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Pakistan, WB to strengthen climate risk management systems

Pakistan
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December 18, 2024 (MLN): Pakistan and the World Bank agreed to work jointly to enhance Pakistan's climate risk management systems, focusing on flood resilience and disaster risk reduction, according to the press release issued yesterday.

In a meeting, Najy Benhassine, the World Bank's Country Director for Pakistan, and Romina Khurshid Alam, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change, agreed to collaborate on climate-vulnerable sectors, including agriculture, water, and energy.

They also discussed initiatives for floodwater management to strengthen Pakistan's disaster preparedness and sustainability.

The World Bank official acknowledged the country’s escalating climate vulnerability and offered technical and financial support to help the country build resilience against climate-related risks.

He also discussed viable strategies to strengthen Pakistan’s climate risk management systems, focusing on several key areas including water, agriculture, energy, and food security.

The meeting also discussed at length strengthening Pakistan's institutional frameworks and policies to ensure that climate risk management is integrated into development planning at all levels.

The World Bank official also emphasised the significance of developing and implementing comprehensive climate risk management strategies.

These strategies are to be implemented at the national, provincial, and district levels, as discussed with the PM’s climate aide, Romina Khurshid Alam.

This would help the country to better prepare for and effectively respond to natural disasters and mitigate their economic, social, and environmental impacts and protect lives and livelihoods of the vulnerable communities.

In the high-level meeting between two sides focused on discussing the country’s increasing climate vulnerability and the urgent need for enhanced cooperation to address the challenges posed by climate change.

This meeting also focused on addressing the growing climate-related challenges faced by Pakistan, which include extreme weather events such as floods, heatwaves, and droughts.

Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, despite contributing a minimal share to global emissions.

The PM’s Climate aide, Romina Khurshid Alam, highlighted during the meeting that Pakistan is among the most vulnerable countries to the exacerbating fallouts of climate change.

This is despite its minimal contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.

“While the country continues to face extreme weather events such as devastating floods, heatwaves, droughts, desertification, groundwater depletion, crop failures, and unpredictable rainfall patterns, these have significant economic, social, and environmental consequences", Romina Khurshid Alam said.

Pakistan is doing everything possible with its own resources and existing capacity to cope with the impacts of climate change,” she further added.

She also recalled that in 2022, Pakistan experienced one of the worst flood disasters in its history, with millions displaced, crops destroyed, and critical infrastructure damaged.

While highlighting the worsening droughts, expanding desertification and growing water scarcity in many parts of the country, PM’s climate aide emphasised that with the country’s dependence on glaciers and rivers for water, Pakistan is experiencing acute water shortages, further exacerbating challenges in agriculture, which is a mainstay of the country’s economy.

Extreme temperatures, especially in the southern and eastern regions, have been leading to loss of life, increased health risks, and disruption to daily life, Romina Khurshid Alam added

The World Bank’s country director Najy Benhassine also offered closely work at all levels with the climate change and environmental coordination ministry and provide both technical expertise and financial support to enhance Pakistan’s coping capacity to deal with the climate risks.

This could involve funding for infrastructure projects, climate-resilient agricultural practices, and disaster preparedness plans, he added.

The Bank’s official reiterated its commitment to supporting Pakistan's climate finance needs, which could involve facilitating access to international climate funds to finance projects that build resilience to climate change.

During the meeting there was also a focus on engaging the private sector in climate risk management, particularly in sectors like agriculture, energy, and infrastructure, where sustainable investments could play a significant role in long-term resilience.

PM’s Coordinator Romina Khurshid Alam expressed deep appreciation for the World Bank's generous support and offer for deepening collaboration and cooperation with the ministry and emphasised that combating climate change is crucial to the country's development agenda.

“The meeting marked a pivotal step in solidifying a partnership between Pakistan and the World Bank to address the climate crisis.

Both parties remain committed to continued collaboration to enhance Pakistan's climate resilience, with an emphasis on long-term sustainability and reducing the vulnerability of the country’s most at-risk populations,” she remarked.

Copyright Mettis Link News

Posted on: 2024-12-18T10:30:17+05:00