Islamabad: In a recent briefing by the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman called for decisive measures to tackle the risks associated with glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and urged the enforcement of laws aimed at reducing plastic waste. The committee, chaired by Rehman, focused on the pressing issues posed by Pakistan’s vulnerable glaciers and the need for a comprehensive monitoring system.
According to Senate of Pakistan, the briefing highlighted Pakistan’s significant exposure to glacier-related risks, with 13,032 glaciers and over 3,000 glacial lakes, 33 of which pose immediate danger of bursting. Senator Rehman emphasized the urgent need for reliable data on glacier retreat rates and called for strengthening institutional coordination among agencies like SUPARCO, NDMA, and PMD to address these challenges effectively.
The Director General of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority informed the committee about the construction of protective bunds and the installation of automatic monitoring systems. He noted that a study identified 24 glacial lakes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with five classified as high-risk. Senator Rehman underscored the necessity for functional early warning systems and criticized the limited geographical coverage of current GLOF-related projects.
The committee also examined Pakistan’s severe deforestation issues and discussed the role of the timber mafia in forest degradation. Senator Rehman called for a separate audit of timber-related activities over the past 15 years and stressed the need for sustainable climate initiatives. She also highlighted the ineffectiveness of existing legislation on plastic book cover prohibition, urging stronger enforcement to reduce plastic consumption.
Minister of Climate Change Musadik Malik briefed the committee on the distinct nature of GLOFs compared to conventional floods and advocated for safe zoning and regional data-sharing mechanisms. The committee concluded with calls for improved implementation and coordination to ensure compliance with environmental laws and tackle the ongoing plastic waste challenges.