Feb 09, 2011

Sindh: UN Official Laments Post-Flood Conditions in Sindh


The Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Christiana Figueres, warns that investment in flood devastated Sindh remains necessary in order to end the suffering and prevent similar disasters in the future.

Below is an article published by The International News: 

The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Christiana Figueres lamented the fact that millions of people were still displaced in Sindh, following the devastating floods that ravaged large parts of the province.

 Speaking at the WWF Wetland Centre at Sandspit after visiting flood hit areas including Dadu and Sehwan, Figueres said she had learnt that thousands of people were still living in camps and they have not been able to go back to their homes, adding that unfortunately, the media is no longer focusing on the post-flood scenario. 

She said that the situation in Sindh still required the attention of the global community and urged it to go beyond the relief and recovery phase and help reconstruct the devastated areas.

 The UN official believed that due to climate change, more floods were possible in future and it was imperative that the reconstruction phase was carried out on a sustainable basis.

 Felicitating the efforts of the WWF, IUCN and Government of Sindh to protect coastal areas through mangrove plantation, she pointed out that such areas were more vulnerable to climate change. Figueres said mangrove forests prevent damage caused by cyclones and sea intrusion and highlighted the need to adopting appropriate measures to counter natural disasters. 

The UN official also visited various parts of the wetlands centre and planted saplings of mangroves and released a turtle into the sea. 

Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister on Planning & Development Department Qaiser Bengali, Secretary Forest and Wildlife Mushtaque Ali Memon, Syed Mujtaba Hussain Deputy Secretary (Climate Change) Ministry of Environment, Deputy Director General WWF Dr. Ejaz Ahmed, Regional Director WWF Rab Nawaz, Country Representative IUCN Shah Murad Aliani, Nasir Ali Panhwar, Umeed Khalid and Marriyum Aurangzeb from WWF were also present on the occasion.