Islamabad: Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr. Musadik Malik has advocated for a unified national system to monitor glaciers and climate data. He emphasized the need for integrated national institutions to ensure the timely availability and effective use of climate-related data, addressing a Senate Standing Committee meeting on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination.
According to Press Information Department, Dr. Malik highlighted the necessity for a coordinated mechanism to facilitate automatic data sharing among relevant departments, minimizing the current reliance on formal data requests. He noted that a committee under the Ministry of Defence has been formed to consolidate efforts by various departments, with a virtual platform already developed to integrate this information.
Dr. Malik outlined the distinct responsibilities of various ministries and organizations, including the Ministry of Water Resources and WAPDA for glacier and water system monitoring, SUPARCO for satellite data, and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for disaster-related matters. He underscored the importance of connecting these systems to provide the country with comprehensive and timely data.
The minister announced plans for establishing a new authority to address civilian weather-related issues, which would also act as a think tank for the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination. Proposals for this initiative are expected to be presented to the federal cabinet soon.
During his address, Dr. Malik also discussed the different responses required for glacier melt and flooding, noting that dam construction could manage floods but not halt glacier melt. He mentioned exploring digital twinning to enhance climate and glacier risk understanding and the establishment of a digital laboratory.
Officials informed the committee of the existence of 115 potentially hazardous glacial lakes, with 105 having unfrozen as of August 5. Limited data on glacier melt rates was attributed to the high cost of monitoring, with reports indicating a significant increase in glacier area loss in the Karakoram Highway region over recent decades.
In addition to glacier monitoring, the meeting addressed deforestation and timber smuggling concerns. Senator Sherry Rehman called for an audit of timber activities over the past 15 years, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The session also discussed the environmental impact of plastic book covers, with suggestions to promote brown paper alternatives in educational institutions.
The meeting gathered Senate Standing Committee members, Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination officials, and representatives from relevant departments.