Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Dr. Musadik Malik, delivered a keynote video message at Pakistan’s side event titled “Cryosphere Adaptation & Disaster Risk Reduction” held on the sidelines of the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.
The event was organized by the Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination in collaboration with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
In his remarks, Federal Minister Dr. Musadik Malik underscored the urgent need to protect the HKH cryosphere, describing it as the “white rooftops of the world” and the primary lifeline of millions across South Asia. He noted that Pakistan hosts 13,000 glaciers, which feed the Indus River system and sustain the country’s agricultural, ecological, and economic foundations.
Dr. Malik stressed that climate-induced glacier melt is occurring at an unprecedented pace, resulting in severe losses and damages, including Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs).
Highlighting global climate inequity, the Minister stated: “Seventy percent of the world’s carbon emissions come from just ten countries, yet these same countries receive eighty-five percent of global green finance. The cryosphere crisis is fundamentally an issue of justice and rights.”
He urged countries with historic emissions responsibility to contribute their fair share toward adaptation and resilience in vulnerable mountain regions, calling on the global community to elevate the cryosphere agenda at COP30.
Dr. Malik reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to climate action, noting that the country has demonstrated leadership through its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0).
The session featured interventions from Deputy Ministers of Türkiye and Azerbaijan the Director General of ICIMOD, and senior representatives from Nepal, Bhutan, UNESCO, UNDP, and the Asian Development Bank.
