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- May 24, 2024
- Kainat Shakeel
- 0
ISLAMABAD: The Climate Change Ministry announced on Thursday that the first wave of the intense heatwave, which has been plaguing almost 26 districts of the nation since May 21, will continue until May 30 and be followed by two more heatwaves in June. The ministry attributed the extreme weather to deforestation and unsustainable environmental practices. Romina Khurshid Alam, the PM’s coordinator on climate change, addressed a press conference alongside senior representatives from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and urged the federal and provincial government departments to mobilize available resources to protect citizens—especially the elderly and children—from the intense heat.
Romina Alam stated that most locations’ temperatures were currently 5 to 6 degrees Celsius above average, citing statistics from the Pakistan Meteorological Department. 26 districts in Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan were under extreme heatwave conditions, she disclosed. These circumstances were predicted to last for three waves of the summer. Additional waves would follow in early and late June, with the first wave occurring from May 22–30. She stated that the third heatwave would occur in the final week of June, and the second heatwave would occur between June 7 and 8, according to the state-run APP.
She said, “The nation is experiencing a severe heatwave, and this is just the beginning.” She said, “High atmospheric pressure is aggravating these conditions, negatively affecting our nation’s socioeconomic activities.” The PM’s aide was joined by Idrees Mahsud, the NDMA’s Member for Disaster Risk Reduction, and technical expert Dr. Tayyab. They emphasized the significance of early warning systems and comprehensive guidelines that have been distributed to prevent heat wave-related casualties, similar to those that occurred during the deadly 2015 heat wave that claimed nearly 2,500 lives.
Ms. Alam emphasized that deforestation and other unsustainable environmental practices aggravated the dilemma of heat waves, which were mostly driven by human activity. “These frequent and intense heat waves are a result of global warming, which is affecting the entire planet,” the speaker stated. “Public awareness campaigns to educate people on health risks and preventive measures are ongoing through various media outlets.” She called for immediate action to stop heat wave casualties and advised everyone to stay indoors when not needed, especially small children, the elderly, and people with major medical concerns. To manage natural catastrophes and tragedies, the NDMA was aggressively working on early warnings and cooperating with provincial ministries.