Paradigm Shift is an official staff account.
As an annual flagship event of the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), the Regional Dialogue 2024 on “Climate Crisis: Shaping South Asia’s Resilience” served as a platform for diplomats, policymakers, scholars, and researchers to collaboratively deliberate on pressing issues facing South Asia. Among the speakers at the event were DG (ISSI) Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, former foreign minister, Inam Ul Haque, current foreign minister, Jalil Abbas Jilani, and Aisha Khan of the Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change.
On January 23rd, President Dr. Arif Alvi delivered a compelling address at the event, shedding light on the critical role of modern agriculture practices, technology, and strategic decision-making in mitigating the climate crisis.
President Alvi emphasized the need for upgrading the agriculture sector in the midst of the climate crisis, citing Pakistan’s abundance of water resources and possibilities for renewable energy. With more than 150 million acre-feet of water resources available, he suggested gradually moving away from flood irrigation and implementing sophisticated irrigation methods like spray and drip irrigation. In order to effectively conserve water, he emphasized the need for the national water policy to be implemented, along with related legislation and a pricing system.
President Alvi addressed environmental issues such as the uncontrolled drainage of 400 million gallons of water per day in Karachi and the use of prohibited fishing nets, which lead to a loss of marine life and trade restrictions. Drawing comparisons with countries such as the Netherlands and Vietnam, he envisaged Pakistan boosting its agricultural exports through conformity to global norms and contemporary practices.
The former, which is 19 times smaller than Pakistan, rose to become the second-largest global food provider because it was able to utilize its agricultural and marine potential. Calling for the widespread promotion of modern agricultural technology, President Alvi highlighted Pakistan’s capacity to make substantial contributions to global food production.
Commending the nation’s success in combating COVID-19 through data-driven approaches and national unity, he urged Pakistan to serve as a global example. President Alvi also encouraged the harnessing of solar energy for sustainable power solutions and commended think tanks, like the Institute of Regional Studies, for their invaluable research contributions. He urged these institutions to disseminate their findings to benefit policymakers.
At the end of the event, Ambassador Nadeem Riyaz, the president of the IRS, underscored the institute’s focus on regional countries and its pivotal role in providing actionable insights to policymakers. He highlighted the vulnerability of South Asia to climate change, affecting the region’s ecosystem, food security, and energy landscape.
If you want to submit your articles, research papers, and book reviews, please check the Submissions page.
The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
