Unicef joins hands with Pakistan to protect children from climate risks

Islamabad : Coordinator to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Romina Khurshid Alam on Saturday made a significant commitment on behalf of Pakistani government to join hands with provincial governments to safeguarding its children from the devastating impacts of climate change.

“Recognizing the vulnerability of the youngest and most marginalized populations to climate-induced disasters, today we have has pledged to prioritise child-centric climate adaptation and resilience measures in its national strategies,” the PM’s climate aide made these remarks after a crucial MoU signing ceremony between Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination and Unicef held at Pakistan Pavilion on the side-lines of the COP29 global climate conference.

The top key representatives of government of Pakistan along with the Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial governments affirmed their commitment to collaboratively protect the rights and interests of children embroiled in the quagmire of the impacts of climate crisis.

Federal Secretary Ministry of Climate Aisha Humera Moriani and Unicef Deputy Executive Director signed the Declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action, a pledge by champion governments to uphold priorities identified by children and youth across the world. Addressing the event, Romina Khurshid Alam remarked that enhancing access to education, health, and nutrition services in climate-affected areas as well as investing in sustainable infrastructure to protect schools and communities from extreme weather events is top priority of the present government.

She also emphasised that recognising the importance of empowering children as key drivers of climate action is vital to involving them in climate action programmes, fostering a generation of climate-conscious leaders. Pakistan also emphasized the importance of integrating children's voices into policy decisions and fostering community-based initiatives to empower young people as active participants in climate action. She termed the signature a significant step towards safeguarding the lives of 112 million children in Pakistan, who are vulnerable to climate-related disasters, displacement, and trauma.

“We commit to integrate child rights and needs into Pakistan’s climate policies and especially the Nationally Determined Contributions 3.0, which will be the focus of COP30 in Brazil next year,” said Romina Khurshid, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Climate Change upon signing the Declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action. Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) are national climate action plans by each country under the Paris Agreement. It contains efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

“We must ensure our children are prepared for the future they are growing into,” said Honourable Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister of Sindh Province. “Our education curriculum must reflect the realities of a world being altered by climate change and preparing our young people for a green economy.”

The Government of Pakistan and Unicef are deeply concerned about the disproportionate impact of climate change on children. Rising greenhouse gas emissions and short-lived climate pollutants pose an imminent threat to their health, education, and well-being. Regular flooding and intensifying heat waves expose children to higher risks than those faced by children in 1960. “It is high time our investments follow our priorities and benefit children directly,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kitty at the event.

“Let us move beyond the 2.4 per cent of global multi-lateral climate finance channelled specifically to children. We are calling for greater investments in social sectors, in line with the needs of the 46 per cent of Pakistan’s population that are under 18 years of age.”

Unicef, the Government of Pakistan and Provincial Governments will work to ensure that children's rights and interests are at the forefront of climate action and investment. Collectively, world leaders at COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, recognized that children and young people are disproportionately affected by climate-related disasters and impacts, amidst demands that children’s voices be included to shape climate policies and actions.