Daily Times

Would Shanghai Cooperation Council (SCO) provide a platform for discussion and the drawing of an eventual framework of cooperation on glacial issues? It seems that Russia is the only country in the North, which could theoretically provide resources for such projects, programmes and platforms. The rest of the member countries of SCO belong to the South and cannot provide resources for such endeavours. At the moment, there have been no significant deliberations on the melting of the HKH region glaciers at the SCO forum. However, the SCO platform could be leveraged for the initiation of regional dialogue and exchange of scientific data and information.

Latin American Model of Cooperation on Antarctic-related issues can prove to be a major example of conflict resolution. Argentina and Chile have been handling the issues related to Antarctica through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms. The meetings of Administrators of Antarctic Programs in Latin America (RAPAL) provide a bilateral platform to deliberate upon the possibility of “enriching future cooperation.”Argentine Antarctic Institute conducts studies on emerging challenges for the Antarctic. Accordingly, specialized training is being imparted to response teams, community-based organizations and workers regularly.

Pakistan could aim to attain leadership positions through increased data collection in the third pole area, scientific research, more collaborative efforts and innovative solutions to the challenges. There is additional stress on Pakistan’s limited resources to meet environmental standards. Middle-income countries, like Pakistan, have to carve out their space for advancing respective priorities, including channelling climate finance for achieving their mitigation and adaptation objectives. Unfortunately, planning and mitigation strategies to handle flash floods are practically non-existent. The data on flash flood events is not collected as a separate category despite studies suggesting an increase in their frequency and intensity due to climate-induced changes. A specialised cell within the NDMA should be made to act as the focal agency dealing with disaster mitigation and adaptation in the Third Pole region falling within the country’s domain.

Pakistan needs to develop a comprehensive Third Pole-related climate change and environmental policy.

Pakistan Green Diplomacy Initiative draft policy paper, presented to Prime Minister, mentions that Pakistan needs $7-14 billion annually for adaptation actions. Given the limited absorptive capacity of donor funding in GLOF-I, GLOF-II and other environmental projects and other factors, it is necessary to bring the demand for funding to a more pragmatic realm. It should aim at tapping the Green Climate Fund (GCF), for the study of environmental changes in the Third Pole, development of infrastructure, health, water and livelihood facilities including agriculture and tourism, GLOF and flash flood-related mitigation and remedial efforts.

Thus, Pakistan needs to develop a comprehensive Third Pole-related climate change and environmental policy, which caters to the needs of the latest environmental and financial regimes. Furthermore, a sustainable and inclusive model needs to be adopted by blending conventional knowledge with scientific advancements, synthesising it into a socially cohesive and culturally sensitive construct with local ownership.

Likewise, Pakistan and India fall in the same geological and climatic regions. But due to political differences and animosities, the regional approach for dealing with natural disasters could not be developed as yet however scientific information amongst regional countries needs to be initiated.

The Ministry of Climate Change and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should robustly present Pakistan’s case at international fora and coordinate with donor agencies and national entities. In this regard, the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 closed with a breakthrough agreement to provide “loss and damage” funding for vulnerable countries hit hard by climate disasters. The consensus decision taken to this effect by the COP27 in Sharm-El-Sheikh is a momentous achievement, especially for the G-77 and China, as the developing countries have been demanding such a fund for the past 30 years. The catastrophic climate change-induced floods in Pakistan this year that resulted in losses and damages of over US$ 30 billion refocused global attention towards this critical issue.

Pakistan, as Chair of the G-77 and China, galvanized support for the establishment of the Fund in COP 27, first by having it placed on the Agenda of the Conference, and then pushing for a consensus agreement. However, keeping in view the feeble and chronic administrative capacity and resources base in Pakistan, it appears to be a perilous path to explore as to how committed funds will be (al)located and who will monitor the funds and their disposal mechanism.

(Concluded)

The writer works at a public policy think tank and can be reached at saudzafar5@gmail.com.