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ISLAMABAD, Sep 08 (APP): Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal Monday said that Pakistan is the seventh most country in the world affected by climate change and it needs a national action plan and unity to deal with this challenge.
While addressing the annual Convocation Ceremony of the University of Space Technology, he said that Pakistan is in the list of top 10 countries affected by climate change. We will have to utilize our national resources to deal with this.”
There is great hope for the youth of Pakistan to prepare themselves to deal with these challenges facing the country and gain maximum access to science and space sciences, he said.
The Minister emphasized the importance of encouraging youth towards scientific research and space exploration and said
“We need to foster a spirit of inquiry and exploration among our young people, as it is this spirit that once gave Muslims global leadership in space science during the early Islamic civilization.”
He said, space technology and exploration were among the forefront sectors shaping human development in today’s world and developed countries were launching research missions into space, opening new horizons for humanity.
Pakistan is one of the pioneering countries in Asia to establish a space agency in the early 1960s, but unfortunately, due to policy discontinuity and instability, we could not maintain our leadership, he said and added that now, the government is committed to reclaiming Pakistan’s lost position in space exploration.
Ahsan Iqbal mentioned the severe challenges Pakistan face, as evidenced by the devastating floods that affected millions of people and caused billions of dollars in damages.
He stressed the importance of embracing modern technologies to tackle these challenges.
He explained that space technologies could play a transformative role in combating climate threats in Pakistan. Earth observation satellites help monitor glaciers, deforestation, and land use, providing valuable data to predict climatic threats, allowing for better decision-making and damage prevention.
Minister Iqbal highlighted that space-based communication systems significantly enhance our warning systems and disaster response capabilities, ensuring timely alerts and relief reach those in need.
He stressed that these initiatives would make Pakistan better prepared to face the challenges of climate change and called on the public to renew their commitment to harness technology for a sustainable future.
Ahsan said, “We need to promote the “Knowledge Economy” for enhancing value added sectors and innovation in local products to achieve the objective of the Export led economy.”