The Senate’s Standing Committee on Climate Change on Monday said Pakistan was ranked among top 10 countries worst hit by impacts of climate change in form of floods, torrential rains, rise in temperature and cyclones.
The committee highlighted vulnerability of the country due to increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters in the country, which were being caused due to changing and unpredictable weather patterns.
The committee met under Senator Dr Saeeda Iqbal who emphasised to work together with civil society organisations to mitigate these impacts and help vulnerable communities to better adapt to changing weather patterns.
While briefing, Resource Centre Director Akhtar Hameed Khan said Pakistan was among the most vulnerable countries facing climate risks and mechanisms needed to be devised for greener, more resilient options for growth and sustainable development.
“Pakistan’s contribution to global warming is negligible but it is one of the top ten most affected countries”, he said.
Chairperson Senator Dr Saeeda Iqbal said, “We must pursue sustainable economic growth by appropriately addressing the challenges of climate change and integrate climate change policy with other interlaced national policies.” Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) Senior Group Head Zafar Pervez Sabri said, “We strengthen the institutional capacity of civil society organizations, and support the creation of organizations of the poor, that can work together to alleviate poverty.”
PPAF ensured that public services for poor communities are available and adhere to identified quality standards, he said.
“We focus on pro-poor gender sensitive adaptation while also promoting mitigation to the extent possible in a cost effective manner to ensure water, food and energy security of the country in the face of challenge posed by climate change,” he told committee.
Speakers of the committee emphasised that facilitating an effective use of the opportunities, particularly financial, available both nationally and internationally, was critical for fostering the development of appropriate economic incentives to encourage public and private sector investment in adaptation measures and promoting conservation of natural resources.