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Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy launches Pakistan's Climate Change Heroes to start a conversation on environment

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy launches Pakistan's Climate Change Heroes to start a conversation on environment

The film and book series will celebrate the work of Pakistanis working to address the issue of climate change.
Updated 12 May, 2022

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's production house SOC Films has launched its first publication Pakistan's Climate Change Heroes, which is a film and book series aimed to a spark a conversation on the issue that's becoming more relevant and pressing by the day. It also celebrates the work of Pakistanis who are committed to the cause and are working to relieve people from "one of the greatest crises of our time."

"We are extremely excited to launch our first publication at SOC films under our SOCH outreach initiative," the filmmaker captioned her Instagram post announcing the launch. "This book authored by Rumana Hussain profiles 14 climate change heroes across the country who are working to create change in their communities. Their awareness programs are laying the seeds for a generation of climate change warriors."

The book was launched at an event with Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman by Canada's High Commissioner to Pakistan Wendy Gilmour as part of their initiative in the north. Hussain, the author SOC Films partnered with for the children's book, is an educator who has worked on over 60 children's books.

The 14 climate change heroes chosen for the book consist of men and women who've made the alleviation of the crisis their life's mission and are striving to utilise the available resources and strategies for the best possible outcome.

“The heroes profiled in this book are the men and women who are trying to save our land, and all that walks and grows on it, flies over it, swims in its waters. They range from the very young to the middle-aged. In writing this book, I have had the privilege of speaking to them and learning more about them, and I hope that you will be as inspired by them as I am,” said Husain on writing the book.

The corresponding film series for Pakistan’s Climate Change Heroes highlights the work and efforts of five of these heroes: Safdar Hussain from Balochistan, Gulab Shah from Sindh, Asif Murad and Rehmat Ali Dost from Chitral, and Amanullah Khan from Gilgit-Baltistan.

The filmmaker shared what her motivation was for the launch of the book and film series. “It is extremely important to start a conversation with children across Pakistan about the state of our planet and the fact that Pakistan is one of the top 10 countries to be hit hardest by climate change. I hope that this book plays its part in initiating dialogue around the climate emergency, and inspires us to follow in the footsteps of these heroes.”

Obaid-Chinoy said that the book and films will be shared free of cost with schools and libraries across the country. Requests for a copy of the book can be made on www.socfilms.com. The films have already been screened to more than 5,000 children nationwide.

Comments

Umair May 12, 2022 12:16pm
No book on Pakistan Climate Change Heroes will have authencity if it does not mention Imran Khan
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Sam May 12, 2022 12:18pm
She would do anything to remain in the news!
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Ann May 12, 2022 12:29pm
People like her I want to be affiliated with. Not with ill mouthed politicians who have ruined the image of this country, More power to her!
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Naveed Wassan May 12, 2022 12:44pm
Good Job Miss Sharmeen, Waiting for more stories
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AK May 12, 2022 12:55pm
What a disgust she is...always trying to get publicity on anything mainly negative.
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Syed A. Mateen May 12, 2022 01:23pm
I don't understand as how Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy have picked up the Pakistan's Climate Change Hero's to mention in her book as the climate is changing not for the good but for the worst. During this summer Mercury have risen every where in the country. The temperature have gone upto 45 degrees centigrade and is likely to go up to 50 degrees centigrade in interior Sindh alone. Had the climate been changed the temperature would have gone down drastically in summer season, instead of increasing. If I am wrong than I will request Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy to correct me by writing a note in these columns so that I should understand how climate is changed in Pakistan and also the other readers of these columns will also understand as how Pakistan's Climate Change Hero's have changed the climate in the country.
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Ahmed May 12, 2022 02:14pm
Global Change Impact Studies Centre (GCISC) was established in May 2002 on the initiative of Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad. This was the time when no one was talking about climate change in Pakistan.
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Taj Ahmad May 12, 2022 03:46pm
My salute to Obaid-Chinoy, the pride of Pakistan.
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M. Saeed May 12, 2022 04:13pm
@Umair what does Imran Khan know about climate change? Has ever talked about how he would grow 11 billion trees (including 1 billion earlier in KP), without increasing water in the already seriously water starved country, to grow those trees?
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M. Saeed May 12, 2022 04:29pm
If Kalabagh Dam was constructed, as planned, it would have provided an elevation to dammed storage water, to be taken to the next downstream big dam named in the Development Plan as "Indus Basin Flood Storage Dam" of 22 MAF capacity. It would have removed the water shortage in all downstream areas in Southern Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan, besides removing the water shortage of Karachi, forever. It would have eliminated the yearly flood havoc for good.
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Syed Hasni May 12, 2022 06:10pm
As global temperatures and sea levels rise, as the oceans acidify and precipitation patterns get rearranged, people living in poverty are the most severely impacted. Since climate change affects everything from where a person can live to their access to health care, millions of people could be plunged further into poverty as environmental conditions worsen. These are visionary Heroes !
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PMD May 14, 2022 08:19pm
For those who really want to know about climate change and it's impact in our region must pay a brief visit to nearby meteorological centers of country. Also ask the meteorologists regarding climate change and global warming.
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