HYDERABAD: Environmental experts have urged the people to modify their lifestyle by adopting climate-friendly behavior, which helps reduce their carbon footprint on Earth. Speaking at a seminar organized by the Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) at Hyderabad's Mumtaz Mirza Auditorium on Friday evening, they cautioned that government initiatives alone will fail to efficiently mitigate the consequences of climate change.
Government efforts versus public behavior
SEPA Director General Waqar Hussain Phulpoto lamented that the government banned polythene bags, but people continue to use them extensively. He shared a personal example of living in a cleaner environment during his childhood, only to see the same place become polluted decades later due to hazardous public activities. "When I was in class six, we used to drink water from a watercourse in our village because it was clean and pure," he recalled. "A couple of decades later, when I visited my agricultural land, I noticed the same water had turned polluted because of excessive use of toxic pesticides. And then I also saw fish dying in those waterways," he added.
Impact of fashion on water resources
Phulpoto gave another illustration of how the inclination to wear jeans fabric contributed to the rapid depletion of water resources. He noted that even the making of a single pair of jeans consumes hundreds of liters of water. He asserted that the only effective way to deal with climate change is by reverting to nature-based solutions.
Provincial government's role
Phulpoto said the provincial government is spending billions of rupees on climate financing and green energy. He pointed out that Sindh requires around 6,000 megawatts of electricity, of which it is already generating about 2,000 MW from wind alone. He urged people to plant trees, minimize electricity use, and reduce their carbon footprint.
Flood risks in Sindh
Vice Chancellor of Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Tandojam, Engr Prof Dr Altaf Ali Siyal, elaborated that Sindh faces three types of floods, unlike any other province in Pakistan. He emphasized the need for adaptive measures to address these unique challenges.
