RAWALAKOT (Kashmir English): University of Poonch Rawalakot, in collaboration with the Progressive Climate Foundation (PCF) Kashmir Chapter, organized an awareness seminar on the pressing issue of climate change and its impact on human life.
The event was hosted by the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.
Registrar University of Poonch Rawalakot, Prof. Dr. Abdul Rauf Khan; Dean Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Prof. Dr. Shahid Iqbal Awan; and Chairman Department of Allied Health Sciences, Dr. Muhammad Usman, addressed the seminar.
Visible indicators of climate change
Prof. Dr. Abdul Rauf Khan, in his detailed remarks, said that Pakistan is facing extraordinary climatic challenges, including sudden rains, cloudbursts, floods, landslides, droughts, and severe heatwaves, all of which are visible indicators of climate change.
He stressed that rising global temperatures caused by greenhouse gases and carbon emissions are the root cause of these problems.
Unless society transitions towards renewable energy and alternative sources, he warned, the crisis will worsen. He added that floods have already destroyed several villages and towns across Pakistan, which is both an environmental disaster and a major human survival challenge.
He called for a serious discourse on the issue to develop effective strategies for mitigation, and congratulated the organizers for holding a timely and meaningful seminar.
Prof. Dr. Shahid Iqbal Awan said climate change is a grave threat to humanity, with Pakistan and Azad Kashmir among the worst-affected regions.
He urged that climate awareness and practical responses be made part of the curriculum so the younger generation can effectively face this challenge.
Dr. Muhammad Usman thanked the leadership of PCF and emphasized the importance of continuing such awareness programs in the future to mobilize public understanding and collective environmental action.
The seminar concluded with a consensus among the speakers that climate change is not just a scientific or environmental issue, but a question of human life and survival requiring urgent collective efforts.
