Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman said late Thursday Pakistan has gone through a traumatic and devastating flood impacting more than 33 million people.
She expressed these views while speaking at the high-level segment in Water Pavilion: Thematic Day 3: Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Sustainable Cities for improved Livelihoods at the Water Pavilion, organised by International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and FAO. The event was held on the margins of COP27, currently underway in Sharm el-Sheikh.
She said almost one third of Pakistan was inundated and the loss and damage combined amounted to $30 billion according to the Post-disaster Needs Assessment, adding that the livelihood, agriculture and food are severely impacted and the century’s record flood has changed the entire topography in the South of the country, said a press release.
She emphasized on the flood losses to Pakistan incurred this year and the significance of the Living Indus Initiative in flood risk management, adaptation and resilience of the Indus River system.
Continuing the conversation on Pakistan’s recovery and adaptation needs, Sherry provided an overview of the Living Indus Initiative and how it would help in restoring the ecosystems of the Indus Basin.
“Restoring the ecological health of the Indus River system within the boundaries of Pakistan is a crucial step to ensure our climate resilience, especially during natural calamities like floods,” said the minister. To this end, the government’s Living Indus Initiative is a call to consolidate all interventions that can help revitalise the jugular vein of Pakistan.
Rehman also spoke at a panel discussion titled ‘The Living Indus: An Axis of Adaptation’ at the Pakistan Pavilion at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh. She was joined by Federal Minister for Commerce, Syed Naveed Qamar, Julien Harneis, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Pakistan, and environmental journalist, Afia Salam.
The panel was moderated by environmental lawyer and activist Ahmad Rafay Alam.
The Pakistan Pavilion at COP27 also hosted panel discussions on topics such as ‘Pakistan’s Glaciers: From Promise to Peril’ and ‘The Return of a Species: The Blind Dolphin and the Snow Leopard’.
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