Emerging global climate change a threat

Chairman, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) Dr. Muhammad Afzal said this on Monday while addressing a national consultative workshop on review of national agriculture policy documents in context of sustainable land management, NAP and UNCCD, organized by Sustainable Land Management Project (SLMP) of Ministry of Environment.

Chairman PARC said that the concept of sustainable land management is gaining recognition at policy and planning level discussions to address land degradation and desertification issues of the country.

He pointed out that 68% of Pakistan’s population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods. He added agriculture sector contributes 24% to the GDP, employs 48% of the labor force and contributes to 70% of the foreign exchange earnings. He said that in the past the focus of agriculture polices in the country has been on irrigated lands and unfortunately, the drylands of this country and rain-fed agriculture remained almost neglected.

He was of the view that the vast potential of harnessing rainwater and hill torrents for agriculture, range and livestock management has not been utilized properly.

He urged to extend all possible support for the cross-sectoral sustainable land management program that is in the best interest of our socio-eco development. National Project Coordinator, SLMP Dr. Amjad Tahir Virk highlighted the objectives of workshop and hoped that the workshop would provide best opportunities to review the national agriculture policy document and share recommendations with the key stakeholders and get their feedback for its further refinement.

Inspector General Forest Syed Mehmood Nasir said that in a country like Pakistan, where more than 80% land area falls in arid and semi-arid drylands, the issue of land degradation and desertification still remains one of the major environmental challenges because of the heavy dependence of the dryland communities on these resources for their livelihoods.

Program Officer, UNDP Ms. Munazza Naqvi said that there was a great need of such review for more comprehensive policy and then further strategies, planning and implementation in a right direction. The workshop recommendations would be forwarded to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the provinces for incorporating them into their national and provincial policies. Ex-Chairman Pakistan Prices Commission Dr. Abdul Salam and Dr. M. Mohsin Iqbal, also shared their views on the subject.

Source:- pakobserver.net