KARACHI: WWF-Pakistan organised a workshop on Climate Change Education, Training, and Public Awareness at the Beach Luxury Hotel, Karachi. The aim of the workshop was to highlight the implementation status of the province’s climate change-related awareness policies, plans, and programs; identifying gaps and carving out targeted solutions.
The scheduled interactive working group sessions with experts and participants culminated in the formulation of Sindh-specific critical pathways for the enhancement of education, training, and public awareness. This was the final workshop from a series of events organised at the provincial level, under the TNC.
At the beginning of the event, Director General, National Institute of Oceanography, Dr. Samina Kidwai shared a comprehensive overview of climate change and oceans and said, “There is a strong linkage between oceans and climate change; oftentimes an overlooked issue. It is critical for us to act on it immediately.”
In his welcome note, Senior Director Programmes, WWF-Pakistan, Dr. Masood Arshad, emphasised, “At present, it is common knowledge that climate change has severe impacts on Pakistan, we must now look towards solution and adaptation.” Talking about the Third National Communication process, he highlighted the roles of the various implementing partners and underscored the importance of reporting requirements to the UNFCCC.
Ms. Nazifa Butt, Senior Manager Climate and Energy Program, WWF-Pakistan briefed the participants on the preparation underway for the TNC. Chief Advisor, Curriculum Wing with the Education and Literacy Department, Government of Sindh, Dr. Fouzia Khan, presented the current implementation efforts on education, training, and public awareness of Climate Change in the province, highlighting progress & gaps.
She observed that the Education & Literacy Department understands the learning losses that arise from climate-related emergencies, and is actively pursuing the design of a DRR curriculum framework. She further noted that the building of curriculum alone will serve little to no purpose unless there are adequate teacher training programs to ensure content is delivered effectively.
In his closing remarks the Director Operations, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Sindh Mr. Imdad Hussain Siddiqui stated that, “The Third National Communication is a critical effort to report on the climate change issues in Pakistan, and provide an important basis for formulation of our Nationally Determined Contributions”. He congratulated the organisers for conducting the workshop successfully and involving key stakeholders.
The one-day event was attended by members from relevant local-level government bodies, NGOs/CBOs, academia, the corporate sector, and media personnel.
