Local solutions

In November, when world leaders gathered at a climate conference, there were hopes that they would work out a widely accepted plan to finance developing countries that are bearing the brunt of climate change despite their emissions being negligible. Under the new climate finance agreement reached at COP29, wealthy nations committed to contributing $300 billion annually to developing countries by 2035. However, this amount pales in comparison to the $443.5 billion in public debt repayments made by developing nations in 2022 alone. According to a report by a foreign outlet, “only 28 per cent of climate finance was provided as grants in 2022 to developing countries recovering from floods or shifting to clean energy, and the rest was channelled as loans, leaving them swamped by overwhelming and pressing external debt.” Given this, it is apt that Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman has called this “a band-aid on a bullet wound”. Pakistan, in recent years, has been trying to make a strong case for categorising climate finance as grants, not loans, to lessen the burden on the already fragile economies of the developing world. Delivering the closing keynote address at the Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change (CSCCC) high-level roundtable on the post-COP29 outcomes, Rehman said that Pakistan alone needs $30 billion to make up for the loss and damage it regularly encounters.

The senator also added that Pakistan should focus on centralised climate authorities to local leadership at the provincial level. It is high time the country moved away from taking dictation from rich nations and considered home-grown solutions. In 2022, the apocalyptic floods showed that there is no escape from the monstrous effects of climate change even for countries whose carbon emissions are less than 1.0 per cent of the total count. While policymakers have been quick at raising their voice against the complicity of the developed world, rightfully asking them to hand out grants to help the developing world recover from climate challenges, nations like ours also need to come up with local solutions to protect ourselves from climate change. Unchecked, rapid urbanisation that blocks drains and razes down the country’s fertile lands has to be dealt with rigorously. Awareness campaigns should be started to teach people the importance of green spaces, encouraging residential areas to have dedicated space for parks and gardens. Initially, all such neighbourhoods had separate places for parks and green spaces, but as profiteers started dominating the political landscape, builders now get a green signal to encroach on such spaces and build multi-storey apartments.

All of this is our failure and has nothing to do with the apathy of the developed world. This means that we have to first put our house in order and think of ways to reduce the effects of climate change. Similarly, third spaces should be created, like community centres, where people can come together and relax during sweltering summer, reducing the heavy reliance of households on air-conditioners. It’s time to start our climate campaign from the grassroots level, asking local leaders to lead the way and come up with region-specific solutions to beat the heat and escape the cold. Pakistan has to lead the way in this regard. Carbon markets, climate grants and other financing options are great, but it is time we had our own plan to keep our people and their property safe from floods and other catastrophic events.