Bridging the gaps: Experts urge inclusive Climate Action at KU seminar
IV Report
KARACHI: Climate change is not just an environmental issue—it’s a
social justice imperative, especially for the 1.3 billion people living with
disabilities around the world. This was the core message echoed by experts,
academics, and policymakers at a seminar titled “Climate Change and
Disability: A New Frontier”, held at the University of Karachi (KU) on
April 23.
The seminar brought to the forefront
the urgent need for inclusive strategies to combat the rising challenges posed
by global warming, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation—issues
that are disproportionately impacting vulnerable communities, including persons
with disabilities.
“We must stop treating climate and disability as separate issues,” said Major General Nayyer Naseer, π·πππππ‘ππ πΊππππππ πππππ π‘ππ π΄ππππ ππππ£ππππ π΅ππππ, the chief guest, highlighting how climate change can directly cause or worsen disabilities. He criticised the global community for failing to acknowledge the compounded impact of environmental crises on people with disabilities and called for sustainable, inclusive responses that leave no one behind.
Pakistan, he noted, ranks fifth
among countries most affected by climate change, making the integration of
disability-inclusive policies not only moral but urgent.
KU Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr
Khalid Mahmood Iraqi, emphasised the importance of grassroots implementation of
climate policies. “It’s not just about
resources—it’s about commitment,” he said. He also underscored the need
for organised, research-based engagement with persons with disabilities, urging
scholars and students to identify and empower those who can be part of the
solution.
Colonel (retd) Ali Nawaz Janjua described climate change as a “national emergency,” warning of drying rivers, melting glaciers, and disrupted agriculture, all of which threaten the country’s socio-economic fabric and disproportionately affect marginalised groups.
Other speakers, including Dr Moazzam
Ali Khan, Dr Anila Amber Malik, Dr Mahmood Hasan, Dr Saira Saleem, and Abid
Lashari, stressed the need for disability-inclusive disaster preparedness,
education, and health responses. “Imagine
navigating a flood evacuation with a mobility impairment,” said Dr Khan,
referencing the catastrophic floods of 2022.
The KU Dean of Faculty of Education Professor Dr Nasir Sulman
presented an overview of disability in Pakistan. The
event, organised by KU’s Faculty of Education, concluded with a call for
integrated planning and a recognition that tackling climate change without
addressing the needs of the disabled population is a half-measure in the fight
for a sustainable future.
Photos courtesy: Univbersity of Karachi
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