‘Water is the new gold’: Senator Sherry Rehman warns of dire climate consequences at KLF

Senator and climate advocate Sherry Rehman sounded the alarm on the climate crisis as well as the water emergency facing Pakistan, during an opening session on day two of the 16th edition of Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) at Beach Luxury Hotel.

Citing how “water is the new gold,” Rehman warned how Pakistan is already water scarce at a time when temperatures are also rising. Pakistan especially needs to be cognizant as it remains one of the largest consumers of water per capita, she added.

“Water is not infinite,” she warned.

Rehman was speaking at a session titled, ‘Creating Resilience through Climate Change Education’ – only one of the speakers scheduled to speak at KLF that will conclude on Sunday.

She reminded audiences of Karachi’s propensity to climate extremities – being a coastal city – and warned how climate change and catastrophes create a new layer of inequality within the social structure.

Rehman told the audience how areas like Thatta and Badin are some of the hottest places on the planet, experiencing temperatures of 53 degrees centigrade which is not fit for human habitation.

For the record, globally, cities like Toronto and New York sound the alarm when temperatures reach 40 degrees centigrade.

16th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) contemplates national identity on opening day

The conversation veered towards individual responsibility and how the Indus River – the main source of freshwater in Pakistan – is badly polluted, and how the country only recycles 1% of its waste.

However, she added how citizens in Pakistan are independently accessing green energy.

Rehman lauded the “solar revolution” currently underway in Pakistan, citing how “an enabling policy known as net metering has driven this change.”

“In just one year we have built one-third of our capacity by importing panels from China,” adding how there is no reason why Pakistan cannot meet their climate goals by 2060.

She also reminded the audience where the onus on government lies, saying “democracy only works if you demand it,” reminding citizens not to be passive and to demand the change they want to see.

“The 1% – the audience sitting at KLF – are influencers, as I see it, and perfectly equipped with resources and knowledge to carry out change,” she said.

“For most of the 20th century humanity was linear, it is time to now be circular, giving back to the soil and the water,” she added.

She also spoke about the importance of educating the younger generation on how to be better stewards of the planet, citing that it is them who will have to bear the burden of coming up with solutions.

“Young people is where the journey to transformative action lies,” she said, citing how Karachi can especially be a unique hotbed for climate solutions and innovations.

“Children are powerhouses for the future. if we are able to ingrain in them the value, resource and intrinsic nature of fragility that the planet is facing today, then half the job is done.”