ISLAMABAD: At the Pakistan Mother Languages Festival 2026 on Sunday, experts stressed that climate change is not just about the environment but also about culture and survival. The panel on Folk Literature and Climate Change discussed how rivers and land shape local stories and identity. Climate activist Abuzar Madhu quoted Guru Nanak: “Air is the Guru, Water is the Father, and the Great Earth is the Mother,” highlighting humans' sacred bond with nature. Madhu warned that shrinking rivers hurt cultural imagination and criticized colonial views of land and water. Sindhi poet Javed Soz said folk poetry supports rivers and land but needs to address climate change more deeply. He urged using social media to spread climate stories. Seraiki scholar Dr Ismatullah Shah shared how folklore connects to environment through bird migration and seasonal cycles. Academic Dr Ismail Kumbhar explained climate change affects farming, food, and social stability, citing floods in 2010 and 2022 as warnings. Journalist Aliza Khalid called for new ways to report climate issues and warned against treating indigenous knowledge as a commodity. The panel concluded that saving rivers and land requires reviving indigenous languages and folk traditions. "When the river dries, our cultural imagination dries with it," a speaker said. The festival highlighted that protecting stories is key to protecting the environment.