Govt to launch $0.6m project to combat air pollution

August 20, 2024 (MLN): To battle against air pollution, the government is kicking off the Montreal Protocol Project nationwide worth $594,748 in collaboration with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) that would fix out ozone and Hydro Chloro floro carbon (HCFC).

This project is funded by the Multilateral Fund Secretariat and will be completed in 2027.

This development was disclosed Coordinator to Prime Minister on Climate Change & Environmental Coordination Romina Khursheed Alam during a meeting with UNDP delegation at her office on Monday.

She was mobilizing resources for ongoing projects by engaging bilateral and multilateral donors as well as major banks to introduce Urban Environmental Initiatives and alternate energy sources in rural areas of Pakistan.

In view of proactive communication and coordination, PM's aide emphasized on setting up a dashboard that would also be linked with PM office, to review the progress and address the challenges to ensure fast tracking the projects & achieve objectives.

The meeting also discussed the GLOF-II project which focused on 10 districts of Gilgit-Baltistan and 08 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhah with budget worth $37m being funded by Green Climate Fund (GCF).

This project is aimed to reduce flood risks and 696,000 community members are direct beneficiaries of the project.

To combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the ministry is also initiating a fresh project " Promotion & Application of Sustainable Biomass Energy Technologies PASBET) in the country with cost $28.72m.

This project will be completed in 2028. To promote environmental sustainability and building climate resilience at both national and sub-national levels the ministry is working on its flagship "Climate Resilience Program".

This climate promise initiative aims to enhance cooperation and resilience among local and regional stakeholders to address climate change threats and risks.

The meeting also discussed "Global Shield Against Climate Risks" Project that was aimed to increase protection for vulnerable people by providing and facilitating substantially more and better pre-arranged finance against disasters.

While assuring her fullest support to UNDP, PM's aide Alam directed the senior officers of the ministry to convene monthly progress review meeting about these projects adding that this government under the leadership of PM was committed to make the country climate resilient.

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