Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the formation of an expert committee on climate change that would be advising the federal government with regard to strategies on several issues related to the climate crisis.

According to details, the Prime Minister issued the directions while chairing the first meeting of the Pakistan Climate Change Council (PCCC) in Islamabad.

During the meeting, he commended the initiative of the climate change ministry with regard to the constitution of the Council and praised the Minister for pleading the case of Pakistan with regard to climate change, globally.

He said that climate change-induced devastating floods had caused havoc across the country, especially in the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan.

Despite having less than 1 percent share in the global carbon emission, Pakistan was one of the ten countries most affected by climate change, he underlined.

PM Shehbaz Sharif urged the need to improve risk mapping, and capacity building to access climate finance as well as loss and damage assessment ability.

He emphasized including risk mitigation and adaptation in disaster management strategies to reduce damages in the future.

The premier also stressed the need for better coordination among the federating units on environmental issues as the environment was a devolved subject after the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

The meeting was briefed that this year, Pakistan suffered overwhelming events like severe drought (that dried the delta area of Sindh province), forest fires, heat waves, glacier melting at three times the average rate, glacial outbreak floods followed by heavy monsoon rains, were induced by climate change.

It was informed that the World Bank had estimated Pakistan’s recent flood losses at US $ 40 billion. Pakistan faced 152 extreme events related to climate change in the last two decades and there was 300 percent increase in Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF), the meeting was told.

It was further briefed that high-intensity heatwave persistence had increased to 41 days per year and Pakistan had the hottest cities in the world for straight three years with temperatures rising as high as 53.7-degree celsius.

The participants were further briefed that the upcoming 27th Conference of Parties (COP) under the United Nations, to be held in Egypt in November 2022, would provide Pakistan with an opportunity to present its stance on vulnerability with regard to effects of climate change, water scarcity, food security, sea level rise and increase in climate-induced migration.

The PCCC was constituted under Pakistan Climate Change Act, 2017. The current PCCC was notified on 29th August 2022. The Council is headed by the Prime Minister with 26 official and 20 non-official members.