Despite low emissions Pakistan among most vulnerable states: Ahsan

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Monday informed the international community that Pakistan had less than one per cent contribution to the total global greenhouse emissions, making it among the lowest in the world, but it was among the leading countries most vulnerable to the climate change impacts.

He expressed these views while addressing the 10th Asia-Pacific Forum on “Sustainable Development (APFSD)-2023”, a news release said.The four-day APFSD meeting started on March 27 under the theme of accelerating the recovery from the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels in Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Bangkok.

Addressing the forum, the minister highlighted key situations affecting Pakistan’s economic condition, including Covid-19, inflation due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict and severe climate disasters that caused a loss of $30 billion.

He said Pakistan had taken several measures, including the Post-Flood 2022 Resilient Recovery Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (4RF) Strategic Policy for the lives and livelihoods of the affected people, especially the most vulnerable.

Some of the post-flood recovery measures taken by the Government of Pakistan, he said, included the provision of emergency relief to one million households under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), initiating a youth internship programme to provide marketable skills and the creation of a National Flood Protection Plan to combat adverse effects of floods.

Despite facing severe climate disasters in 2022 that caused damage of billions of rupees, Ahsan Iqbal vowed that the incumbent government was committed to long-term resilience and adaptation. Through multi-sectoral strategies, the government is rebuilding and prioritizing long-term climate resilience, he said.