Pakistan pursuing strategy to handle challenges of climate change

Islamabad: Prime Minister's focal person on climate change Syed Rizwan Mehboob has said that Pakistan is pursuing a two-pronged strategy to ensure availability of required funds to tackle increasing challenge of the climate change comprising generation of own financial resources and grabbing due share from the Green Climate Fund.

"The Green Climate Fund has already approved 36 million dollar for Climate Change Adaptation project responding to glacial outburst in northern areas of Pakistan. As a country particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, Pakistan can no longer afford to ignore the threat it poses to its economy and socio-political stability," he said.

He said Pakistan is already one of the most water-stressed countries in the world so implementation of National Climate Change Policy is now their top priority to ensure the country is fully prepared to cope with this emerging situation.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Senate passed the Climate Change Act 2016 this month, following the bill’s passage in the National Assembly in December. The legislation is expected to be approved by the President in the coming weeks, a requirement under the constitution.

Syed Rizwan Mehboob said the new legislation has paved the way for establishment of a policy-making Climate Change Council, along with a Climate Change Authority to prepare and supervise the implementation of projects to help Pakistan adapt to climate impacts and hold the line on climate-changing emissions.