Islamabad: Romina Khurshid Alam, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Climate Change, emphasized the importance of enhancing local scientists’ capabilities to foster sustainable urban development and address urban flooding. Speaking at a workshop titled ‘Urban Floods: Implications for Resilience,’ organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute in collaboration with the Pak-German Climate and Energy Partnership, Alam highlighted the need for infrastructure resilient to climate change and urged for recommendations to be shared with the Ministry of Climate Change.
According to Press Information Department, Alam praised the workshop’s role in uniting policymakers, practitioners, and academia to develop evidence-driven solutions. She advocated for increased involvement of local researchers in policy-making and stressed the integration of indigenous knowledge with new technologies in climate risk mitigation. The session also addressed the broader impacts of climate change on Pakistan, noting the country’s extreme vulnerability to climate disasters as evidenced by the 2022 floods. Additional insights from various experts underscored the need for comprehensive adaptation strategies, risk communication, and enhanced governmental coordination to better manage urban flooding risks.