Malik Amin Aslam, Adviser to Prime Minister on ClimateChange, said that desertification is a major challenge to sustainable development in the country.

He stated this at the seminar on "Combating Desertification in Pakistan" which was organized by Pir Meher Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) in collaboration with Sustainable Land Management Programme (SLMP), on July 31, 2019.

Malik Amin Aslam said challenges posed by changingclimatic conditions have evolved and infiltrated the entire spectrum of human survival and progress. Out of 79.6 million hectares of Pakistan's total land, 62 million hectares are vulnerable to desertification.

He said combating desertification requires concerted efforts at wider scale and Ministry of Climate Change is approaching this with a climate smart approach. He highlighted different steps the Ministry was undertaking to tackle climate change in the country.

He said that the government has decided to plant at least 10 billion trees across the country and urged the media to spread awareness about the significance of planting trees. He said the government banned plastic bags in the federal capital to make it a plastic-free zone. The ban will later be expended to other parts of the country, he added.

The advisor on Climate Change appreciated the contributions of SLMP and commended the joint efforts by the UNDP Pakistan and GEF for their valuable support. He also thanked PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi for facilitating this important event which was held to mark World Day to Combat Desertification. The theme of the day was "Lets grow the future together."

Prof. Dr. Qamar-uz-Zaman, Vice Chancellor PMAS AAUR, highlighted the University role for better climate in the country. He emphasized that such collaborative activities must be strengthened and taken forward for fighting desertification in Pakistan. He also appreciated UNDP Pakistan and Ministry of Climate Change for taking the lead in sustainable land management through their joint programme, SLMP.

Earlier, Mr. Hamid Marwat, National Programme Coordinator (SLMP-II) briefed the audience about World Desertification Day and about SLMP approaches and interventions for better land management in Pakistan. He said, "The implementation of the programme will bring considerable financial benefits for the poor dryland communities through the sustainable management of their land resources."

Prof. Dr. Sarwat N. Mirza, Former Dean of Forestry & Range Management Faculty, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, discussed desertification in detail and highlighted threats, challenges and opportunities in Pakistan's context.

Dr. Irfan Ashraf Coordinator of the seminar Dr. M. Irfan Ashraf delivered technical speech on combating desertification and focused on practical moves to deal with the burning issue.