By Asad Cheema
ISLAMABAD: Country Director for Pakistan, South Asia Region, Najy Benhassine called on Coordinator to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Romina Khurshid Alam and discussed various matters of bilateral interest and cooperation for building Pakistan’s climate resilience though various measures on Tuesday.
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. Both sides agreed to work jointly to invest in various climate-vulnerable sectors, particularly agriculture, water, energy, floodwater management, and disaster risk reduction, to make these sectors climate-resilient.
This meeting also focused on addressing Pakistan’s growing climate-related challenges, which include extreme weather events such as floods, heat waves 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, 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, which have significant economic, social, and environmental consequences, Pakistan is doing everything possible with its resources and existing capacity to cope with the impacts of climate change,” Romina Khurshid Alam said.
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. This has emphasized the urgent need for flood resilience and disaster risk reduction measures.
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 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.
Meanwhile, the World Bank official also emphasised with the PM’s climate aide Romina Khurshid Alam the significance of developing and implementing comprehensive climate risk management strategies to be implemented at national, provincial and district levels. This would help the country to better prepare for and effectively respond to natural disasters mitigate their economic, social, and environmental impacts and protect the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable communities.
The World Bank’s country director Najy Benhassine also offered close work at all levels with the climate change and environmental coordination ministry and provided 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.
The meeting also discussed at length the strengthening of Pakistan’s institutional frameworks and policies to ensure that climate risk management is integrated into development planning at all levels.
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.
