PM terms Indus Basin ground zero for climate mitigation

DUBAI:

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said on Sunday that Pakistan’s climate challenge was primarily a water challenge that needed immediate remediation and stressed the importance of adapting the Indus basin to climate impacts because the majority of the population was connected to it. mighty river.

Addressing an event on ‘Living Indus Initiative’ at the Pakistan Pavilion as part of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations (COP-28), the prime minister explained that ‘Living Indus’ was an umbrella initiative aimed at restoring ecological health of the Indian within the borders of Pakistan.

“The Government of Pakistan is clear on its priorities with Living Indus. This umbrella initiative emerges from extensive stakeholder consultation, resulting in a set of 25 living interventions that emphasize nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation approaches,” he said.

“Most importantly, the Living Indus initiative seeks to mobilize a moment that has prepared and restored a healthy Indian for today and tomorrow. And we are here to work together and give a voice to our rivers,” he said. “The Indian feeds us even if we don’t take care of it.”

This initiative, according to the prime minister, envisaged a minimum indicative investment of between 11 and 17 billion dollars over the next 15 years. He also referred to the ‘Recharge Pakistan’ project as the first concrete step towards ‘Living Indus’.

“This flagship project with nearly $78 million in international climate finance is central to our efforts to reduce future impacts from floods and droughts,” he added. “The ‘Recharge Pakistan’ project will not only benefit millions of our citizens, but also serve as a model for climate innovation on a global scale.”

Kakar highlighted that Pakistan was the 8th most vulnerable country to the effects of climate change in the world. He invited various stakeholders to contribute to global efforts to address the issue of climate change by raising their voice in their articles, sermons, speeches and poetry.

L&D fund
Later, talking to the students of Pakistan’s KORT Education Orphan School, who won the prestigious Zayed Sustainability Award here at COP-28, Kakar said the students made every Pakistani, including himself, proud as they did a wonderful job.

Also, in an interview with Sky News Arabia, Kakar called the announcement of the $30 billion Loss and Damage Fund “a good start in the right direction” at COP-28. He added that Pakistan had advocated for the fund at COP-27 in Egypt to help developing countries deal with climate challenges.

“The operation of the Loss and Damage Fund is proof that developed countries have morally accepted the argument that the world should support those countries that are not responsible for climate damage,” he said.

“Pakistan has always argued that countries that have not contributed to carbon dioxide emissions but remain one of the worst affected by climate catastrophe should be compensated in terms of mitigation, climate adaptation and receive funding to address all these challenges ».

And in another interview with a leading Abu Dhabi-based Aletihad newspaper, Kakar hoped that the $30 billion funding initiative from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would translate into tangible projects, especially in the Global South.

He emphasized the need for a global contribution to the effort to address the climate challenge. “It is not just the UAE that will have to deal with climate mitigation,” he said. For Pakistan, he added, climate change was a “national security challenge” and a shared global issue.

Reading Pakistan’s stance on climate finance for developing countries recognized at COP28: PM

The prime minister emphasized that climate change is a common challenge for all, be it a small nation or a large nation. He warned that one cannot rely on the assumption that a drought would only affect a certain country or that the melting of a glacier would only happen in certain areas.

“Yes, there will be more vulnerable countries, but that vulnerability does not protect others. Climate change is changing its face, shape and form, affecting more or less the entire world,” he said. “Instead of being judgmental, we need to focus on solving the challenge,” he said.

Kakar stressed the importance of closely following scientific developments in the climate field. “One decade’s buzzwords would be outdated in another. We have to think that the change will be kaleidoscopic and it will be quite fast. We must be vigilant about scientific developments.”

He also outlined Pakistan’s sustainability and climate-fighting efforts, noting that the country could also benefit from the UAE-led climate fund. “Pakistan, I guess, would be one of the beneficiaries of such funds, particularly when it comes from a sister country like the UAE,” he said.

He congratulated the UAE for hosting the global climate conference and congratulated President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed for organizing “such a wonderful event”. He underlined the long-term and sustainable cooperation between two countries in climate mitigation and other areas.

He said both countries have signed a number of bilateral agreements in recent days. One of the contributing and guiding principles in the translation of all these agreements would be to consider the problems of climate change, he noted.

“The UAE plays a leading role in the region. There are many opportunities across the region where Pakistan contributes with its youth and their entrepreneurial and professional skills in various fields,” he added.

Gaza War
Speaking about the Israeli attack on the Palestinian people, Kakar called for the creation of a “humanitarian corridor”. He told Sky News Arabia that the senseless violence perpetrated by Israel should stop immediately because it could “envelop the entire region if it is not stopped”.

Talking about the repatriation process of Afghan nationals, the prime minister said there were about 1 million undocumented Afghan refugees in Pakistan, adding, “It is our duty to regulate movement through documentation.”

Kakar said the Kashmir issue remained unresolved for the past seven decades, adding that Pakistan wanted peace and resolution of the issue.

However, he continued, “these sentiments must be reciprocated by India.” he added. The issue “must be resolved in accordance with Security Council resolutions.”

On the sidelines of COP-28, Kakar had a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and exchanged views on international and regional issues, including the situation in Afghanistan and the evolving humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Kakar emphasized that Pakistan and the Netherlands should cooperate bilaterally and through the European Union on matters of mutual interest.

He invited Dutch companies to invest in Pakistan’s agriculture, horticulture, water management and renewable energy sectors.