Pakistani Educational Leadership Project at Plymouth State University

My Fifth Event of Action Plan

Miss Sadia Shaukat (PELI 2008)

A Talk on Climate Change and its Impact

After implementing the awareness campaign, environmental strategies, seminar on environmental awareness and education and poster competition on the different themes of environment. Miss Sadia Shaukat (Peli 2008) successfully arranged “A Talk on Climate Change and its  Impact” on 19^th March-2009 in Township Campus, University of Education. She introduced the theme.

Climate change is one of the biggest issues facing the world today. Climate change refers to a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods. She explained more that how it is affecting on the different components of human survival.

• Impact of climate change on human health
• Impact of climate change on ecosystem
• Impact of climate change on mountains
• Impact of climate change on agriculture (plants ,crops and vegetation)
• Impact of climate change on natural resources (water ,energy and temperature)

Purpose of the talk

The purpose of this talk was to highlight the reasons of climate change and its impact of human survival. What are the adaptation measures to cope up this situation? What is the role of community to save the nature?

Participants

Students from different disciplines, Msc mathematics, Msc Chemistry, Msc Physics, B.S.Ed, and BSc B.Ed participated in this talk.

First Resource Person

Aneel Salman, is a Fulbright Scholar pursuing his doctorate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. His areas of research include Climate Change Economics, Welfare and Behavioral Economics, Public Policy
and Conflict Management. His present research focuses on climate change adaptation in developing countries, with a regional focus on South Asia.  He is also a visiting Research Fellow at Center for Public Policy and Governance, Forman Christian University, Lahore, Pakistan.

The topic of his talk was “Climate crisis in Pakistan-A behavioral approach” and the session was a very interactive one. Mr. Salman shared his extensive experience and knowledge on the topic which is still a new topic of discussion in Pakistan. Students showed a lot of interest in the topic and were deeply engaged in the discussion.

He discussed:

The impact of climate change on Pakistan is likely to be severe. It would
be accompanied by major environmental and social disruption which would
have a negative impact on human development indicators. Sixty-five
percent of Pakistan’s population, and two-thirds of its poor, live in rural areas. These areas will be the ones most affected by climate change and they will also be the most difficult to assess, plan for, and administer. Agricultural employment and income would be badly disrupted. Those with inadequate incomes will be most vulnerable to sea level rise, water shortages, and the intensification of storms. In the decades to come much of the coastal areas of Pakistan will be submerged, water shortages will result from disappearing glaciers, and agricultural production will almost certainly be disrupted. These changes could lead to political instability, security concerns, and conflicts with
neighboring countries. There is already a growing gap between rich and
poor in Pakistan and climate change is likely to make this gap worse unless pre-emptive steps are taken. But how does a developing country like Pakistan cope with future changes that are generally known but only vaguely understood in terms of timing and severity? One way to begin is to consider the basic human needs of the local people, and how the provision of these basic needs will be affected by climate change.

Even if strict mitigation initiatives are quickly put in place, the human species faces an unprecedented challenge in adapting to a new and unknown climate regime. But climate change policy can learn much from new initiatives in behavioral economics and new approaches to human development. Climate change adaptation will depend critically on cooperation among countries regions and individuals. Behavioral science has shown that competition and material accumulation are only one part of the richness of human behavioral patterns. Policies built on types of
behavior conducive to cooperation, placing less emphasis on material possessions, and recognizing the necessity of shared sacrifice, are more likely to be successful in meeting the climate change challenge. It is this evolutionary heritage that holds promise for more humane development policies and for meeting the unprecedented challenges humankind will face in the coming decades.

He was very energetic and competent about the theme of discussion,climate change. His session was very interactive and students participated in discussion with full devotion. Students raised very inquisitive and important questions relevant to the theme. Some students decided to make their research project on this theme.

Second resource person

Second resource person was Mr.Ali Hassan Habib. He is the director general of WWF. His lecture was on “Climate Change impacts in Pakistan and some recommendations for adaptation measures.”

Firstly he introduced WWF and how it is working for the conservation of natural resources (priority for mountain/coniferous forest, riverrine, mangrove) and climate change adaptation for selected areas of high ecological significance (Alpine pastures, glaciers, natural forests and coastal areas).

He also described the global warming, rising temperature, rising sea level. He highlighted on global glacial mass balance (annual and cumulative change).His session was very eye catching with the pictorial presentation of some natural scenes. He showed the various glaciers situation in Pakistan through bar charts and graphs.

Concluding session

Dr Saeed Akhtar (Registrar of University of Education) concluded the both sessions of resource persons and summarized the concepts of climate change and being a responsible citizen how we can take part a crucial role for saving our planet with out climate hazards.

Miss Sadia (PELI 2008) with DG WWF and her Students

On 5^th March 2009 the air was filled with voices, these were of students and the organizer (AROONA HASHMI).There was happiness everywhere the students co-operating with the organizer and helping and completing the orders of the organizer. Despite the end of semester the students were readily available all the time pasting posters and giving out logos.The final touches were made and Institute of Education and Research. University of The Punjab was ready to campaign for greenery survival. The ceremony started at 11.00 AM with the recitation of Holy Quran and the Naat khuwanee.

Aroona Hashmi presented the theme of her master action plan. She explained:

a) What is environmental literacy?

b) How it should be promoted by prospective teachers?

c) What criteria’s are to be met to meet the standards of environmental education?

The forest department of the Punjab government and IER (almost50 faculty members and 200 students) helped made this plantation day and opening of Nature Savior club a success. The students enthusiastically spread pamphlets and awareness was campaigned in two campuses of Punjab University (old and new campus). The most special aspect of this ceremony was the tree planted by BEENA and AROONA. Blake this a recognition for the project PELI you have started.

After the plantation event in which students as well as teachers planted trees and vowing to help save nature. Tea break was held and then Aroona thanked the Dean, Director who gave her the opportunity to save the nature. Then she thanked the chairpersons and colleagues who helped her in one way or the other.

Aroona gave special thanks to ITA and PSU for making this master action plan possible. She thanked the forest department for helping and providing an opportunity to the students and teachers for planting a tree and trying to save Mother Nature. Then she gave her hearty thanks to the students whom she considered her strength. And a round
of applause was asked for the enthusiastic students of fine arts department. The ceremony ended and was a huge success with media coverage from (GEO, EXPRESS NEWS, CITY 42,) channels.

I fequently visiting your club website being a member. You are doing really amazing, and these activities are really good for the children. Your role and achievements are real motivation for all the teachers of the Pakistan.
As you are aware i started five days volunteery work with the students in Norther Pakistan for each moth related to environmental education. it will be great if you get provide me an oppurtunity to spend one day with your students in April but keep it in mind i will be available only on saturdays. It will be a sort of a activity based learning oppurtunity for the students with special focus on the awareness of natural resources of their surroundings (flora and fauna). see it how you could fit it in your plan and then let me inform.
Once again congratulations to your and to your family too.

Best of luck,

Muhammad Waseem