Islamabad: Romina Khurshid Alam, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, emphasized the critical importance of building climate resilience across socio-economic sectors to counter the severe impacts of climate change, including floods and heatwaves, which are causing substantial damage in Pakistan.
According to Press Information Department, during a high-level meeting held on Friday on Strengthening Pakistan’s Shield Against Climate Change Impacts, Alam expressed that despite economic challenges, Pakistan is committed to enhancing its capacity to withstand environmental and climate-related disasters. She highlighted the need for focused adaptation and disaster preparedness strategies to protect the lives and livelihoods of the Pakistani people.
The meeting featured discussions on international collaborations and funding opportunities with organizations like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank to address climate threats. Deputy Resident Representative for UNDP in Pakistan, Van Nguyen, briefed on the Global Shield against Climate Risks, a new funding mechanism aimed at offering pre-arranged financial resources to climate-vulnerable countries like Pakistan for effective disaster risk management.
Representatives from the ministry and UNDP-Pakistan explored various climate risk mitigation strategies, including agriculture insurance and urban flood resilience. Regional Director South Asia at the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) & Vulnerable Twenty Group (V20), Hamza Ali Haroon, shared insights on international efforts under the Global Shield initiative to bolster protection against climate and disaster risks for vulnerable populations.
Alam reaffirmed her commitment to engage with national and international partners to enhance Pakistan’s resilience, emphasizing that building disaster resilience, particularly in sectors such as agriculture, water, energy, health, and education, remains a top priority for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration.