proper guidelines were issued to the provinces along with the action items.
On the query, related to plantation under Green Pakistan Initiative, she said overall more than a billion trees were planted under an equal share of the federal and provincial governments as per their annual development plans.
She added that Sindh was leading with a thriving number of mangroves trees under the initiative.
On MNA Asiya Azeem’s question on Pakistan’s funding received through global climate fund, she said the country had only bagged a few million dollars from the Green Climate Fund which were very few and issued through a hectic process which needed moderation for effective engagement as by the time funding lands the ground situation was completely altered.
MNA Dr Qadir Mandokhail queried that the liquid waste of Malir Canal and city municipal waste was dumped into the ocean which damaged the beauty of the ocean and what measures were being made in this regard.
Senator Rehman said after the 18th constitutional amendment the subject was devolved to the provinces and the federal government could only guide and advise them.
However, she also hinted to a new plastic regulation to be implemented soon in the federal capital to curb plastic pollution.
MNA Tahira Aurangzeb raised the question on measures taken to control flood devastation across the country.
Senator Sherry Rehman said the deluge was so massive that small dams in Sindh and Balochistan were washed away by gigantic floodwater inundation.
She noted that the floodwater was still stagnated in the Sindh province whereas the water was filthy and hazardous risking epidemics break out in the province. However, measures were placed with the intervention of the World Health Organization (WHO) to contain any major epidemic risk, she added.
MNA Qaiser Sheikh criticized the Ministry’s response submitted to the question of MNA Tahir Aurangzeb pertaining to flood devastation and preservation measures.
He claimed that the 18-20% GDP losses claimed from climate events per annum were erroneous as it reflected unprecedented damage to the national economy.
The Climate Change Minister responded that the damages incurred by climate disaster before 2022 floods amounted to 9.1% of the GDP which was the established figure of the World Bank. She added that the GDP loss projections were calculated by the UN and if business as usual continued till 2050 then it would cause the same damage as mentioned above to the national economy.
