Prime Minister’s aide calls for urgent climate risk management

Islamabad:

The Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Climate Change, Romina Khurshid Alam, emphasized the urgent need for strong climate risk management strategies at the national, provincial and regional levels to strengthen preparedness for natural disasters and reduce their economic, social and environmental impacts.

Speaking at the ‘Humanitarian Future’ event organized by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) on Thursday, Alam stressed the vital need to protect vulnerable communities and maintain the sustainability of lives and livelihoods amid climate-related challenges.

Alam outlined the escalating severity of climate impacts facing Pakistan, citing vulnerabilities to extreme weather events such as catastrophic floods, heat waves, droughts, desertification and erratic rainfall patterns.

“These challenges have resulted in significant economic, social and environmental impacts, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations,” he said. Alam added that despite Pakistan’s continuous struggles with these severe conditions, the government is making every effort within its capabilities to mitigate the effects of climate change.

“After a similar disaster in 2010, Pakistan faced one of the worst flood disasters in its history in 2022, which displaced millions of people, destroyed crops and damaged critical infrastructure,” he said.

“These disasters have highlighted the urgent need for flood resilience and disaster risk reduction measures to protect the most marginalized communities and vital infrastructure.”

He also highlighted the important initiatives launched at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, to combat climate change. These initiatives include the Global Shield, climate justice efforts, climate smart agriculture projects, renewable energy solutions, Pakistan’s green recovery plan, nature-based solutions and various climate finance initiatives.

Alam highlighted Pakistan’s increasing reliance on glaciers and rivers for water supply, stressing that the country faces acute water shortages, exacerbating challenges for agriculture – a critical sector of the national economy.

“Our agriculture is significantly threatened by water scarcity and we need to invest in long-term solutions to address these challenges,” he said.

He emphasized the importance of advocating for climate finance requirements, calling for improved access to international climate funds. These funds, he noted, could be used to support projects focused on strengthening climate change resilience, including disaster preparedness and mitigation environmental sustainability.

“It is important to allow access to climate finance to implement projects that strengthen our resilience to the effects of climate change,” he observed.

The Prime Minister’s Climate Assistant also highlighted the importance of integrating disaster risk financing into the global loss and damage agenda. He said this approach is a precautionary measure to manage the rising costs associated with climate change.