By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, which was ranked as the most climate-vulnerable country, has crossed a crucial milestone by achieving an overarching Sustainable Development Goal-13 ‘Climate Action’ much before the deadline, shows United Nations annual Sustainable Development Report 2020, launched recently.
The Sustainable Development Report (formerly the SDG Index & Dashboards) is an annual global assessment of countries’ progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It is a complement to the official SDG indicators and the voluntary national reviews. Advisor to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam said, “It is indeed a landmark achievement for the country to have achieved the crucial sustainable development goal 13 ‘Climate Action’ well 10 years before deadline of 2030 for the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.â€
“With achieving the Climate Action SDG 13, Pakistan has demonstrated itself a country seriously committed to global efforts aimed to tackle the challenge of climate change,†he maintained. Malik Amin Aslam pointing towards various measures taken by the present government and under the unwavering patronage of Prime Minister Imran Khan, said that adoption and implementation of different low carbon growth trajectory, mitigation and adaptation initiatives in fact paved the way for the country to achieve the UN’s Climate Action Goal 13 that too 10 years before expiry of the SDGs.
Launched and adopted by all United States member countries in September 2015, the UN-led 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the roadmap to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. To be achieved by 2030, they aim to address the global challenges including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, health, education, water, sanitation, food security, peace and justice.
In its annual latest climate risk index 2020, Germanwatch a sustainable development advocacy group, ranked Pakistan in its long-term ranking (199902918) fifth among the countries most-affected by extreme weather events. According to German Watch Index, Pakistan has been ranked globally in the top ten countries most affected by climate change in the past 20 years owing to its geographical location. According to the Global Climate Risk Index annual report for 2020, Malik Amin Aslam said that in view of economic damages estimated at $3.8 million in the Germanwatch Index 2020, Pakistan has been ranked number three in the long-term assessment over a 20-year period (1999-2028).
“This means that the our economy is at peril from climate catastrophes and this is not alone an environmental challenge but also an issue affecting our economy, human health, agriculture and ecosystem,” he elaborated. The government being cognizant of the situation has taken a raft of measures at policy, management and operational levels to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on the country, said the PM’s Advisor.
