PU sets up Climate Change Awareness Centre: Climate change affecting agriculture, livestock sectors: minister

Punjab Minister for Livestock and Dairy Development Sardar Hasnain Bahadur Dreshak has said that climate change is adversely affecting agriculture and livestock sectors by reducing their production and we need to develop an integrated strategy for combating the negative effects of changing environments.

He was addressing the inauguration ceremony of Climate Change Awareness Centre set up by Punjab University Institute of Agricultural Sciences here on Tuesday. PU Vice Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmad, Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Saleem Mazhar, IAGS Director Prof Dr Saleem Haider, faculty members and a number of students participated in the ceremony.

In his address, Sardar Hasnain Bahadur Dreshak said that there were many solutions to agriculture and livestock sectors to control environmental pollution but these were not economically viable for our local farmers.

He urged the teachers and students to find out solutions to control environmental pollution as well as could also overcome economic problems being faced by agriculture and livestock sectors.

He said that we must conserve water and enhance its efficiency for its wise utilization. We need to train our children to combat climate challenges.

PU VC Prof Niaz Ahmad suggested establishment of an integrated centre consisting of experts from environmental, biological, engineering and agricultural sciences to cope with climate challenges. He said the use of chemicals in agriculture contaminated underground water, food and environment. He said that emissions of various gasses are destroying the ozone layer.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019