tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post4378394279612789985..comments2024-03-27T15:36:44.737-07:00Comments on Haq's Musings: Pakistan's Agenda at COP26 Climate Conference in GlasgowRiaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-17409932804235860732023-11-12T18:40:59.793-08:002023-11-12T18:40:59.793-08:00Pakistan is planting lots of mangrove forests – so...Pakistan is planting lots of mangrove forests – so why are some upset? : NPR<br /><br /><br /><br />https://www.npr.org/2023/11/10/1208201179/pakistan-is-planting-lots-of-mangrove-forests-so-why-are-some-upset<br /><br /><br />KETI BANDAR, Pakistan — Wildlife ranger Mohammad Jamali boats through mangrove forests of the Indus River Delta, the terminus of a curly waterway that begins thousands of miles upstream in the Himalayas. Birds flutter in and out. Insects dart around mangrove roots that poke like fingers out of the mud. It looks ancient, but this part of the forest is only 5 years old.<br /><br />"We planted this," says Jamali, 28-years-old. We — rangers of the wildlife department of the government of the southern Pakistani province of Sindh, and locals of nearby fishing communities.<br /><br />This forest in southern Pakistan is part of one of the world's largest mangrove restoration projects, covering much of the vast delta, an area nearly the size of Rhode Island. These trees, which exist in slivers between sea and land, are powerhouses of sucking up the carbon dioxide that is dangerously heating up the planet.<br /><br /><br /><br />"They do this very big job per hectare," says Catherine Lovelock, an expert on coastal ecology. Mangroves capture, or sequester, carbon dioxide "through their roots and into the soil, as well as above ground," she says.<br /><br />This mangrove reforestation effort alone in the Indus Delta is expected to absorb anestimated 142 million tons of carbon dioxide over the next sixty years. It's a test case for restoration, and planting mangroves at this scale might help the fight to curb planetary warming.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />----<br /><br />In Pakistan, some environmentalists say without carbon credits, this massive reforestation project wouldn't have happened. They say the government was incentivized to support it. Instead of having to find the budget to do this, the government is being paid proceeds from carbon credit sales.<br /><br />So far, Delta Blue Carbon has sold two batches of credits, most recently in June. It's made the provincial government around $40 million so far, according to local media outlet Arab News. It's big money in a poor country.<br /><br />"It is paying money. It is generating revenue," says ecologist Rafiul Haq who consulted on the mangrove project. Haq says without that revenue stream, the government would be under pressure to let developers in, for shrimp farms or for seaside homes.<br /><br />Haq says there's another benefit: auditors must evaluate the company's progress before they can sell more carbon credits, which means the mangrove forests are nurtured and protected, and the company has to show local communities are benefiting. "This is a blessing for us," Haq says. "We have to present ourselves as the good boy," he laughs.<br /><br />-----------<br /><br />To other environmentalists, the mangrove project is "carbon colonialism."<br /><br />"I don't begrudge anyone, especially in areas like these, for taking money for large scale restoration projects like this," says Polly Hemming, director of the climate and energy program of the progressive think tank, the Australia Institute. But she says, "it's just another form of carbon colonialism. Like, we'll give you some money to restore your land," and then, sell "your credits to a polluter so they can continue emitting."<br /><br /><br /><br />Underscoring that argument, Hemming pointed to one of the key purchasers of these carbon credits is one of the world's largest fossil fuel trading companies, Trafigura. It is also one of the world's largest traders of carbon credits. Through a spokesperson, the company declined to comment for this story.<br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-45987709595472896422023-07-21T16:34:40.999-07:002023-07-21T16:34:40.999-07:00LONGi and Nimir Energy Forge Strategic Partnership...LONGi and Nimir Energy Forge Strategic Partnership to Advance Solar Energy Solutions in Pakistan<br /><br />https://solarquarter.com/2023/07/20/longi-and-nimir-energy-forge-strategic-partnership-to-advance-solar-energy-solutions-in-pakistan/<br /><br /><br />LONGi and Nimir Energy announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at fostering collaboration in the development and deployment of solar energy solutions. This strategic partnership marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of sustainable and clean energy sources to meet Pakistan’s growing energy demand.<br /><br />Under the terms of the MOU, Nimir Energy and LONGi will work together to explore opportunities and synergies in solar energy projects and capacity-building initiatives. The collaboration will leverage Nimir Energy’s expertise in project development and LONGi’s cutting-edge solar technology to drive the adoption of renewable energy in pan-Pakistan, pushing the government’s intent to promote solar.<br /><br />Nimir Energy is part of Nimir Group, providing services in renewable energy with a primary focus on solar EPC for industrial, commercial and residential users. Nimir Group has been serving Pakistan and its business community since 1964 with a diversified range of products.<br /><br /><br />With climate action in full swing, Nimir would like to play a positive role in bringing in the right resources to ensure Pakistan’s transition to clean and sustainable energy. The company’s commitment to sustainable development aligns perfectly with LONGi’s vision to enable the world to transition to a low-carbon future through its industry-leading solar products and solutions.<br /><br /><br />LONGi, renowned for its high-efficiency solar modules and advanced photovoltaic technology, has emerged as a global leader in the solar industry. By joining forces with Nimir Energy, the company aims to expand its reach and accelerate the development of solar energy projects in key markets around the world.<br /><br />“We are delighted to enter into this strategic partnership with LONGi, a company that shares our commitment to advancing renewable energy solutions,” said Waqas Ahmed Rana, COO of Nimir Energy. “Through this collaboration, we will combine our strengths and resources to drive innovation and promote the widespread adoption of solar energy, contributing to a more sustainable future.”<br /><br />“LONGi is excited to join forces with Nimir Energy, a respected player in the renewable energy sector,” stated Ali Majid, Country head, Sales of LONGi. “Together, we can unlock new opportunities and create lasting impact by accelerating the deployment of solar energy projects worldwide. This collaboration exemplifies our dedication to addressing the challenges of climate change through technology innovation and sustainable business practices.”<br /><br /><br />With 90 terawatt-hours of total energy needed, Pakistan ranks among the top countries with huge potential for solar energy. Rising electricity prices and instability in the grid have added further to the woes of the average Pakistani consumer. LONGi envisions solving this problem by providing a cost-effective and high-quality solution to the public at large. As the biggest panel manufacturer in the world, LONGi plans to cater to all kinds of consumers with a focus on industrial users to provide services unparalleled in the market.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-31291650702194871312023-07-01T08:56:24.413-07:002023-07-01T08:56:24.413-07:00WAPDA & Al Maktoum's private office join h...WAPDA & Al Maktoum's private office join hands for solar power development in Pakistan<br /><br /><br />https://www.globalvillagespace.com/wapda-al-maktoums-private-office-join-hands-for-solar-power-development-in-pakistan/<br /><br /><br />Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and the Private Office of Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum have signed two strategic memorandum of understanding (MoUs) for the development of a floating solar power project of up to 1000MW on existing water reservoirs and the rehabilitation, upgradation, and capacity enhancement of four hydro power projects in Pakistan.<br /><br />Chairman Lt. Gen. Sajjad Ghani (Retd) of WAPDA and Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum expressed their mutual interest and enthusiasm to collaborate on future, long-term projects in Pakistan’s energy sector, with a specific focus on developing renewable energy solutions.<br /><br />The MoUs aim to create a cooperative framework between the Private Office and WAPDA, facilitating collaboration and exploration of investment opportunities in Pakistan’s energy sector, particularly focusing on WAPDA’s small hydro power projects.<br /><br />Read more: CPEC’s first hydropower plant in Pakistan begins full operations<br /><br />Both parties have agreed to collaborate on upgrading and rehabilitating hydro power projects in Renala, Rasul, Chichokimalian, and Nandipur.<br /><br />The parties have mutually agreed to collaborate in assessing the technical and economic feasibility of these projects, as well as formulating an implementation plan.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-23592638884756133282023-06-22T10:51:41.849-07:002023-06-22T10:51:41.849-07:00Dasu Hydropower Project: Stage 1 of concrete Start...Dasu Hydropower Project: Stage 1 of concrete Starter Dam completed<br /><br /><br />https://www.nation.com.pk/22-Jun-2023/dasu-hydropower-project-stage-1-of-concrete-starter-dam-completed<br /><br />In a major development towards implementation of Dasu Hydropower Project, Stage 1 of the concrete Starter Dam has been completed upstream of Main Dam site.<br /><br />As per the design, the Starter Dam for Dasu Hydropower Project is to be completed in two stages; Stage 1 up to elevation of 785 meters while Stage 2 up to elevation of 798 meters above mean sea level, said a spokesperson WAPDA here. The Stage 1 of the concrete Starter Dam was completed in June this year before the high flow season – a major landmark which the project team successfully achieved, the spokesperson said.<br /><br />As the high flow season has started, River Indus is flowing through the two diversion tunnels completed earlier this year, while some of the river water is overtopping the concrete Starter Dam as designed.<br /><br />After the high flow season in October this year, the construction of the Starter Dam’s Stage 2 will be carried out. The Stage 2 is scheduled for completion during the coming low flow season. The project is being constructed across the River Indus, upstream of Dasu Town in Upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The 4,320-MW-Dasu Hydropower Project is planned to be completed in two stages. At present, WAPDA is constructing its stage-I with installed generation capacity of 2,160-MW and annual energy generation of 12 billion units. Stage-I of the project is likely to start electricity generation in 2026. The 2,160-MW stage-II, when implemented, will also provide 9 billion units to the national grid. On completion of the both stages, Dasu will become the project with highest annual energy generation in Pakistan i.e. 21 billion units per annum on the average. The project will commence by end 2026. It is worth mentioning here that in February this year, Dasu Hydropower Project crossed a major milestone as the River Indus was successfully diverted following completion of a 1.33-kilometre long diversion tunnel.<br /><br /><br />Following the completion of one of the two diversion tunnels, the River Indus was successfully diverted to the completed tunnel. Instead of its natural course, the River Indus is now flowing through a 1.33-kilometer long diversion tunnel with 20-metre width and 23-metre height. Consequently, construction activities have been initiated on the starter dam, leading towards construction of the main dam of Dasu Hydropower Project.<br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-53167151605389999192023-06-17T10:04:57.026-07:002023-06-17T10:04:57.026-07:00Pakistan will add up to 10 GW of new hydropower ca...Pakistan will add up to 10 GW of new hydropower capacity by 2030 | Enerdata<br /><br />https://www.enerdata.net/publications/daily-energy-news/pakistan-will-add-10-gw-new-hydropower-capacity-2030.html<br /><br />In July 2022, Pakistan commissioned the 720 MW Karot hydropower plant, one of five projects on the Jhelum River (northern Pakistan), alongside the Azad Pattan plant (700 MW), the Mangla Dam (1.1 GW), the Neelum-Jehlum plant (969 MW) and the Kohala plant (1.1 GW).<br /><br />----------<br /><br />700MW Azad Pattan hydropower project ready for construction: Energy China - Profit by Pakistan Today<br /><br />https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/06/14/700mw-azad-pattan-hydropower-project-ready-for-construction-energy-china/<br /><br />Wang Huihua, Managing Director of China Energy Int’l Group’s Pakistan Branch, announced that the 700-megawatt Azad Pattan hydropower project, run by Energy China, is ready for construction after the completion of a feasibility study and land acquisition.<br /><br />Wang made these remarks at the ‘Pakistan Energy Sector Landscape: Challenges & Opportunities’ conference held at NUST University, Islamabad.<br /><br />He explained that the project would provide cheap, clean energy to Pakistan. “We have been developing this project for six years. We hope the government will give it more priority in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative to expedite financial closure,” he said.<br /><br />He further stated that Energy China believed that investing in renewable energy in Pakistan was financially viable. “We are committed to setting up our long-term operation in Pakistan and investing more,” he said.<br /><br />He highlighted that China Energy Engineering Corp. (Energy China) has been present in Pakistan for the past 20 years. “Energy China considers Pakistan as its favored investment destination,” he added.<br /><br />Wang also pointed out some of the challenges faced by foreign investors in Pakistan, underscoring the importance of resolving them quickly to foster win-win cooperation.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-45881648601774704412023-06-13T22:00:56.971-07:002023-06-13T22:00:56.971-07:00CPEC Suki Kinari project nears completion | The Ma...CPEC Suki Kinari project nears completion | The Manila Times<br /><br />https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/06/12/business/foreign-business/cpec-suki-kinari-project-nears-completion/1895652<br /><br />The Suki Kinari Hydropower project in northwest Pakistan achieved the hoisting of a core component on Saturday, as a 413-ton rotor, crucial to turning water into electricity, was smoothly installed on the last of four generating units.<br /><br />The successful hoisting of the last rotor will help advance the construction progress of the power station under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), located in the Mansehra district of the South Asian country's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.<br /><br />Noting the hoisting of the last rotor as a key milestone of the 884-megawatt hydropower project, Yu Zhiliang, assistant general manager of the Suki Kinari Hydropower project of the Overseas Investment Co. of China Gezhouba Group, which invests in and implements the project, said that it marks the installation of the unit body of the hydropower station is coming to an end.<br /><br />It is also a solid step for the waterless commissioning of four generating units in the coming six months, said Yu.<br /><br />The hydropower project started construction in January 2017. Once getting functional, the CPEC project will annually generate some 3.21 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity, replacing 1.28 million tons of coal and reducing 2.52 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, said Yu.<br /><br /><br /><br />It will significantly optimize Pakistan's energy structure, boosting the country's economic and social development, he added.<br /><br />Launched in 2013, the CPEC is a corridor linking Pakistan's Gwadar port with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, highlighting energy, transport and industrial cooperation.<br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-59802192415637182992023-06-13T21:41:58.578-07:002023-06-13T21:41:58.578-07:00Pakistan among 26 countries which added over 1,000...Pakistan among 26 countries which added over 1,000 MW of solar electricity in 2022<br /><br />https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/06/13/spain-germany-poland-which-european-countries-added-the-most-solar-power-in-2022<br /><br />Where are the major solar countries?<br />More countries than ever are real “solar contenders”, the report shows.<br /><br />In 2022, the number of major solar countries - defined as those installing at least 1 GW annually - grew from 12 to 26. By 2025, the report predicts that more than 50 countries will be installing more than 1 GW of solar per year.<br /><br />European countries make up 12 of the solar heavyweights, led by Spain, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and Italy.<br /><br />Poland’s solar development has flown past expectations. It’s mostly due to a surge in small rooftop ‘prosumer’ systems that enable homeowners to be rewarded for producing as well as consuming energy.<br /><br />Ranked by the amount of extra solar they installed last year, here is the full list of the 26 major solar powers:<br /><br />1. China<br />2. US<br />3. India<br />4. Brazil<br />5. Spain<br />6. Germany<br />7. Japan<br />8. Poland<br />9. The Netherlands<br />10. Australia<br />11. South Korea<br />12. Italy<br />13. France<br />14. Taiwan<br />15. Chile<br />16. Denmark<br />17. Turkiye<br />18. Greece<br />19. South Africa<br />20. Austria<br />21. UK<br />22. Mexico<br />23. Hungary<br />24. Pakistan<br />25. Israel<br />26. SwitzerlandRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-40017473623073136992023-02-17T08:09:08.792-08:002023-02-17T08:09:08.792-08:00In mid-March 2022, Innovate Educate & Inspire ...In mid-March 2022, Innovate Educate & Inspire Pakistan (IEI), a nonprofit organization that works to make high-quality education accessible in the rural northeastern Gilgit Baltistan region, launched the country’s first-ever climate education program for teachers. The region is particularly vulnerable to climate change due to rapidly melting glaciers, and locals have struggled to find economically viable ways to adapt.<br /><br />https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/02/17/pakistan-floods-climate-change-adaptation-education-language-accessibility-global-south/<br /><br />Seven educators from across the country took part in the program, which equipped them with the resources to teach children from sixth to eighth grade about climate change and climate action in their schools by translating materials into local languages and engaging in play-based activities. The program was the first of its kind in a country that would months later be reeling from a summer of deadly super floods.<br /><br />Those floods were one reason that state parties to last year’s United Nations climate change conference in Egypt, known as COP27, approved the creation of a loss and damage fund. Though rich countries had for decades shunned the prospect, Pakistan and other vulnerable countries in the global south helped move climate reparations into the mainstream conversation.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-21111484751897576832022-12-27T10:22:22.232-08:002022-12-27T10:22:22.232-08:00Green investment on rise, Pakistan to get 30 % ren...Green investment on rise, Pakistan to get 30 % renewable energy - Pakistan Observer<br /><br />https://pakobserver.net/green-investment-on-rise-pakistan-to-get-30-renewable-energy/<br /><br /><br />Until now, renewable energy sources make up a very minor fraction of Pakistan’s overall power generation mix. According to a recent report of the National Electric Power Regulatovry Authority, the installed capacity for wind and solar accounts for roughly 4.2% (1,831 MW) and 1.4% (630 MW) of a total of 43,775 MW, respectively.<br /><br />China is already the biggest investor in green energy in Pakistan. Currently, out of the $144 million in foreign investment in solar PV plants in Pakistan, $125 million is from China, accounting for nearly 87% of the total.<br /><br />Thanks to Chinese investments, a few weeks ago Federal Power Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan inaugurated two new wind energy projects in Jhimpir, Thatta District, Sindh, with an aim to produce cheaper and clean electricity through indigenous energy sources. Wind projects in this region have been one of several renewable energy projects to have received Chinese investment in recent years. Around 90 kilometers from Karachi, Jhimpir is the heartland of the country’s largest ‘Wind corridor’, which has the potential to produce 11,000 megawatts (MW) of energy from green resources.<br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-70406116618940872282022-11-28T07:26:23.844-08:002022-11-28T07:26:23.844-08:00How Pakistan emerged as a climate champion
A count...How Pakistan emerged as a climate champion<br />A country not known for leadership at home provides some abroad<br /><br />https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/11/24/how-pakistan-emerged-as-a-climate-champion<br /><br />Pakistan is not often praised for its leadership. Yet its climate change minister, Sherry Rehman, was one of the star turns at the un climate talks held in Sharm el-Sheikh last week. At the helm of the “g77+China” negotiating group of developing countries, Ms Rehman won plaudits for shepherding a new deal to channel money from rich countries to poor ones that have suffered climate-related disasters. It was the annual climate jamboree’s single main achievement.<br /><br />Ms Rehman, a former journalist, information minister and ambassador to America, blends well-heeled glamour and toughness. A rare champion of Pakistani liberalism, the 61-year-old Karachiite is known for her fights against honour killings and the country’s cruel blasphemy laws. They have earned her multiple death threats. She also bears scars from a suicide blast aimed at her friend Benazir Bhutto (the former prime minister survived that jihadist attack, but not one weeks later). By comparison, the talks in Sharm el-Sheikh must have seemed like the holiday camp that the Egyptian town usually is.<br /><br />Yet Ms Rehman was also assisted by the fact that the massive floods Pakistan suffered this year, costing an estimated $30bn in damages, are one of the biggest climate-related disasters on record. They gave moral authority to her argument that poor countries should receive “loss and damage” funds from the rich countries whose emissions have contributed to such calamities. A study attributes the engorged monsoon floods in part to global warming. Yet Pakistan is responsible for less than 1% of the stock of global emissions.<br /><br />Pakistani environmental activists, a subset of the country’s embattled liberal campaigners, hope Ms Rehman’s triumph will stir more climate action back home. It had been modestly increasing before the floods—with, for example, a few cases in which activists sued the government for neglecting its environmental commitments. Yet Pakistan’s climate change ministry is vastly underfunded. Just $43m were allocated to it this year from a federal budget of $47bn. A proposed national climate change authority has yet to be formed, five years after a law was passed to facilitate it. Pakistan, which experiences some of the hottest temperatures on Earth, has only just begun serious work on a national adaptation plan.<br /><br />The floods helped publicise such shortcomings. Pakistan’s few climate experts were suddenly hot property on the country’s news channels. But will that focus be maintained? As the government scrambles to provide flood relief, it is giving little thought to climate-proofing against future disasters. Before the floods, Ms Rehman was pushing a $11bn-17bn initiative to regenerate the Indus river that supports the livelihoods, indirectly or directly, of over 200m people. But funds that might have been earmarked for the programme are now going on flood relief.<br /><br />The heightened global attention she has brought to Pakistan’s flood losses could attract a lot more money and relevant expertise. That could make the country a poster child not only for loss-and-damage activism but, more usefully, for long-term planning and climate resilience. There is a precedent for this. After a devastating cyclone in 1970 Bangladesh built one of the world’s best disaster preparedness schemes. A tragic, likelier scenario would see the momentum generated by Pakistan’s calamity and Ms Rehman’s astute diplomacy lost in a protracted relief effort and Pakistan’s usual obsessions with politics and scandal. At least, until the floodwaters rise again.■Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-21231519625074832462022-07-31T19:33:34.676-07:002022-07-31T19:33:34.676-07:00Tree Plantation: 8.8 Mln Saplings Would Be Planted...Tree Plantation: 8.8 Mln Saplings Would Be Planted<br /><br />https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/tree-plantation-88-mln-saplings-would-be-pl-1542432.html<br /><br /><br />A total of 8.8 million saplings would be planted in four districts of the division during current tree plantation campaign.<br /><br />This was stated by Divisional Commissioner Dr Irshad Ahmad while inaugurating tree plantation campaign by planting a sapling in the lawn of his office here on Sunday. Additional Commissioner Coordination Fareed Ahmad, Conservator of Forests Niaz Muhammad, Divisional Officer of Forests Nisar Khan and ACR Ghazala Kanwal and others were also present.<br /><br />The Commissioner said that the forest department would plant 5.4 saplings, while private organizations would plant 2 million saplings, Pakistan Army would plant 1.2 million and other departments would also plant 0.<br /><br />2 million saplings in the division.<br /><br />Divisional Officer, Forest ,Nisar Khan briefed the Commissioner that on the Independence Day (August 14) 30,000 saplings would be planted in four districts in which 10,000 saplings would be planted in Sargodha and 5,000 in other three districts each, while the forest department would also distribute 1500 saplings to citizens free of cost, he added.<br /><br />The Commissioner Dr Irshad Ahmad highlighted that trees were imperative to counter environmental pollution, in addition to combating climate changes. "Therefore, the nation should take part actively in the tree plantation campaign to plant maximum trees in greater national interest", he added.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-59303061745484922942022-07-27T19:05:08.871-07:002022-07-27T19:05:08.871-07:00#Pakistanis plant #trees to provide relief from sc...#Pakistanis plant #trees to provide relief from scorching sun. There are neem saplings and vegetables sprouting up from scrubland in the #Clifton district of #Pakistan's largest city #Karachi. #ClimateCrisis #heatwave #floods #fires via @reuterspictures https://widerimage.reuters.com/story/pakistanis-plant-trees-to-provide-relief-from-scorching-sun?utm_campaign=web-share&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter<br /><br /><br />Some climate change experts question the impact of afforestation projects - the planting of trees where there were none before - in urban settings.<br /><br />The choice of species is important, because it affects the amount saplings may need to be watered - a major factor in Pakistan where water is generally scarce.<br /><br />And whether to plant trees at all is not a simple question: the benefits are not always clear and significant investment is needed to nurture saplings into fully grown trees.<br /><br />"What is missing from urban forestry is a holistic approach to the environment," said Usman Ashraf, a doctoral researcher in development studies at the University of Helsinki. He was not commenting specifically on the Karachi project.<br /><br />"It's about visual success, the numbers, small patches here and there," he said. "It won't even make a dent on any of the environmental harm in these cities."<br /><br />Masood Lohar, who founded the Clifton Urban Forest that has planted trees on the beach front not far from Qureshi's project, said afforestation could help make Karachi more resilient against natural disasters and encourage wildlife to settle.<br /><br />Experts say it can also provide relief from heatwaves, with the sea breeze getting hotter as it passes through concrete structures while roadways and rooftops absorb heat. Where to plant is a key question, with wealthier urban areas often better off in terms of tree cover.<br /><br />In the absence of more trees, "we are turning the city into hell", Lohar said.<br /><br />In the Sakhi Hassan Graveyard in the centre of the city, small saplings grow among uneven tombstones crammed close together, while larger trees offer shade from the midday sun.<br /><br />Mohammad Jahangir, 35, is a caretaker there who waters the plants for a small cash donation from relatives who seeded them. Viewed from above, the graveyard is a sea of green that stands out against a low-rise neighbourhood.<br /><br />"We don't feel the heat here in the graveyard, while the city sizzles," said Jahangir. "These trees are a blessing."<br /><br />(Photo Editing Gabrielle Fonseca Johnson and Kezia Levitas; Additional Reporting Gloria Dickie in London; Writing Mike Collett-White; Text Editing Alison Williams; Layout Eve Watling)<br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-42198220423018378832022-07-27T19:03:27.868-07:002022-07-27T19:03:27.868-07:00#Pakistanis plant #trees to provide relief from sc...#Pakistanis plant #trees to provide relief from scorching sun. There are neem saplings and vegetables sprouting up from scrubland in the #Clifton district of #Pakistan's largest city #Karachi. #ClimateCrisis #heatwave #floods #fires via @reuterspictures https://widerimage.reuters.com/story/pakistanis-plant-trees-to-provide-relief-from-scorching-sun?utm_campaign=web-share&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter<br /><br />Mulazim Hussain is proud of the trees he has planted.<br /><br />Surrounded by neem saplings and vegetables sprouting up from scrubland in the Clifton district of Pakistan's largest city Karachi, the 61-year-old recalls a time a few years ago when the area was a giant, informal rubbish tip.<br /><br />"Now there is greenery and happiness, children come in the evening to play, people come to walk," he said, speaking near a patch of trees amid a barren expanse bordered by the sea on one side and tower blocks and offices in the distance on the other.<br /><br />"I have raised these plants like my children over the last four years," he added, taking a break from his labours amid a fierce summer heatwave.<br /><br />Wearing a white and brown scarf around his head and a loose, cream-coloured shirt, Hussain collected dry grass from the ground and watered his cherished trees during a recent visit by Reuters reporters to the urban forest plantation project.<br /><br />At the end of the day, he turned the hose on himself to cool off and clean up before heading home on his motorcycle.<br /><br />The father of two is employed by an urban afforestation project in a government-owned park in Karachi's upmarket Clifton area that is run by Shahzad Qureshi, who has worked on similar projects in other Pakistani cities and overseas.<br /><br />It is one of dozens of state-owned and private planting initiatives in Pakistan, where forest cover lags far behind average levels across South Asia. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, emissions of which contribute to warming global temperatures.<br /><br />The aim in Clifton is to counterbalance rapid urbanisation in Karachi, a sprawling port city of some 17 million people where breakneck expansion of roads and buildings means there is less and less space for trees and parkland.<br /><br />Qureshi wanted to provide shade for residents seeking escape from rising temperatures - a heatwave in 2015 killed more than 400 people in the city in three days, and temperatures in the surrounding Sindh region reached record highs this year.<br /><br />The trees can also attract local wildlife, mitigate urban flooding and provide new sources of food.<br /><br /><br />"The bigger the tree cover of the city the more the cooling, with a difference of up to 10 (degrees) Celsius when you are surrounded by trees," he told Reuters, adding that the project only used native species.<br /><br />"As you plant ... it attracts insects, and varieties of birds start coming. Presently mongoose are roaming around in the park, and four or five varieties of chameleon.<br /><br />"You give them a home, you give them food and let it happen. Nature is so beautiful."<br /><br />DOES PLANTING HELP?<br /><br />Overall forest cover in Pakistan, home to more than 220 million people, is around 5.4%, according to Syed Kamran Hussain, manager for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province at the World Wide Fund for Nature's national branch.<br /><br /><br />That compares with 24% in neighbouring India and 14.5% in Bangladesh, and the previous government announced a mass forestation programme that envisaged planting 10 billion trees between 2019 and 2023.<br /><br />"Pakistan is among the top 10 most vulnerable countries affected by global warming," Hussain said. "After oceans, trees are the second largest sink of carbon."<br /><br />Some climate change experts question the impact of afforestation projects - the planting of trees where there were none before - in urban settings.<br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-87591633167145370722022-07-25T08:16:09.691-07:002022-07-25T08:16:09.691-07:00Pakistan's depleted #mangroves cover in Arabia...Pakistan's depleted #mangroves cover in Arabian Sea growing 'rapidly'. Between 1999-2021, the mangrove area along #Pakistan’s 1,050-kilometer (652-mile) coastline has increased to over 494,000 acres from over a 113,000 acres. #Climate #GlobalWarming<br />https://tribune.com.pk/story/2367726/pakistans-depleted-mangrove-cover-improving-rapidly<br /><br /><br />Also, mangroves require a systematic flow of fresh water, which unfortunately does not persist at the moment, he said.<br /><br />Gilani noted that the South Asian country has seen a rapid augmentation in mangrove cover after the 2010 massive floods, which, although inundating a fifth of Pakistan, made up for a freshwater shortage.<br /><br />Sharing a similar view, Rasheed said: "To keep the momentum going, we have to create awareness among the masses, and especially the policymakers, about the environmental significance of the mangroves and reinforce how important they are as the threat is not over yet."<br /><br />Bulwark against sea battering<br /><br />Thick mangroves have long protected Karachi and its coastal communities from erosion caused by the Arabian Sea's unending waves, observed Shabina Faraz, a Karachi-based expert, who often writes on the environment.<br /><br />However, she added, the fragile ecosystem faces numerous threats, from coastal development, urbanization, and encroachment to the commercial exploitation of mangroves, reduction of freshwater flows and sedimentation, erosion of coastal areas, chemical dumping, and raw sewage.<br /><br />"Karachi city alone contributes 500 million gallons of untreated water to the sea. Apart from that, polluted water from 6,000 industries also contributes high-impact pollutants to the Arabian sea that negatively affect the mangrove ecosystem and marine fauna," she maintained, speaking to Anadolu Agency.<br /><br />Gilani, the Lahore-based expert, said that despite an increasing mangrove cover, satellite imagery has punctuated the need for national-scale carbon sequestration reporting for a performance-based payment mechanism flowing from developed countries to developing ones.<br /><br />Seconding his view, Faraz said carbon sequestration reporting could add to the national economy "significantly."<br /><br />Forests lose ground around Karachi<br /><br />Tariq Alexander Qaiser, a Karachi-based environmentalist, said that although the mangrove cover on the wider delta was increasing, mature forests around Karachi have been pushed back.<br /><br />Urban expansion into the estuaries and intertidal lands where the mangroves are found has had a negative environmental impact, he observed.<br /><br />He said serious urban flooding had resulted from construction on flood plains, whereas water outflow into the sea had also been constricted, he told Anadolu Agency.<br /><br />The dying of the plants' roots holding together the mud and sand on the islands and coast, Qaiser said, has allowed sands to shift and islands to erode.<br /><br />This results in greater dredging needs, and increases costs of operating ports, he maintained.<br /><br />"The removal of mangrove cover from the coastline also leaves the city vulnerable to sea surges and tsunamis. This has a serious impact on human life and safety."<br /><br />According to Qaiser, the deltas' mangrove cover is expanding, but the situation is "very different" on the islands and shores of the cities, especially Karachi.<br /><br />He explained that these "most mature and tallest of the forests" were being cut down due to poverty and the need for fuel.<br /><br />The only way to retain this very necessary forest cover is to create and enforce a nature reserve on Karachi's Islands, Qaiser argued, adding that the metropolis, home to 20 million people, needed this oxygen-producing wilderness to maintain some control over its air quality.<br /><br />"We need to keep planting new mangrove forests, but equally important is the need to protect the forests that exist. Especially on the islands of Karachi."<br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-6406894615248854632022-06-23T07:29:33.080-07:002022-06-23T07:29:33.080-07:00#Karachi’s newly opened MagnifiScience Center has ...#Karachi’s newly opened MagnifiScience Center has a high-tech centerpiece with a living #mangrove forest exhibit. Mangroves are powerful natural tools to reduce #ClimateCrisis risks and protect ourselves from the impacts that are already here. #Pakistan https://time.com/6189898/mangrove-trees-pakistan-climate/<br /><br />In what’s left of Karachi’s original mangrove swamps, one of the museum exhibit’s designers is documenting, in forensic detail, the piecemeal destruction of a once pristine forest for his weekly social media dispatch. “There are days out here when you can’t hear a single bird because the chainsaws are so loud,” Tariq Qaiser murmurs into his iPhone with a David Attenborough cadence as he pans the camera over a clear-cut swath of stump-studded silt. Just a few weeks ago, he continues, “the tree canopy was overhead, and the light filtered through as if you were in a cathedral. Now …” He shakes his head mutely as he steers his small boat past a pile of cut branches destined for the city’s back-alley firewood markets and charcoal kilns.<br /><br />Pakistan’s Indus River Delta is home to hundreds of thousands of acres of mangroves, and the country boasts one of the most successful mangrove reforestation projects in the world. But only a few remain in the economic capital of Karachi, where 16 million residents are corralled onto low-lying spits of land, many of which have been reclaimed from the sea. Qaiser, an architect of some renown, with thick gray hair, horn-rimmed glasses, and a late-middle-age paunch he attributes to COVID-enforced inactivity, has spent the past half decade fighting for the protection and expansion of a small patch of mangroves rooted at the tip of a tidal island directly facing some of Karachi’s most valuable land.<br /><br />Developers envision landfilling Bundal Island, linking it to the mainland via a causeway, and turning it into prime real estate for an ever expanding city. Qaiser sees the island as the terrestrial incarnation of Abdullah Shah Ghazi, the patron Sufi saint of Karachi, who protects the city from storms, disease, and hunger. “I don’t want to fight with the developers,” Qaiser says. “But I do want them to think about the future of this city.” In a congested metropolis already plagued by the urban heat-island effect, in which endless expanses of concrete buildings and paved roads amplify the already sweltering temperatures by several degrees, trees are a threatened resource. Mangroves, says Qaiser, “are our air-conditioning, our oxygen supply. If you just increase the mangrove cover, Karachi’s next 30 years will be much better than if you build over them.”<br /><br />The world will be better as well. By sequestering carbon, mangroves help slow climate change. They also protect locals against some of its effects, like rising sea levels and increasingly severe storms. Qaiser’s quest to save Karachi’s last intact mangrove forest comes against the backdrop of a growing global movement to preserve those that remain and replace what has been lost. In this battle, his weapon of choice is a series of short, stunning nature videos filmed in and around Karachi’s mangroves. He disseminates them weekly via Whats-App to some 2,000 contacts, and urges his followers to share widely. And they do. At 197 and counting, his 90-second dispatches (the maximum allowed by WhatsApp) have raised awareness among the urban elite, and have in some instances spurred officials to act, sending in security to stop illegal woodcutters. But in a city where land is at a premium, development is the bigger threat. Keeping Bundal Island intact means educating a new generation of Karachiites about the value of not just the mangroves but the entire surrounding ecosystem. That was the impetus behind the museum’s mangrove exhibit, says Qaiser. The problem is that by the time the schoolkids are in a position to make any decisions, it might be too late—not for Pakistan’s mangroves, which are flourishing, but for Karachi’s, which are not.<br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-9144198244162980822022-06-11T17:21:58.950-07:002022-06-11T17:21:58.950-07:00India Calls Environment Index 'Unscientific...India Calls Environment Index 'Unscientific'; 'Rankings Based on Performance,' Says Lead Author<br />This year, India is ranked lowest, at 180.<br /><br />https://thewire.in/environment/rankings-based-on-performance-says-lead-author-of-environment-index-india-called-unscientific<br /><br />According to the Ministry, the Index also uses “outdated” data. The Ministry had requested that the EPI refer to the India State of Forests Report (ISFR 2021) for the latest data on biodiversity variables, but this has not been done, the ministry said. Ironically, experts have raised questions about the methodology used in the ISFR 2021, which may show India to be more forested than it really is.<br /><br />Collaborating with, learning from peers<br /><br />The EPI, however, has always based rankings on existing country performance and not on historical emissions or climate policy intent, clarified lead author of the Index, Martin Wolf, principal investigator at the Yale Centre for Environmental Law and Policy, in an email to The Wire.<br /><br />The goal of the EPI is to “inform current policy choices, not place blame on countries for contributing to climate change or destroying the environment,” he said. In fact, the best use of the EPI is to compare countries to their peers; for example, it is useful to compare India to other major developing countries, like China, he added.<br /><br />“Although they are not perfectly analogous, these two countries have things to learn from each other. India may be able to borrow some policies China has enacted to improve air quality, while China can learn from India about many issues, like sustainable fisheries and wetland conservation. The hope is that with data-driven analyses like the EPI, countries will be able to collaborate with their peers to improve their country’s environmental performance,” Wolf said.<br /><br />Similarly, with every iteration, the EPI adjusts the weights given to indicators to reflect a balanced scorecard, clarified Wolf. “We do not adjust weights to punish certain countries. Rather, we choose weights such that all issues are reflected in a country’s overall ranking.”<br /><br />The EPI recognises the “shortcomings” of the new greenhouse gas emissions trajectories, and hopes to incorporate additional nuances in future iterations of the report, Wolf added. However, even with factoring in carbon sinks, China, India, the United States, and Russia are not on track to meet the climate targets outlined by the 2021 Glasgow Climate Pact.<br /><br />“Efforts and plans to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is not a substitute for reducing emissions in the first place,” Wolf told The Wire.<br /><br />“The EPI looks forward to collaborating with the Indian government and the Ministry as we work to improve our analyses, elevate India’s environmental performance, and put the world on track for a happier and healthier future,” he said.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-80174515192211169992022-06-11T17:21:34.042-07:002022-06-11T17:21:34.042-07:00India Calls Environment Index 'Unscientific...India Calls Environment Index 'Unscientific'; 'Rankings Based on Performance,' Says Lead Author<br />This year, India is ranked lowest, at 180.<br /><br />https://thewire.in/environment/rankings-based-on-performance-says-lead-author-of-environment-index-india-called-unscientific<br /><br />The EPI, released on June 6, was put together by a group of scientists from institutes including the universities of Yale and Columbia. It analyses 40 performance indicators, such as particulate matter levels and projected greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), across 11 categories (including air quality and climate change mitigation).<br /><br />The scientists then use this to rank the 180 countries on their “progress toward improving environmental health, protecting ecosystem vitality and mitigating climate change”. According to the EPI report, its methodology has been refined over two decades and it builds on the most recent data.<br /><br />Analysis of the EPI data demonstrates that financial resources, good governance, human development, and regulatory quality matter in elevating a country’s sustainability, it noted.<br /><br />This year, India is ranked lowest, at 180, with an EPI score of just 18.9 (on a scale of 0 to 100).<br /><br />“Based on the latest scientific insights and environmental data, India ranks at the bottom of all countries in the 2022 EPI, with low scores across a range of critical issues,” the report reads. “Deteriorating air quality and rapidly rising greenhouse gas emissions pose especially urgent challenges.”<br /><br />The EPI data also indicates that India is one of the four countries – apart from China, the United States and Russia – that will account for over 50% of residual global greenhouse gas emissions in 2050, if current trends hold. “A total of 24 countries will be responsible for nearly 80% of 2050 emissions unless decision-makers strengthen climate policies and emissions trajectories change,” the EPI report noted.<br /><br />‘Based on surmises and unscientific methods’<br /><br />In a press release on June 8, the Union environment ministry said it “does not accept” the Index’s analysis and conclusions for several reasons, including changes in methodology.<br /><br />According to the Ministry, ‘Projected GHG Emissions levels in 2050’ is a new indicator that the EPI, 2022 uses. However, it takes into account only the average rate of change in emissions over the last decade, and does not incorporate aspects such as the extent of renewable energy capacity.<br /><br />India’s data on forests and wetlands – which are crucial carbon sinks – has not been factored into the Index while computing the projected greenhouse gas emissions trajectory up to 2050. India’s historical data on emissions – which is low compared to developed countries, most of which rank high in the EPI 2022 – has also not been considered, said the Ministry.<br /><br />Moreover, the weight of indicators in which the country was performing well have been reduced and reasons for the change in assignment of weights has not been explained in the report, the Ministry alleged.<br /><br />“For example, new parameters have changed the weightage given to climate policy as an objective. Similarly, the ecosystem vitality policy objective’s weightage has [been] reduced from 60% to 42% in the total EPI,” the ministry claims, saying that these changes in methodology have contributed to India’s dismal rank compared to previous iterations.<br /><br />“The Environmental Performance Index, 2022, released recently, has many indicators based on unfounded assumptions. Some of these indicators used for assessing performance are extrapolated and based on surmises and unscientific methods,” the Union environment ministry said in the release.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-79551840872443562492022-05-31T16:27:32.577-07:002022-05-31T16:27:32.577-07:00What is happening to Pakistan’s green stimulus?
Ne...What is happening to Pakistan’s green stimulus?<br />New climate change minister Sherry Rehman has given her assurance that Pakistan will remain serious about conservation.<br /><br />https://www.eco-business.com/news/what-is-happening-to-pakistans-green-stimulus/<br /><br />According to the agreement, a body called the National Disaster & Risk Management Fund will receive the funds and distribute them to various departments. Eleven projects have already been vetted and approved by the bank.<br /><br />“The MoCC [Ministry of Climate Change] would like to continue with [the Green Stimulus] initiative and adopt any course correction in future if necessary,” Rehman said.<br /><br />Upon taking office, however, she was expecting the ministry to be more than “a single project implementation department” dedicated solely to planting trees.<br /><br />“[The MoCC] is essentially a policy ministry, not a project implementation department,” she pointed out, detailing her vision of the climate change ministry, which includes policy design, monitoring provinces and engaging internationally with the global community to press Pakistan’s case as a low net polluter.<br /><br />But above all, Rehman said, “[the ministry] needs Pakistan to engage in a public conversation on conservation and climate goals through state and community action”.<br /><br />She noted the absence of a climate communication cell at the ministry, as well as the fact that the federal secretary’s post remains vacant. And when it comes to gender, she added, “institutional frameworks in Pakistan are inadvertently designed to preserve inequity”.<br /><br />The Climate Council, a forum where representatives for the provinces meet to discuss and cooperate on frameworks for climate action, has been dormant with not a single meeting held in the past four years, she added. “All this needs to change,” she said.<br /><br />Acknowledging that Rehman would have a “good idea” of the country’s needs and priorities on the climate front, Aslam cautioned that “implementation and focus” require political ownership and the understanding and backing needed at the highest level “may be missing in this administration”.<br /><br />Domestic reform is the new priority<br />Aslam said adopting the “two-pronged approach of using clean energy transition and nature-based solutions” is essential. Reversing targets set by the previous government, he warned, will not only have ecological but economic and social consequences that Pakistan can ill afford.<br /><br />He said he hoped the present government “can comprehend this and take the logical way forward towards climate compatible development”.<br /><br />However, Rehman commented that she worried that Pakistan has been put in a “commitment trap” where, at the international level, “it has promised far more than it can even measure, let alone deliver”.<br /><br />“While commitments to lower emissions were made abroad, no infrastructure or institutional reform was attempted at home for a genuine energy transition,” she pointed out.<br /><br />And despite the “existential” nature of the crisis, no awareness was built either at a policymaking or a community level. “No work or public messaging on water deficits were made,” said Rehman, even though Pakistan will be water-scarce by 2025, according to the UN. “It seems that climate solutions have been reduced to tree plantation only.”<br /><br /><br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-645879078685576442022-05-31T16:26:12.175-07:002022-05-31T16:26:12.175-07:00What is happening to Pakistan’s green stimulus?
Ne...What is happening to Pakistan’s green stimulus?<br />New climate change minister Sherry Rehman has given her assurance that Pakistan will remain serious about conservation.<br /><br />https://www.eco-business.com/news/what-is-happening-to-pakistans-green-stimulus/<br /><br />Wajahat Shah, 32, is a labourer at a government-run tree plantation, spread over 3,000 hectares of army land in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. “Ten days after the government announced the lockdown due to coronavirus, I had to close my grocery shop,” Shah told The Third Pole.<br /><br />The plantation is part of the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme, the flagship initiative of the recently ousted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. The project has been a lifesaver for up to 85,000 residents like Shah, Mohammad Usman Khan, a forest officer, said.<br /><br />Before Covid-19, Shah earned as much as 25,000 Pakistani rupees (USD 129) a month from his shop. Now, his work at the plantation gives him PKR 15,000 (USD 77), and he also receives a small monthly rent from his shop, which is being run by someone else.<br /><br />“I know this is much less, but our family of three has fewer needs [now]; I also prefer working outdoors,” he said, adding that this way he gets time to study for his bachelor’s degree.<br /><br />However, forest officer Khan admitted that turning 3,000 hectares of barren army land into an oasis, growing olive, ziziphus lotus, rosewood, acacia trees and more, is too big a task for the 50 labourers the plantation employs. The government’s hands, he explained, were tied due to lack of funds.<br /><br />The area – 32 kilometres from Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – has plenty of water, with groundwater drawn from solar-powered tubewells, but not enough manpower. “We should have at least eight labourers for every 40 hectares,” said Khan, adding that it may not be possible to green the area without more staff.<br /><br />A ‘booster dose’ for conservation<br />Pakistan’s Green Stimulus, a USD 120 million loan from the World Bank, was conceived as a “booster dose” for this and similar nature-based projects, said former minister for climate change, Malik Amin Aslam, using a Covid-19 analogy.<br /><br />The money, originally earmarked for a project by the Pakistan Meteorological Department, was redirected to nature restoration in response to hardship created by Covid-19, Aslam said.<br /><br />Speaking to The Third Pole on 29 April following Imran Khan’s removal as prime minister, he said he feared the package may face delays.<br /><br />These “nature-positive funds” Aslam said, referring to the Green Stimulus package, were “literally within arm’s reach”, with the first tranche to be released by 15 April. “The first phase was ready for rollout – when we ourselves got prematurely rolled out!” he rued.<br /><br />Pakistan’s Green Stimulus fits within the scope of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030, a framework focused on reversing ecosystem loss to fight the climate crisis. It “was meant to protect nature and give green jobs to thousands of people including youth and women”, Aslam explained.<br /><br />Now with Pakistan in political turmoil, Aslam feared that “all efforts to protect nature and give green jobs may well go down the drain”.<br /><br />New minister wants to continue Pakistan’s green stimulus<br />Aslam’s concerns may be unfounded. Sherry Rehman, the new climate change minister, told The Third Pole that the grant will remain available to Pakistan. The World Bank, she explained, is supporting the country, not a particular administration under a certain party, so the agreement still stands.<br /><br />The Third Pole contacted the World Bank about the status of the loan; a reply had not been received at the time of publication.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-85443546377705465792022-05-30T08:13:08.258-07:002022-05-30T08:13:08.258-07:00#India ramps up #coal production & consumption...#India ramps up #coal production & consumption amid record-setting #HeatWaves, although #Modi pledged to be a leader in #renewableenergy. #FossilFuels #Solar #Wind #climate #COP26 #BJP #energy #economy https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/28/india-coal-power-climate-change/<br /><br /><br />But India has installed less than 100 gigawatts of solar and wind power so far, and most Indian analysts say the 175 gigawatt goal is beyond reach this year.<br /><br />Had India stuck to its pledge on renewables, it would not have faced a power shortage this spring, according to estimates from the Climate Risk Horizons consultancy in New Delhi. Even on April 29, when Delhi reached 110 degrees — the second-highest temperature for that month in 70 years — and peak electricity demand hit a record high, India could have met the need had it been on track to install 160 gigawatts of solar and wind power by the end of the year, said Ashish Fernandes, the consultancy’s chief executive.<br /><br />-------<br /><br />Prime Minister Narendra Modi has long touted his vision of turning India into a leader in renewable energy. Recent weeks have revealed a more complicated reality.<br /><br />In the past month, as India broiled under a historic heat wave and consumed a record amount of electricity for cooling, the Coal Ministry announced it would reopen old mines and increase output by 100 million tons. As cities went into rolling blackouts because of electricity shortages, the Power Ministry ordered plants that burn imported coal to run at full capacity.<br /><br />The environment ministry has given coal mines permission to boost production by up to 50 percent without seeking new permits, according to a May 7 memo. The memo attributed the relaxed environmental regulations to “huge pressure on domestic coal supply in the country” and said “all efforts are being made to meet the demand of coal.”<br /><br />The developments highlight the persistent, even growing, reliance on coal in the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases — and one of the foremost victims of climate change.<br /><br />Although analysts acknowledge that India faces a genuine dilemma in how to meet its soaring energy demands, many say the government is sending mixed policy signals by promoting coal mining and power generation as it trumpets its green ambitions on the international stage. In the run-up to the 2015 Paris climate agreement, Modi pledged to install 175 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2022. He later raised that target to 450 gigawatts by 2030.<br /><br /><br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-90869796559814638462022-05-10T16:49:34.701-07:002022-05-10T16:49:34.701-07:00A crucial bridge in northern Pakistan collapsed on...A crucial bridge in northern Pakistan collapsed on 7 May after a glacial lake outburst.<br /><br />https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/05/10/pakistan-bridge-is-swept-away-in-severe-flash-flooding<br /><br />This was caused by a recent heatwave, which released huge amounts of water into the stream and surrounding areas, local media reported.<br /><br />Experts are saying the water volume at the Shisper glacier lake had increased by 40 per cent over the past 20 days due to unusually high and abrupt temperature rises in the north of the country.<br /><br /><br />Pakistan recorded its hottest April in decades with Jacobabad touching 49C.<br /><br />They also added that rapidly melting glaciers have created more than 3,000 glacial lakes in the northern areas and 33 could burst soon. This would send torrents of water coursing through streams, which is very dangerous.<br /><br />In Hassanabad, local officials helped those affected and ensured that people were not stranded due to the flooding.<br /><br />“A compact bridge would be temporarily installed to restore traffic,” while construction of a permanent bridge would take about seven to eight months, National Highway Authority chair Muhammad Khurram Agha said, according to Gulf News.<br /><br />Traffic was diverted to an alternate route and heavy transport vehicles were barred.<br /><br />There has been no loss of life, officials said.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-90098039423390879352022-05-07T12:47:54.098-07:002022-05-07T12:47:54.098-07:00Karot Hydropower connects unit one to national gri...Karot Hydropower connects unit one to national grid. It is a 720 MW plant constructed on river Jhelum, #Pakistan , in collaboration with one of the largest state-owned #Chinese power companies, #China Three Gorges Corporation. #CPEC Global Village Space<br /><br />https://www.globalvillagespace.com/karot-hydropower-connects-unit-one-to-national-grid/<br /><br /><br />Pakistan’s first Hydel power generation project – Karot Hydropower – under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) connected unit one to the national grid on 30 April, kick-starting the operations at full capacity, reported Developing Pakistan, a Pakistan based digital media platform. By connecting unit one of the Karot Hydropower, the project pumps 180 MW of electricity into the national grid. Karot Hydropower Project is a 720 MW constructed on river Jhelum, Pakistan, in collaboration with one of the largest state-owned Chinese power companies, the China Three Gorges Corporation, more commonly known as the CTG. The rest of the three units will be connected to the national grid in the upcoming months.<br /><br />The project’s financial close was achieved in March 2017, and construction work began the same year. The mechanical, electrical, and other technical works of the project were completed around February 2022, and internal testing began in the same month. Work pertaining to transmitting power to the national grid was mostly completed by January however was not completed till April 30. The project is the first of three hydropower projects under China Pakistan Economic Corridor, and the estimated cost to get the plant operational stands at around $1.42 billion. According to the Managing Director of the Private Power and Infrastructure Board, the other two include “the 870MW Sukhi Kenari HPP and 1,124MW Kohala HPP.” Work on Sukhi Kerani is underway, whereas the construction of the Kohala Hydropower Project is yet to be initiated. The Kohala HPP is also being constructed on the Jhelum river, and a tripartite agreement was signed for its construction in June 2020; however, due to tax issues, the work on the construction site of the said river has still not begun.<br /><br />It is pertinent to mention that according to the National Electric Power Regulator Authority state industry report 2021, Hydel sources of electricity generation account for 27.02 percent of the country’s electricity, significantly more than any other source except for thermal.<br /><br />Separately, to address the energy demands of the country, Pakistani authorities have also engaged the World Bank to facilitate the set up of a 300 MW floating solar project at the Tarbela – Ghazi Barotha complex. The project’s projected cost is proposed to be around $346.5 million. Under the project, a 150 MW floating solar subproject will be deployed in the Ghazi Barrage headpond and another floating project of similar capacity at the Forebay of the existing Ghazi Barotha Hydropower plant. The project would greatly enhance the electricity supply and help meet the rising demand for electricity in a climate-smart manner.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-53610152155993264342022-04-27T06:45:05.766-07:002022-04-27T06:45:05.766-07:00Pakistan: Experts stress shifting to coal for ener...Pakistan: Experts stress shifting to coal for energy needs<br /><br />https://tribune.com.pk/story/2353970/experts-stress-shifting-to-coal-for-energy-needs<br /><br /><br />Power sector experts have emphasised upon Pakistan to push harder for utilisation of lignite - an economical alternative to imported furnace oil and RLNG (re-gasified liquefied natural gas) - as it is crucial for the country’s ambition to achieve higher economic growth through industrialisation.<br /><br />Besides industrialisation, provision of electricity to domestic consumers by using local coal reserves could serve the purpose of generating cheap electricity and curbing the ever increasing circular debt in the power sector, they added. They were of the view that the incumbent coalition government, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, inherited fiscally unsustainable circular debt of nearly Rs2.5 trillion and lofty subsidies on energy prices, as well as re-surging blackouts despite surplus generation capacity. Electricity at current price is not affordable for businesses and residential consumers.<br /><br />According to the government, the electricity generation cost rose by over 66% in March compared to a year ago because of the surging global energy prices.<br /><br />The generation cost has surged 66.2% to Rs9.22 kWh in March this year from Rs5.55 kWh a year ago owing to spike in imported fossil fuel prices.<br /><br />“Pakistan should now focus on local coal reserves for power generation as an alternate to imported fuel and coal given that its cost is much cheaper than the imported coal,” emphasised Sino-Sindh Resources Deputy CEO Chaudhary Abdul Qayyum.<br /><br />Talking to The Express Tribune, Qayyum said that the local coal prices were not sensitive to international price fluctuations.<br /><br />“Local coal at Thar is available for as low as $40 per ton and with rise in mine scaling, its prices will fall further to $30 a ton,” he pointed out.<br /><br />“The best thing is that the government has to pay the price in local currency.”<br /><br />Currently, around 16 million tons of coal is being imported by Pakistan to operate four power plants, Qayyum said adding that if these plants had been running on local coal, massive amounts of foreign exchange could have been saved by the country besides generation of cheap electricity.<br /><br />He underlined that the recent commodity cycle had witnessed imported coal prices going up to $420-470 a ton from $100-120 a ton, making imported coal even more expensive than residual fuel oil (RFO) for power production.<br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-87588614729697798732022-04-21T12:30:39.959-07:002022-04-21T12:30:39.959-07:00Under the project, a 150 MW floating solar subproj...Under the project, a 150 MW floating solar subproject will be deployed in the Ghazi Barrage headpond and another floating project of similar capacity at the Forebay of the existing Ghazi Barotha Hydropower plant. The project would greatly enhance the electricity supply and help meet the rising demand for electricity in the country.<br /><br />https://www.globalvillagespace.com/world-bank-wapda-to-setup-pakistans-first-floating-solar-farm/<br /><br />Currently, according to the National Electric Power Regulator Authority state industry report 2021, Pakistan’s total installed electricity generation capacity is 143,588 GWH, of which a measly 4,521 GWH is produced by renewable sources such as solar and wind. Thermal sources account for 61.76 percent, whereas Hydel sources account for 27.02 percent. A shift toward renewable sources of energy was long pending and is a major component of Pakistan’s vision 2050.<br /><br />The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) plans to take on the Floating Solar Project (FSP or the Project) and, in that effort, seeks financing from the World Bank. Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority has prepared a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), and according to a report by Business Recorder, it is engaged in meetings with the World Bank to establish a 300 MW floating solar project in the country.<br /><br />A delegation from the World Bank is expected to reach Pakistan today for a ten-day visit, for the initial assessment and evaluation of the project. The World Bank delegation will meet with all the relevant authorities and stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Water Resources, Water and Power Development Authority, and the Economic Affairs Division. After the visit, the World Bank mission would generate a feasibility report of the project, which would detail the proposed financing and the expected Return on Investment (ROI) in the following period.<br /><br />The World Bank team includes but is not limited to; Gunjan Gautam (Senior Energy Specialist and Task Team Leader), Rikard Liden (Lead Energy Specialist and co-Task Team Leader), Imran ul Haq (Senior Social Development Specialist), Sana Ahmad (Environmental Specialist), Uzma Sadaf (Sr Procurement Specialist), Shafiq Hussain (Procurement Specialist), Noureen LNU (Financial Management Specialist), Mohammad Omar Khalid (Senior Consultant) to be supported by Amna W Mir (Senior Program Associate).<br /><br />The World Bank mission is expected to hold a meeting with the project management unit of WAPDA on the 22 April in Islamabad. Following which, it is scheduled to meet with the officials of the Water Resources Ministry on 23 April. The mission would also listen to briefings and partake in discussion sessions with the relevant authorities.<br />According to the initial assessment conducted by the Water and Power Distribution Authority of Pakistan, the project is expected to strengthen the capacity of WAPDA as it increases the supply of electricity by financing 300 MW floating solar subprojects in water body of the already existing project of the Ghazi-Barotha complex.<br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-33642416691681903362022-03-27T10:23:47.178-07:002022-03-27T10:23:47.178-07:00Chinese envoy sees big prospects of Sino-Pak partn...Chinese envoy sees big prospects of Sino-Pak partnership in renewables<br /><br />https://pakobserver.net/chinese-envoy-sees-big-prospects-of-sino-pak-partnership-in-renewables/<br /><br /><br />Chinese Consul General in Karachi Li Bijian, while speaking as the chief guest at a Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony here, he said for achieving sustained development goals (SDGs) China had made huge progress in green energy as this was future of the world.<br /><br />China had largest renewable energy resources and cutting-edge equipment and machinery. Pakistan was also making every possible effort for conversion to green energy. It had big potential of renewable energy with Sindh’s better position in solar.<br /><br />The memorandum of understanding was signed between Chinese Solar Energy Zonergy Company Limited-Pakistan and Altamash General Hospital, Karachi to install 351 KV solar energy plants to feed Altamash’s three health facilities in the city; with expected completion period of three months.<br /><br />AGH’s Director Dr. Emad Altamash and CEO of Zonergy Company Limited (Pakistan) Xu Hong Chang signed the agreement, which was witnessed by Chairman of Altamash Group, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Altamash, Chairperson of AGH, Dr. Shahina Altamash and Chinese Consul General in Karachi, Li Bijian.<br /><br />Chinese Consul General said, “I am very impressed by the quality and quantum of medical equipment at Altamash General Hospital.”<br /><br />He acknowledged Altamash’s health services to the humanity, especially to low income group people. Today, he said, Altamash Group had taken a step forward for conversion to renewable energy.<br /><br />Being the fastest and tested friends, and big partners in various social and economic sectors, under CPEC China and Pakistan were also increasing their cooperation and partnership in energy sector especially in renewables, which was the only future solution.<br /><br />For last couple of decades, the two countries had been working together in energy sector i.e. solar, wind and coal power generation.<br /><br />“My government is committed for renewables,” he reaffirmed.<br /><br />He described Zonergy as one of leading solar energy companies of China and appreciated the company’s contribution in promoting green energy. During a media chat there, Chinese diplomat congratulated Pakistanis on celebrating their “Pakistan Resolution Day “ and successfully holding great event of two-day OIC Foreign Ministers’ Conference in Islamabad.—APPRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com