ISLAMABAD: Executive Director of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, has said that this year’s World Food Day theme is “Safe Food Today for a Healthy Tomorrow,” which means that only the safe and nutritious food can guarantee a healthy future.
In his message on the World Food Day 2023 here on Monday, Dr Suleri called upon the government, private sector, civil society and academia to work together to give top priority to make Pakistan a food secure country and bring an end to this crisis especially in vulnerable districts of the country. He stressed the need to invest in long-term initiatives such as Benazir Income Support Programme that provide the poor, vulnerable and needy people with enough food to eat.
Dr Suleri said Pakistan is a water stressed country, but its reduced availability due to climate change is not the sole reason behind its stress. “While climate change is impacting water availability, we must realize the pressure that is exacerbating the food situation in the country.” He said food insecurity is not only prevailing due to fluctuations in precipitation patterns and declining water tables but also due to heavy floods, which have been destroying our crops for the past many years.
The grave impact of climate change is already manifesting in much lower yields of mango in the past while similar effects are also evident on other crops, he said, adding that water is the basic necessity of life, and it is our responsibility to manage the nature’s precious resource efficiently to mitigate the worsening threats of food insecurity and inequalities.
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