Prime Minister’s Advisor on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam, has said that present government is making all-out measures to boost Pakistan's climate resilience through various climate change adaptation and mitigation policy measures.
Addressing a high-level event 'Sustainable Development Report 2020' and Pakistan's achieving of "Climate Action" sustainable development goal', he told participants that the present government is highly environmentally-sensitive and well aware of the negative impacts of climate change on the country's various socio-economic sectors, particularly water, energy, food, and health sectors.
"However, afforestation, renewable energy, environmental protection, efficient water management initiatives, introduction of clean fuel, transformation of transport sector through introduction of electric vehicles, floodwater management, national parks' conservation related initiatives have been launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan to achieve environmental conservation and making these socio-economic sectors climate resilient," the advisor Malik Amin Aslam explained.
Held by the Ministry of Climate Change in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) here on Monday at a local hotel, the event was organised to celebrate Pakistan's landmark achievement of important sustainable development goal ' Climate Action' 10 years ahead of the 2030 deadline.
"This is a matter of great pride for the nation and a unprecedented achievement of the country to have met the crucial sustainable development goal 13 ‘Climate Action’ well 10 years before deadline of 2030 for the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals,” Malik Amin Aslam, Advisor to Prime Minister on Climate Change, said., rejoiningly.
“With meeting the 'Climate Action' SDG 13, Pakistan has exhibited itself a country seriously committed to global efforts aimed to tackle the challenge of climate change,” he maintained.
Launched and adopted by all United States member countries in September 2015, the UN-led 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the roadmap to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.To be achieved by 2030, they aim to address the global challenges including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, health, education, water, sanitation, food security, peace and justice.
Being intrinsically inter-connected with all 16 of the other SDGs of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the SDG13 calls for urgent action by all UN member countries to combat climate change and its impacts to protect the life on planet earth from fallouts of the climate change.
“ I would like to highlight that the UN-led SDGs are not mere 17 individual goals, but are rather interconnected targets for the all UN member states," he highlighted.
Malik Amin maintained, "This is because, progress in one goal can both depend on and unlock progress in another – and interconnected goals require an interconnected approach."
He said further that any efforts in the realm of climate action meant to boost climate resilience against the negative impacts of the unfolding climate crisis can surely help create a positive impact on other goals and countries.
In its annual latest climate risk index 2020, Germanwatch, a sustainable development advocacy group, ranked Pakistan in its long-term ranking (1999-2018) fifth among the countries most-affected by extreme weather events.
To reduce country's vulnerability to the fallouts of climate change such as torrential floods, cloudbursts, heat waves, glacial melt, the present Imran Khan-led government has launched a number other projects over the past two years, such as Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (Phase-II)m under which early warning systems are being installed for better forecast of shifting weather patterns in the country, river water floods in northern parts. Besides, local communities are also being trained to deal with glacial lake outburst floods occuring as a result of glacial melt, the advisor Malik Amin Aslam explained.
In her keynote address, Ms. Aliona Niculita, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Pakistan, said that UNDP - Pakistan and the Ministry of Climate Change has a long-standing strategic partnership for helping the country to deal with vagaries of the climate crisis and to protect lives and livelihoods of the local climate-vulnerable communities.
"We are happy to say that our continued collaboration in various fields including climate change, environment, gender equity, women empowerment, food security and youth skill development has borne fruit for the people of Pakistan and these efforts have contributed significantly in improvement of people's lives,” said she told participants of the event, Ms. Aliona Niculita spelt out.
She added, “With strong political will, increased investment, use of technology and mutual collaboration, it is evident that we can limit the increase in global mean temperature to two degrees Celsius or less, above the pre-industrial level. This will require collective action, continuous efforts, and meaningful and effective partnerships.”
The event was also attended, among others, by Additional Secretary Ministry of Climate Change, Joudat Ayaz, head of Environment & Climate Change Unit at UNDP - Pakistan Amanullah Khan, who also addressed the event.
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